7th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival Opens with US Premiere of Meteora 6 June Full Schedule and Ticket Info

Opening Night 6 June 2013 at the WGA

The 7th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) kicks off this Thursday, June 6 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. Included in the 2013 program is the selected feature for the Opening Night gala, which will be Spiros Stathoulopoulos’ drama, METEORA for its US Premiere. Here’s a trailer of the film:

About LAGFF

This year there are over 30 features, documentary and short films representing the Greek diaspora from over 11 countries many with a common theme about the economic turmoil facing Greece.

Connect with LAGFF

For tickets visit the LAGFF website http://lagff.org and be a fan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lagff and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/lagff.

Movies at Festival

FEATURES

AMERICA, AMERICA, USA, 1963, 174 min

• Retrospective  
• Director/Writer: Elia Kazan
• Cast: Stathis Giallelis, Frank Wolff, Harry Davis, Elena Karam
• At the end of the 19^th century in a small village in Turkey, when oppression against the Greek minority increases, a father, plotting his family’s escape, sends his young son to Constantinople to make money and get the family to join him. But the son’s own dream is different: America…
• *1964 Academy-Award winner, Best Art Direction (B&W)
• *1964 Academy-Award nominations for: Best Director, Best Picture, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Elia Kazan
• English

A.C.A.B (ALL CATS ARE BRILLIANT) – (Sygharitiria stous Aisiodoxous)

• Greece, 2012, 83 min, US Premiere 
• Director/Writer: Constantina Voulgaris
• Producer: Eleni Afentaki, Greek Film Centre, MITOS, ERT
• Principal Cast: Maria Georgiadou, Kostas Ganotis, Dimitris Xanthopoulos
• A young woman living in Athens tries to find herself amid the demands of her boyfriend, who has a radical political agenda, and her parents, whose only hope is that their daughter begins a career. In the meantime, a tender relationship develops between her and an eight-year-old friend.

BOY EATING BIRD’S FOOD (To Agori Troei to Fagito tou Pouliou) 

• Greece, 2012, 80 min, LA Premiere
• Writer/Director: Ektoras Lygizos
• Producers: Stefi Productions, Guanaco, Ektoras Lygizos
• Cast: Yannis Papadopoulos, Lila Baklesi, Kleopatra Perraki
• A personal take on Knut Hamsun’s classic 1890 novel “Hunger” follows a young man desperately trying to preserve his sense of dignity and overcome demoralizing hunger and loneliness in the streets of Athens.
• *2012 Karlovy Vary Int’l Film Festival, Special Mention for Yannis Papadopoulos
• *2012 Toronto Int’l Film Festival, Association Quebecoise des Critiques de Cinéma Award
• *2013 Crossing Europe Linz, Crossing Europe Award – European Competition
• *2013 Hellenic Film Academy, Best Film, Best New Director, Best Actor,

FYNBOS 

• South Africa, 2012, 96 min, US Premiere
• Director: Harry Patramanis
• Writers: Jonathan Kyle Glatzer, Harry Patramanis
• Producers: Eleni Asvesta, Stefanos Fotiadis, Marios Fotiadis, Philip Key
• Cast: Warrick Grier, Jessica Haines, Susan Danford, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, Cara Roberts, John Herbert, Chad Philips
• On a lavish and remote property in South Africa, within the walls of a glass house, six lives intersect and lay bare their secrets in this twisting drama.
• *2013 Berlin Int’l Film Festival, Official Selection
• *2013 Slamdance Film Festival, Vision Award for Cinematography
• English 

METEORA 

• Germany/Greece/France, 2012, 85 min, US Premiere
• Opening Night Presentation
• Director: Spiros Stathoulopoulos
• Writers: Asimakis Pagidas, Spiros Stathoulopoulos
• Producers: Philippe Bobber, Susanne Marian, Spiros Stathoulopoulos, Asimakis Pagidas, Theo Alexander, Yolanda Markopoulou
• In the plains of central Greece, Byzantine monasteries are perched atop sandstone pillars, suspended between heaven and earth. A young Greek monk and a Russian nun have devoted their lives to the strict rituals and practices of their community, but a growing affection for one another puts their monastic life under question. Torn between spiritual devotion and their human desire, they must decide which path to follow.
• *2012 Berlin Int’l Film Festival, Official Selection

THE DAUGHTER (I Kori)

