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LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2011 PROGRAM AND EVENTS
Los Angeles, California (May 10, 2011) – Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) has announced the
2011 line-up of films for its 5th annual Festival, which runs June 9-12 at the Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West
Hollywood. Seven feature films, five documentaries and nine shorts, including three world premieres, ten
US premieres and eight LA premieres will be presented during the 4-day Festival. The Festival has also
added an industry panel “Crossing Borders: Foreign Films in Hollywood” to the schedule this year.
"This year's films represent all facets of Greek life – humor, music, wine, erotica, and family... with a twist!
Los Angeles audiences will not be disappointed," says Ersi Danou, LAGFF co-founder.
"The growing Greek film community is rapidly proving itself a formidable source of truly groundbreaking
cinema and I am proud to help bring these incredible works to the Los Angeles screen." states Owen
Ward, Director of Programming.
Opening night gala will showcase Lea Binzer's documentary PELICAN'S WATCH about a small
community of elders on the island of Santorini charged with the unique duty to preserve the traditions of
vine-growing and winemaking in the face of changing times that threaten their ancient and worldrenowned art. The screening will be followed by a reception featuring some of the top Greek wines.
Santorini winemakers and the filmmakers are expected to attend. On Friday June 10, LAGFF presents
the US premiere of Roy Sher's MY SWEET CANARY, a documentary that recounts the story of Roza
Eskenazy, the Diva of Rebetiko or “Greek Blues," whose music shaped the soundtrack of Greece and
Asia Minor for almost a century.
The Festival organizers are thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of the critically acclaimed
drama/comedy A WOMAN'S WAY (STRELLA) produced and directed by Panos Koutras, written by
Panajotis Evangelidis and Panos Koutras, starring Mina Orfanou, Yanis Kokiasmenos and Minos
Theoharis – a daring film about the relationship of newly released convict Yorgos and the matriarchal
transsexual Strella. The film will be shown Saturday evening June 11, at 9:30 pm.
In addition, LAGFF is proud to present the US premiere of Yannis Economides' fearless and artful
KNIFER, top winner of the Hellenic Film Academy awards, a story set against the milieu of a decaying
middle class where right and wrong seem interchangeable.
The legendary music composer Mikis Theodorakis will be presented with a Honorary Orpheus Award
during the awards ceremony on Sunday, June 12, at the Writers Guild Theatre. The award acknowledges
his body of work in the world of music and contribution to world cinema with scores for milestone films
such as Z, SERPICO, STATE OF SIEGE, and ZORBA THE GREEK. Accepting the Orpheus on his
behalf will be Asteris Koutoulas, a longtime collaborator as well as the director of the featured
documentary MIKIS THEODORAKIS, COMPOSER, which will be shown on Saturday, June 11.
The Festival comes to a close Sunday, June 12 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills with a Gala
event and world premiere of BURNING HEADS (To Gala), directed by Giorgos Siougas, screenplay by
Vassilis Katsikonouris with the collaboration of Nikos Vouteniotis, produced by Christos
Konstadakopoulos, Manos Krezias, Kostas Labropoulos, Dionisis Samiotis, with Promitheas
Aliferopoulos, Ionna Tsirigouli, Omiros Poulakis, Iro Bezou, and Demitris Mavros. This poignant story,
based on the Greek play To Gala by Katsikonouris is a hardcore look at immigration and resulting family
dynamics in Greece today. When Russian immigrant Adonis introduces his bride-to-be to his mother and
schizophrenic brother, deep-rooted rifts within their family explode as Adonis seeks to ease his guilt and
his mother tries to restore the bond their family once knew in their long-lost homeland.
Immediately preceding the feature LAGFF will host its closing night Orpheus Awards ceremony, hosted
by comedian Angelo Tsarouchas. The evening ends with sumptuous Mediterranean food reception. The
reception, to be sponsored by world-renowned Greek-owned Earth Friendly Products, will be greenthemed in support of green action in Greece and around the world.
