It's LAGFF Time!!! 4th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival June 10 - 13, 2010

Four Black Suits

In a few days time the curtain will be rising on the 4th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) with a film line-up which is guaranteed to explore and entertain.

The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting Greek cinema, bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood and highlighting Greek contributions to the American film industry. Naturally, it has a number of prominent and award-winning Greek American Hollywood notables on it's advisory board, including Jim Gianopulos, Olympia Dukakis, Alexander Payne, Nia Vardalos, Kary Antholis, Sid Ganis and Phedon Papamichael.

About the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival

 

Apart from showcasing  new films by Greek filmakers, the Festival also offers screenings of film masterworks, seminars on important contemporary film issues, and tributes to significant filmmakers and performers of Greek origin. Orpheus Awards are given to the most outstanding new films in the dramatic, documentary and short film categories.

The 2010 line-up of films for its 4th annual Festival, which runs June 10 - 13 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood includes 7 feature films, 4 documentaries and 5 shorts, including 1 world premiere, 12 US premieres and 3 LA premieres during the 3-day Festival.

“As LA Greek Film Festival celebrates its fourth year, we are proud to be the driving force behind the Greek film culture in Hollywood. We enjoy the opportunity to showcase amazing Greek cinema, content, filmmakers and talent to the entertainment industry and the Southern California communities,”  said Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Festival Co-Founder. 

“This is a prolific time for Greek film and has allowed for many filmmakers to create projects that raise questions about identity whether that is individual, cultural or national. Within the current crisis there is great opportunity, and we are extremely excited to see the fresh talent emerging out of Greek artists today,” said Ersi Danou, Festival Co-Founder.

Opening night of the Festival is the US premiere of director Vardis Marinakis’s BLACK FIELD (Mavro Livadi), starring Sofia Georgovassili. 

This will be followed by the LA Premiere of multi-festival winner DOGTOOTH (Kynodontas) directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni and Hirstos Passalis.

DOGTOOTH will also be receiving a special prize for an achievement in filmmaking at this year's Orpheus Awards on Sunday, June 13. 

The Festival comes to a close Sunday, June 13 with a Gala event and US premiere of PLATO'S ACADEMY (Akadimia Platonos), directed by Filipos Tsitos and starring Antonis Kafetzopoulos and Anastasis Kozdine.

The LAGFF Closing Night will once again be hosted by "Deal or No Deal's" Patricia Kara.  

The night promises to be a gala event that you won't want to miss. Academy Award-winner Alexander Payne (SIDEWAYS) will present the Career Achievement award to filmmaker Phedon Papamichael. 

 

Papamichael has been the cinematographer on an impressive list of entertainment media ranging from the TV mini-series "Wild Palms" to the cinematic features PHENOMENON, PATCH ADAMS, THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL, MOONLIGHT MILE, SIDEWAYS, THE WEATHER MAN, WALK THE LINE, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, 3:10 TO YUMA, the upcoming KNIGHT AND DAY with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz and is currently in production on THE DESCENDANTS with George Clooney.

LAGFF's closing night Orpheus Awards' ceremony and Gala will be accompanied by sumptuous Mediterranean food served by La Fogata, Metaxa bar serving traditional Greek cocktails and exquisite Grecian wines.

The 4th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) runs from June 10 - 13 at Egyptian Theatre,located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood, CA 90028. 

Volunteers Wanted!!!



If you are interested in volunteering, LAGFF is looking for volunteers to help with all aspects of preparation and on site organization leading up to and during this year's festival in Hollywood.



Volunteers will have the opportunity to experience first hand how a film festival comes together and to interact with a dynamic group.



Join LAGFF and learn what it takes to organize a film festival!

For a full programme schedule see below. For more information and tickets, including how to purchase Screening Passes and Gold Passes (VIP Access to all Events and Films), please  Click Here

FULL SCHEDULE PROGRAMME:

FEATURES

ARCADIA LOST

 

 USA/Greece, 2009, 90 min, LA Premiere

Director: Phedon Papamichael

Producer: Kelly Thomas

Executive Producers: Scott Chambers, Dan Giustina

With a coming of age theme of metaphysical undertones, the film follows the spiritual journey of two teenagers in the aftermath of a devastating car accident in the hidden terrain of Greece. Papamichael picks unseen before images of Greece that reveal the youths’ gradual psychological awakening.