• Greece/Italy, 2012, 87 min, US Premiere
• Director: Thanos Anastopoulos
• Writers: Thanos Anastopoulos, Vassilis Giatsis
• Producers: Fantasia LTD, Mansarda Production
• When a 14-year-old girl finds out that her father has fled to avoid his debts, she kidnaps the 8-year-old son of her father’s business partner. The Greek economic crisis touches and changes forever many facets of the family’s nucleus. How will the new generation react? How is it reacting?
• *2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Forum Screening
• *2013 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, Best Directing, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography

WELCOME TO ALL SAINTS (Ap ta Kokkala Vgalmena)

• Greece, 2011, 88 min, LA Premiere
• Director: Sotoris Goritsas
• Producer: Constantinos Moriatis
• Cast: Argiris Xafis, Dimitris Immelos, Anna Kufsaftiki, Kostas Berikopoulos, Minas Xatzisavvas, Giorgos Simeonidis, Dimitri Xanthopoulos, Vangelis Mourikis
• A young medical intern begins his career at the “All Saints Hospital” in Athens, only to discover that everyone who works in the Greek public sector is part of a monstrous bureaucracy and an absurd tragicomedy.

DOCUMENTARIES

• AMNESIA DIARIES (Imerologio Amnesias) 
• Greece, 2012, 105 min, US Premiere 
• Director/Writer/Cinematographer: Stella Theodoraki
• A woman reflects upon her leisurely past and frantic present, gradually coming to a realization that concerns each and every one of us, just as intimately as it does her.
• *2013 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, Best Documentary

FOOD FOR LOVE

• Greece, 2013, 52 min, US Premiere
• Director: Marianna Economou
• Producer: Lilette Botassi
• Some Greek mothers show their love by regularly preparing veritable feasts for their children, who attend university some distance away from home.

LITTLE LAND

• Greece, 2013, 52 min, US Premiere
• Director: Nikos Dayandas
• Writers: Nikos Dayandas, Yuri Averof
• Producers: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof
• A 35-year-old unemployed Athenian settles on the remote island of Ikaria. There, he discovers a society with a unique culture based on autonomy and cooperation, and blessed with peace and exceptional longevity.

MITSIGAN – HARDSHIPS & BEAUTIES (Mitsigan – Omorfies & Dyskolies) 

• Greece/France, 2013, 60 min, US Premiere
• Closing Night Presentation June 9th
• Director/Writer:  Kimon Tsakiris
• Producers: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Kimon Tsakiris
• When Mitsos Tsiganos, nicknamed “Mitsigan”, a modern-day Greek cowboy and owner of “Hardships & Beauties” vegetable farm, is struck by both professional and personal crisis, he decides to go on a short road trip in search of signs of hope.

ONE STEP AHEAD (Ena Vima Brosta)

• Greece, 2012, 126 min, US Premiere
• Director: Dimitris Athiridis
• Producers: Maria Drandraki, Dimitris Athiridis
• Yiannis Boutaris, a successful winemaker and the maverick mayoral candidate for Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, faces his enemies within and without with equal courage and uncompromising honesty.
• *2012 IDFA, Official Selection

THEY GLOW IN THE DARK (Lampoun sto Skotadi)

• Greece, 2013, 69 min, US Premiere 
• Director/Writer/Cinematography:  Panagiotis Evangelidis
• Producers: Amanda Livanou, Panagiotis Evangelidis
• Two HIV-positive middle-aged gay friends barely make a living in post-Katrina New Orleans by selling hand-made figures of the Cajun pantheon. Their extravagant past lives fade before their present commitment to survive together until death do them part.
• *15^th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Fipresci Prize 
• English

SHORTS

11:50

• Cyprus, 2012, 15 min, World Premiere 
• Director/Writer/Producer: Stylianos Constantinou
• Cast: Antonis Katsaris, Zoe Wintershaussen
• One night at the morgue, the meticulous embalmer prepares the body as usual. Only, this time he faces unforeseen circumstances.

45 DEGREES

• Greece, 2012, 15 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer/Producer: Georgis Grigorakis
• Cast: Stelios Xanthoudakis, Giannis Tsortekis, Eleytheria Komi, Bakar Albakar
• Athens, August 2012. 45 degrees. It’s getting dark, but the city is still in the grip of the relentless heat – and so is a family that finds itself between a rock and a hard place.

ARCHIVE

• USA, 2013, 38 min, World Premiere
• Documentary
• Director/Producer: Chris Emmanouilides
• Documentary essay inspired by a family trip to Greece, reflecting on the end of traditional photography and the birth of the digital universe.