Co-founder Angeliki Giannakopoulos adds, "We are also pleased to expand the festival beyond the Greek
borders to address the changes that are happening within the independent film distribution arena as a
whole. We have added the ‘Crossing Borders: Foreign Films in Hollywood’ panel with experts who are
able to address new avenues outside the traditional route."
Special Industry Panel
Crossing Borders: Foreign Films in Hollywood
The age of global interconnectedness is shaping the ways films are made, distributed and exhibited in the
US and abroad, while the dividing lines between foreign films, independent productions and Hollywood
studio films are beginning to blur. For the first time in the history of American cinema, Hollywood studios
have set up international offices to facilitate local productions filmed in the local language. Similarly,
foreign films may be facing a newly kindled interest in the US. While still marginal players in the US
distribution and exhibition domains, foreign films have a growing effect on both studio and independent
domestic filmmaking, shown by an increasing number of international co-productions and Hollywood
studio remakes.
This panel will address questions on the future potential of foreign films in the broader international
market, including issues such as international representation and the use of alternative distribution and
marketing resources.
The 5th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) runs from June 9-12 at Laemmle's Sunset 5,
located at 8000 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles. Closing night will take place at the Writers Guild Theater at
135 S. Doheny in Beverly Hills.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online via the LAGFF website at LAGFF.org beginning Tuesday, May 10, 2011.
Elite Pass Members are $300 online and $350 at the door (includes VIP preferred seating to all films,
opening and closing night tickets, and access to all events – industry, panel and seminar). General film
tickets are $12 each. For more information, including how to purchase Screening Passes, Event
information and Elite Passes, please visit http://lagff.org
LAGFF 2011 Program
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Full schedule
Opening Night Film
PELICAN’S WATCH (I Vardia tou Pelekanou)
Greece, 2011, 67 min, US Premiere
Director/Producer: Lea Binzer
A small community of elders on the island of Santorini is charged with the unique duty to preserve the
traditions of vine-growing and winemaking in the face of changing times that threaten their ancient and
world-renowned art.
Awards:
- 13th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival: Honrary Mention by ERT 3 (Hellenic Broadcasting
Corporation)
Closing Night Film
BURNING HEADS (To Gala)
Greece, 2011, 99 min, World Premiere
Director: George Siougas
Producers: Christos Konstadakopoulos, Manos Krezias, Kostas Labropoulos, Dionisis Samiotis
When Russian immigrant Adonis introduces his bride-to-be to his mother and schizophrenic brother,
deep-rooted rifts within their family explode as Adonis seeks to ease his guilt and his mother tries to
restore the bond their family once knew in their long-lost homeland.
FICTION FEATURES
A WOMAN'S WAY (Strella)
Greece, 2009, 113 min, LA Premiere
Director/Producer: Panos Koutras
When Yorgos is released from prison and seeks his estranged son, he meets and falls in love with the
matriarchal transsexual Strella, discovering that the two have much more in common than expected and
that she might even offer the key to his lost happiness.
BILOBA
Greece, 2009, 97 min, LA Premiere
Director: Sofia Papchristou
Producer: Sofia Papachristou, Stavros Meleas
Engineer Peter sets off to build a power generator fueled by toxic waste on an uncharted island, but
unexpectedly finds magic amongst the backward islanders and is faced with a difficult choice.
Awards
- Thessaloniki Film Festival 2009: Audience Award
DEATH I DREAMED OF (O Thanatos pou Oneireythika)
Greece, 2010, 94 min, LA Premiere
Director/Producer: Panagiotis Kravvas
Based on a true story, this horror tale follows a group of teenagers as they encounter a mysterious
stranger who at first gathers them in a celebration of the occult but eventually unleashes a very real
display of death and destruction.