BLACK FIELD (Mavro Livadi)

Greece, 2009, 104 min, US Premiere

Director: Vardis Marinakis

Producers: Highway Productions, Greek Film Centre, ERT, Nova, Lamisalia, 2/35, Yorgos Lykiardopoulos

Set in 1650, this is the love story of Anthi, a young nun, and an Ottoman Janissary warrior. Yet the story is only just beginning after they escape Anthi’s convent, for the nun has a secret: ‘she’ is in fact a ‘he’.  Thought-provoking and visually stunning, this film transcends gender and delves into matters of identity, loss, and restoration.



THE BUILDING MANAGER (O Diaheiristis)

Greece, 2009, 92 min, US Premiere

Director/Producer: Periklis Hoursoglou

Pavlos is a master at helping other people; his wife and children, his mother, and now the tenants of the residential block he has inherited. He tends to everyone’s needs except one: himself. All that changes when he meets Gianna, a beautiful woman half his age, and for a brief time Pavlos feels something he hasn’t felt in years: satisfied.



FIPRESCI'S prize, 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival



DOGTOOTH (Kynodontas)

Greece, 2009, 94 min, LA Premiere

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Producer: Iraklis Mavroides

Intense and unyielding, this darkly comic fable spins around issues of control and power. Three siblings are confined to a sprawling estate where their parents have created a world with its own twisted rules and vocabulary. But when the eldest daughter questions the absolute authority of her father, she sets into motion a series of events that could rend their fragile world.



Winner, Un Certain Regard, Festival de Cannes, 2009



EVRIDIKI’S CASE (I Periptosi Evridiki)

Greece, 2009, 74 min, US premiere,

Director: Freddy Vianellis

Producer: MODIANO

Working through four cinematic themes at once, this engaging and unconventional film charts the life of Evridiki, who, after years of drug addiction and suffering, is now fighting to control her life. Interspersed with her chronicle of events is the development of a stage play, which provides a rich counterpoint to a personal account of the terrible lows of addiction.



FOUR BLACK SUITS (Tessera Mavra Koustoumia)

Greece, 2010, 90 min, US Premiere

Director: Renos Haralambidis

Producer: Angelo Venetis, Iraklis Mavroides, Takis Nikolakopoulos, Aris Dayios

Two down and out undertakers, an actor, and a convict get together in a desperate – and hilarious - attempt to change their trajectory of failure. The scheme: fulfill a rich dead man’s last wish to be transferred from Athens to his village in his coffin… on foot. But when the promised reward begins to appear as elusive as their final destination, things get complicated.



PLATO’S ACADEMY (Akadimia Platonos)

Germany/Greece, 2009, 103 min, US Premiere

Director: Filipos Tsitos

Producer: BAD MOVIES

Stavros’s days are spent caring for his senile mother, idling at his small Athenian shop, and harassing passing Albanians. But when he finds out that he has a missing brother who is Albanian, his Greek pride crumbles. Filled with comic moments, this poignant portrait of racial tension examines Greek attitudes to the immigrant influx in what used to be a homogeneous society.



Leopard for Best Actor, Ecumenical Jury Prize, Youth Jury Prize

Locarno International Film Festival 2009

Best Feature Award, Tirana International Film Festival 2009

Silver Taiga Award, Spirit of Fire, International Debut Film Festival 2010



DOCUMENTARIES



COLOSSI OF LOVE

Greece, 2010, 59 min, US Premiere

Director: Nikkos Mistriotis

Producer: XYZ Productions

Unique to Greece of the 70s and 80s, the story of the ‘Kamaki’ men whose mission was to court and conquer female tourists, is funny and revealing at once. One marvels at the precise and benevolent code of the ‘Kamaki’ culture and, at the same time, is reminded of a society with strict and unyielding ethics that exists no longer.



PLUNDER FROM A BLEEDING LAND (Leilatontas mia Matomeni Hora)

Greece, 2009, 83 min, World Premiere

Director: Takis Papayiannidis

Producer: Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture, GREEK FILM CENTER, ERT

Thirty-five years after the Turkish invasion in 1974, a Greek archaeologist visits Cyprus and is faced with the cultural ravages and looting in the island’s occupied territory. For the first time in these years, there is a joint effort by Greek and Turkish scientists to restore the disasters and preserve the rich heritage of Cyprus.