CAVO D’ ORO 

• Greece, 2012, 28 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer: Siamak Etemadi
• Producers: Siamak Etemadi, Elina Fessa
• Cast: Kiriakos Hadjiioannou, Elena Mengreli
• A love story of two strangers who meet by chance, on a barren, isolated beach, and develop a brief but extreme relationship driven by lust, fear and anger.
• *65^th Locarno International Film Festival, Official Selection

CHAMOMILE

• Greece, 2012, 15 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer: Neritan Zinxhiria
• Producers: Yorgos Lykiardopoulos, Bujar Alimani, Neritan Zinxhiria, ERT
• Cast: Yota Chatzioannou, Fotis Armenis
• A strong-willed old woman, her stubborn mule, and a soulless body. She is alone against the harsh elements of the northern Greek winter, and the cycle of life.
• *2012 Athens International Film Festival, Golden Athena – Best Short Film
• *2012 Drama International Short Film Festival, Golden Dionysus – Best Short Film, Best South and Eastern Europe Film, Greek Union of Film Critics Award
• *2012 FilmFest Dresden, Golden Horseman Fiction 
• *2013 Hellenic Film Academy, Best Short Film

DICHOTOMOUS

• Canada, 2013, 30 min, US Premiere
• Directors: Peter James, Philippos Balabanos
• Writers: Philippos Balabanos, Peter James
• Executive Producers: Angelis Sarbanis, Gregory C. Pappas
• Cast: Constantine Kourtidis, Leonidas Pappas, Peter James, Karine Dashney
• The leader of the Montreal chapter of the ultranationalist Golden Dawn is on the hunt, and the only obstacle in his way will turn out to be a man just like himself.
• English

DISTANCES (Apostaseis) 

• Greece, 2012, 18 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer/Producer: Gregory Rentis
• Executive Producer: Maria Tsiga
• Cast: Yannis Stankoglou, Alexis Danezis, Katia Goulioni, Giorgos Symeonidis
• A 10-year-old boy has to trick his estranged father into discovering their bond.

EXIT K1 (Exodos K1) 

• Greece, 2012, 15 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer/Producer: Janis Rafailidou
• Cast: Irfan Mouhamad Arif, Takis Spiridakis
• An off-road journey into the world of clandestine immigrants in the suburbs of Athens, where nostalgia takes the form of decorated pigeons.

JACHALAY

• Greece, 2012, 4 min, World Premiere
• Director/Writer/Producer: Manos Gerogiannis and Yannis Zoumakis
• Aloof witnesses or protective observers, the giant Jachalays stand by humanity in a time of dissent towards something not yet understood.

JOEY 

• Australia, 2012, 17 min, World Premiere
• Director/Writer: John Evagora
• Producer: Polly Staniford
• Cast: Steve Mouzakis, Anthony Taufa, Claudio Carelli, Katerina Kotsonis
• He steals, he sells, he scores. Day in, day out. But today is a special day.
• English

Km

• Greece, 2012, 11 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer: Christos Nikou
• Producers: Iraklis Mavroidis, Angelos Venetis
• Cast: Evi Saoulidou, Aris Servetalis
• Stuck in a car, a couple seems to experience the intense end of their relationship.

MIGUEL ALVAREZ WEARS A WIG 

• Mexico/USA, 2012, 16 min 
• Director/Writer: Araceli Lemos
• Producer: Giulia Caruso
• Cast: Felipe Cortes, Jose A. Solorio, Maria Carlton, Eva Walker, Pasqual Torres
• In the Mexican border town of Tijuana, a man is faced with having to cross to the ultimate other side: He has cancer.
• *Tampere Int’l Film Festival, Official Selection
• *Rio de Janeiro Int’l Short Film Festival (A New America), Official Selection
• Spanish/English Subtitles

ONE TOWN, ONE TEAM, MY TEAM – PLATANIAS (Mia Poli, Mia Omada, i Omada mou)

• Greece, 2013, 16 min, World Premiere 
• Documentary
• Director/Writer: Lakis Matthiopoulos
• Producer: Lakis Matthiopoulos, Takis Dimopoulos
• History and dreams, reality and wishes, joys and sorrows of a town and its soccer team, Platanias, in Chania, Crete.