LAGFF 2011 Program
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HARISMA
Greece, 2010, 83 min, LA Premiere
Director: Christina Ioakeimidi
Producer: Alexandra Boussiou
When unsophisticated bus driver Haris thrusts himself into the seemingly controlled life of young teacher
Ismini, both have to abandon their safety nets in order to find true love in this light-hearted comedy.
KNIFER (Macherovgaltis)
Greece, 2010, 108 min, US Premiere
Director: Yannis Economides
Producer: Panos Papahadzis
In this artful B&W account of a decaying middle class, Nikos moves in with his brutish uncle to guard his
dogs, but soon finds out that he must pull himself together in order to set things right.
WITHOUT BORDERS (Horis Sinora)
Greece, 2010, 97 min, US Premiere
Director: Nick Gaitatjis
Producers: John Apostolou, Sandra Staggs
With the help of his eccentric cousin, Thanasis embarks on a journey across continents in search of his
six-year-old adopted daughter, along the way redefining the meaning of familial love.
DOCUMENTARIES
THE GAME MUST GO ON (Ta Paidia Den Paizei)
Greece, 2010, 80 min, LA Premiere
Director: Angeli Andrikopoulou, Argyris Tsepelikas
Producer: Rea Apostolides
Tired of being hassled by their neighbors for playing soccer in the streets, an ambitious group of children
set out to build a playing field of their own by daring what most adults would not: Cutting through the red
tape and going up against the machine of local politics.
MIKIS THEODORAKIS, COMPOSER (Mikis Theodorakis, Komponist)
Germany, 2010, 53 min, US Premiere
Directors: Asteris Kutulas, Klaus Salge
Producer: Klaus Salge
This in-depth portrait of Mikis Theodorakis explores the roots of the life and work of Greece’s legendary
composer whose music became identified with the struggles of a nation torn by war and strife in the 20th
Century.
MY SWEET CANARY
Israel/France/Greece, 2011, 89 min, US Premiere
Director/Producer: Roy Sher
The story of Roza Eskenazy, the Diva of Rebetiko or “Greek Blues," whose music shaped the soundtrack
of Greece and Asia Minor for almost a century, is unveiled through the journey of three modern musicians
who retrace her steps and perform her songs.
LAGFF 2011 Program
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WITH GREAT POWER: THE STAN LEE STORY *
USA, 2010, 80 min,
Directors: Will Hess, Terry Dougas, Nikki Frakes
Producers: Paris Latsis, Will Hess, Nikki Frakes, Terry Dougas
Get up close and personal with Stan Lee, the artist behind world-famous Marvel comics and comic book
favorites like Spiderman and The Fantastic Four in this star-studded documentary that explores how one
of today’s great creative minds came to be.
SHORT FILMS
1.2 MILLION CHILDREN (1.2 Ekatommyria Paidia)
Greece, 2010, 3 min, US Premiere (Animated)
Director: Effie Pappa
Producers: Effie Pappa, Stelios Polychronakis
This animated short brings light to the tragic issue of children being bought and sold across international
borders.
Awards:
- 33rd Drama Invitational Short Film Festival 2010
- 6th Animfest 2010: 2nd Animation Award
- EBGE Hellenic Graphic Design & Animation Awards: Special Merit Award
13 ½
Greece, 2010, 21 min, US Premiere
Director: Haris Vafeiadis
Producer: Yiannis Exintaris
The road to adulthood is fraught with peril for this young teenage girl who comes to understand the value
of her lost innocence.
Awards:
- Greek Federation of Film Societies Drama Film Festival: 2nd Fiction, Best Female Performance, Best
Film)
ALTER *
Greece, 2011, 9 min, World Premiere
Director: Petros Antoniadis
Producers: Maria Vlachaki, George Antoniadis
An unconventional artist finds that he must embrace all parts of his psyche in order to reach fulfillment.
COMMENTARY *
USA/Canada, 2010, 8 min, World Premiere
Director: Jonathan Crow
Producer: John Kapelos, Ira Miller
What starts as a simple behind-the-scenes commentary recording session between a film producer and
director becomes a hilarious conflict of personal relationships.