SUGARTOWN: THE DAY AFTER (Sugartown, I Epomeni Mera)

Germany/Greece, 2009, 68 min, US Premiere

Director: Kimon Tsakiris

Producer: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averov

The Mayor of Zacharo or Sugartown is a man on a mission. A self-proclaimed hero, he is set on developing the town after devastating wildfires burned his constituency to the ground in 2007. Will his plans to maximize the burned land’s profitability and his indifference to the rule of law destroy what is left – a delicate ecosystem and a population bereft of homes and possessions?



WORDS OF RESISTANCE (Logos Kai Antistasi)

Greece, 2010, 78 min, US Premiere

Director/Producer: Timon Koulmasis

An intelligent look at the Greek men and women who were forced into self-exile at the time of dictatorship (1967-1974), and who took it upon themselves to publicly express their ideas of justice through a daily radio program broadcast by the German Deutsche Welle. The filmmaker questions the power of politically engaged speech and redefines its necessity today.



SHORTS



THE BOY AND THE TREE  (Ena Dentro Mia Fora)

Greece, 2009, 29 min, LA Premiere

Director: Panagiotis Rappas

Producer: TIME LAPSE PICTURES, Hellas

A tender fairy tale centered on the friendship between a withering tree on the sidewalk and a homeless little boy.



Best Animation Film, 5TH Animfest Athens, 2009

2nd Best Production for Children, European Broadcasters Union, 2009



CATS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD (Gata Ex Ouranou)

Greece, 2009, 21 min, US Premiere

Director: Dimitra Nikolopoulou

Producer: Haris Padouvas

Katerina never says no to anyone or anything. The unexpected arrival of a cat with her litter of kittens in her life becomes an eye-opener and forces her to rethink her priorities.



2nd Prize, Drama International Short Film Festival, 2009



THE CHARMER OF GRAMMOS (O Planeftis tou Grammou)

Greece, 2009 27 min, US Premiere

Director/Producer: Vangelis Efthymiou

Follow an aging, part hunter, part philosopher charmer as he searches for honey, one bee at a time, and explore the impact humans have on some of the most important players in our environment – the honeybees.



2nd Prize, 11th International Documentary Film Festival Thessaloniki



MESECINA

Greece, 2009, 30 min, US Premiere

Director: Sofia Exarchou

Producer: GUANACO, ERT

A very ill boy escapes his gloomy life at the hospital into the bustling streets of Athens, and gets a sweet taste of love.



1st Prize, Greek Association of Film Critics (PEKK Award), Greek Film Center Award, 2009



N’ ME FOR MYSELF (Ke Ego Gia Mena)

Greece, 2009, 20 min, US Premiere

Director: Georgis Grigorakis

Producer: Costas Lambropoulos

This energetically charged story reminds us that true love comes in all shapes and forms.



1st Prize, Drama International Short Film Festival, 2009

Global Greece - LAGFF Special Event - Beyond Borders - Greece on the International Film Stage

The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival will present Beyond Borders: Greece on the International Film Stage, a special panel discussion sponsored by Greece's Ministry of Tourism on Saturday, June 27, at the Linwood Dunn Theater. Greece's Minister of Tourism Kostas Markopoulos will attend the event as guest of honor. Panelists include actor Nia Vardalos (MY LIFE IN RUINS), President of Fox International Productions Sanford Panitch, cinematographer/director, Phedon Papamichael (ARCADIA LOST), Director of the Hellenic Film Commission Markos Holevas, Top Cut Founder Stamatis Athanassoulas, to be moderated by producer Terry Dougas (BRIDES).The panel will discuss recent productions in Greece and how the Greek culture and new infrastructure aided in the telling of their stories. In addition, advantages, challenges as well as future possibilities of foreign film production will be expanded on. "With the recent success of MAMMA MIA! and the recently released MY LIFE IN RUINS, starring Nia Vardalos, the Greek culture is making its way to the mainstream through the art of filmmaking," said Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Festival Co-Founder and Director."Greece is experiencing a rise in tourism this summer which is being attributed to the success of last summer's hit MAMMA MIA! Audiences enjoy seeing the images of Greece and the unique personality of the Greek people. The LA Greek Film Festival is delighted to encourage more productions there." MY LIFE IN RUINS director Donald Petrie adds, "Greece was an amazing place to shoot a film from the breathtaking locations, to the warm and welcoming attitude of both the Greek government, and the people."