OUT OF FRAME (Titloi Telous)

• Greece, 2012, 10 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer: Giorgos Zois
• Producers: Giorgos Zois, Maria Drandaki
• In Greece, billboard advertisement has been outlawed. There are hundreds of blank billboards going to waste. But the empty frames are now the message. And we are out of frame.
• *69^th Venice Film Festival (2012), European Film Award

PORSCHE 

• Sweden, 2013, 14 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer: Nicolas Kolovos
• Producer: Olle Wirenhead, Helena Wirenhead
• A red Porsche, a fashionable mom and a toddler. Place them all in a parking lot, apply a degree of rush and watch the story unfold, while you wish for more.
• Swedish/English Subtitles

SANTA WHO? (Poios Vassilis?) 

• Greece, 2011, 24 min, World Premiere
• Director/Adaptation: Dimitris Moutsiakas
• Producer: Dimitris Spyrou
• Cast: Dimitris Bikiropoulos
• On a Christmas Eve, an old barber and a little girl encounter a dangerous Santa… 

SPHINX

• Greece, 2012, 19 min, US Premiere 
• Director/Writer/Producer: Konstantinos Karamaghiolis
• Cast: Manos Vakousis, Elias Moulas, Euthimis Zisakis, Alexandros Chrysanthopoulos
• A youth, flirting with becoming a member of a fascist group, experiences a reality check.

THE LITTLE PALACE OF AORIA (To Palataki ton Aorion)

• Greece, 2013, 24 min, World Premiere
• Documentary
• Director/Producer: Vasilis Panagiotopoulos
• Over the last two decades, a ghost town in the Cretan mountains is restored and turned into a bustling village through the locals’ solidarity and self-determination.

TRAFFIC (Kinisis)

• Greece, 2012, 20 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer/Producer: Leonardo Cariglino
• Cast: Stella Ermi, Xaralambos Devetzis, Paulos Melikidis, Efi Bairaktaridou
• A young woman’s hectic day is just another expression of her mental “traffic” and mounting anxiety.

TOOTHBRUSHES 

• Greece, 2011, 5 min, US Premiere
• Directors: Nikos Branidis, Yiannis Bougioukas
• Writer: Kathrin Freytag
• Producer: Yiannis Bougioukas
• Cast: Kathrin Freytag, Nikos Branidis
• Life happens within the four walls of a tiny bathroom.

VICIOUS CIRCLE

• Greece, 2012, 6 min, US Premiere
• Director/Writer/Producer: Salvador Georgantas
• Cast: Argiris Thanasoulas, George Krasadakis, Spiridon Milionis, Vangelis Fotinakis
• A guy’s unfortunate resemblance to an infamous politician results in a farcical chase through the streets of Athens.

Get Tickets Online

BOX OFFICE for LAGFF is now open at www.itsmyseat.com/lagff for Gold Pass Membership purchases.  Gold Pass membership includes attendance at the Opening Night screening and reception, as well as an exclusive invitation to the Closing Night Orpheus Awards Gala, plus all-access and priority seating to all screenings and events. The All-Access VIP GOLD PASS is currently $220 and saves you over $80.

General screening admissions are $13 online / $16 at the door
Centerpiece Film AMERICA AMERICA and Elia Kazan Tribute is currently on sale $20 online / $25 at the door.

ABOUT LAGFF

The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival showcases new films from Greek filmmakers worldwide. Our foremost goal is to promote Greek cinema and cultural exchange while bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood. Orpheus Awards are given to the most outstanding new films in the dramatic, documentary and short film categories.

Now in our seventh year, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) is witnessing a new wave of Greek cinema emerging from an irreverent generation of young filmmakers who insist on breaking ties with past trends and seeing things in their own unique way. The results are impressive and include recognition in global film circles such as the Cannes, Venice and Sundance Film Festivals. Our place as a center for Greek filmmakers from around the world is taking on new significance as we assume an active role not only in reflecting the blossoming of Greek cinema but also in promoting modern Greek culture by highlighting its hidden treasures and roots.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

The 2013 Los Angles Greek Film Festival is grateful for the support of numerous key sponsors, including:

Gold Patron Pabst Brewing Company and the Metropoulos Family

We are very proud to once again welcome the Pabst Brewing Company and the Metropoulos Family as a Gold Patron of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival 2013. Pabst Brewing Company is an award-winning American company that was founded in 1844.  It brews over two-dozen brands of beer, including the much-loved Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR). The Company supports several community events and worthy organizations. This year, it presents LAGFF’s INDUSTRY PROGRAMS, including the PROJECT DISCOVERY FORUM.

LAGFF also welcomes the return of our Bronze Patrons, which include Hollywood Foreign Press Association and West Coast Investors.