LAGFF 2011 Program
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MARIOS AND THE RAVEN
Greece, 2010, 22 min, US Premiere
Director/Producer: Yiannis Bougioukas
On his 53rd birthday, Marios seems to have everything he ever wished for – until a bird dropping from the
blue reveals his happiness to be far more fragile than it seemed.
Awards:
- 16th International Short Film Festival in Drama 2010: Best South and Eastern Europe Film Award
- 33rd National Short Film Festival in Drama 2010: Best Actor (Errikos Litsis)
PYRAMIDS OF ATHENS (Pyramides tis Athinas)
Greece, 2010, 15 min
Director/Producer: Yolanda Markopoulou
A young Egyptian immigrant in Athens observes suspicious activity in the abandoned building where he is
squatting and decides to take matters into his own hands despite language and cultural barriers.
RF
Greece, 2010, 20 min, US Premiere
Director: Stavros Liokalos
Producer: Ekso Productions
One man simply trying to adjust his TV antenna sets off a chain of comic events that bring an entire
apartment community together.
THE DOG (O Skylos)
Greece, 2009, 23 min, US Premiere
Director: Nikos Charalabopoulos (aka Labot)
Producers: Nikos Charalabopoulos, Louizos Aslanidis
The arrival of a young suitor and his dog means war for a father who compulsively protects his only
daughter.
WHAT TIME WILL YOU BE BACK? (Ti Ora tha Gyrisis?)
Greece, 2010, 20 min, US Premiere
Director: Maritina Passari
Producer: Panayiotis Karabinis
When Eurydice rebels against her mother to follow her dream of becoming a punk-rock singer, she
realizes that the mother-daughter relationship is not one-way.
NOTE: All films include English subtitles, except (*) indicates English original language.
About Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
The 5th annual Los Angeles Film Festival showcases new films from Greek filmmakers worldwide to
promote and nurture Greek Cinema while bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood.
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.
www.lagreekfilmfestival.org
LAGFF 2011 Program
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Major contributors:
Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation – ERT S.A.
http://www.ert.gr/ertae/en/etaireia/etaireia.asp
LAGFF GOLD PATRON
Founded in 1938, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) is the largest radio and television
broadcasting organization in Greece. As the country’s first broadcaster, it has an unrivalled audio and
visual historic archive, which captures much of the history of modern Greece. ERT has three broadcasting
television stations with national coverage (ET1, NET and ET3), one satellite channel (ERT world), four
terrestrial digital channels (Cine+, Prisma+, Sport+ and Info+), six radio programs with headquarters in
Athens (NET, Second Program, Third Program, FILIA, KOSMOS, ERA Sport), two international radio
stations (Voice of Greece and Third Program in Thessaloniki), two radio stations based in Thessaloniki
(95,8 and 102 FM), and 19 regional radio stations throughout Greece.
ERT has been an ardent supporter of LAGFF since 2008.
Earth Friendly Products
www.ecos.com
LAGFF SILVER PATRON
The Earth Friendly Products family returns to LAGFF for a second year as a Silver Patron and sponsor of
the Festival's Closing Night green party. Earth Friendly Products only uses cleaners that are plant-based,
paper that is recycled with 80% post-consumer content, detergents that won’t harm clothing fibers, and
phosphate-free auto dish soap that will not etch dishware. And only products not tested on animals,
period. Earth Friendly Products. Green. Clean.
Bousis Film Company / G.P. Kolovos & Associates
LAGFF BRONZE PATRONS
Bousis Film Company and G.P. Kolovos & Associates have joined LAGFF as 2011 Bronze Patrons.
Bousis Film Company is an independent production company focusing on feature, documentary, and
animation film production, packaging and financing. G.P. Kolovos & Associates is a Real Estate
Investment & Development company.
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SOURCE: LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL
LAGFF 2011 Program
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