Over the years, Greece has attracted the interest of various international producers who have taken advantage of the country's old culture, unique light and beautiful landscape. These films include BOY ON A DOLPHIN (1957) starring Sophia Loren and Alan Ladd, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961) with an all-star cast that included Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, THE LION OF SPARTA (1962) by Rudolph Maté , ZORBA THE GREEK (1964) with Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates, SUMMER LOVERS (1982) starring Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah, BIG BLUE (1988) directed by Luc Besson and starring Jean Reno and Jean Marc-Barr, and the Academy Award-winning Italian film MEDITERRANEO (1992). Greece is an integral part of the European Union and has a visual wealth of natural landscapes in regions like Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly , the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese , Crete and the picturesque islands in the Aegean and the Ionian seas. Many of these locations are blessed with historical monuments and traditional architecture. There are no large studios in Greece, but the country now offers a modern infrastructure for handling international film productions, experienced crews and service companies.

The Greek Film Centre, which is supervised by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, has supported the production and promotion of Greek films and fosters the participation of Greek producers in foreign productions. Since 2007, within the framework of the organization, the Hellenic Film Commission Office provides an array of services that make filming in Greece one of the most enticing places for production in Europe. MAMA MIA!, MY LIFE IN RUINS, FOREVER THE MOMENT, WANTED DEAD AND ALIVE, and ARCADIA LOST, as well as, several documentaries and TV programs, are some of the projects the organization has recently served.The Greek Film Centre provides conditional funding for cinema productions in Greece, which are co-produced by Greek producers. The Greek Ministry of Tourism also conditionally supports foreign productions. A VAT (value added tax) rebate system is currently being implemented in Greece. Citizens from EU countries as well as countries with which Greece has signed double-taxation treaties, qualify to enjoy the benefits of these agreements.Guest of honor Kostas Markopoulos was recently appointed Minister of Tourism, after an active career in politics and in the medical profession as a thoracic surgeon. He is a member of the Greek Parliament's National Defense and Internal Affairs Committee and Permanent Social Issues Committee.Panelists include:Nia Vardalos (writer/actor), who made filmmaking history with the success of her independent film MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002). The movie was nominated for an Academy Award® for best original screenplay. Vardalos' other credits include the television series My Big Fat Greek Life, CONNIE AND CARLA (2004) and the recent release MY LIFE IN RUINS, which was partly filmed in archaeological sites in Greece.Sanford Panitch, who is currently the President of Fox International Productions, a division of 20th Century Fox that produces and acquires local language films all over the world with strategic focus on markets with rapidly expanding local market share. He previously served as the President of Filmed Entertainment for New Regency Enterprises. He has supervised over 75 feature films such as JUMPER, DAREDEVIL, and the highest grossing movie in New Regency's history MR. AND MRS. SMITH. Prior, Mr. Panitch was Executive Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox where he worked on the highest grossing movie of all time TITANIC. Phedon Papamichael, who is a top Hollywood cinematographer and director. He has worked with directors such as Oliver Stone, Wim Wenders, Jon Turteltaub, Alexander Payne, Nick Cassavetes, and Diane Keaton. Some of his cinematography credits include W. (2008), 3:10 TO YUMA (2007), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006), WALK THE LINE (2005), THE WEATHER MAN (2005), SIDEWAYS (2005), IDENTITY (2003), MOONLIGHT MILE (2002), PATCH ADAMS (1998), MOUSEHUNT (1997), PHENOMENON (1996), and UNSTRUNG HEROES (1995). Papamichael recently completed his fourth feature as a director, ARCADIA LOST (2009), starring Haley Bennett, Nick Nolte and Carter Jenkins, which was filmed entirely in Greece.We look forward to the results of this panel discussion. There is a wealth of Greek Something talent in the film industry and we believe that this is a great way forward for Greece to showcase it's most exportable product, the breathtaking beauty of our homeland along with it's unparalleled history and culture. Quality films made in Greece for international audiences, let's call them Global Greek films, can only enhance our image abroad, and we greatly look forward to seeing more such films in future. It goes without saying that in order for this to happen, the investor-repellant bureaucracy and the red tape required must be reduced to a minimum - the minimum that is necessary to ensure that all ancient sites are preserved and not exploited harmfully, either physically or commercially!