Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (Alumni Filmmakers)
The LAGFF Alumni Filmmakers Group is a space for filmmakers who have screened their films at Los Angeles Greek Film Festival.
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- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Known for his creative stage direction, Elia Kazan was born Elias Kazantzoglou on September 7, 1909 in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey). Noted for drawing out the best dramatic performances from his actors, he directed 21 actors to Oscar nominations, resulting in nine wins. He directed a string of successful films, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), and East of Eden (1955). During his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director and received an Honorary Oscar, won three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.
His films were concerned with personal or social issues of special concern to him. Kazan writes, "I don't move unless I have some empathy with the basic theme." His first such "issue" film was Gentleman's Agreement (1947), with Gregory Peck, which dealt with anti-Semitism in America. It received 8 Oscar nominations and three wins, including Kazan's first for Best Director. It was followed by Pinky (1949), one of the first films in mainstream Hollywood to address racial prejudice against black people. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), an adaptation of the stage play which he had also directed, received 12 Oscar nominations, winning four, and was Marlon Brando's breakthrough role. In 1954, he directed On the Waterfront (1954), a film about union corruption on the New York harbor waterfront. In 1955, he directed John Steinbeck's East of Eden (1955), which introduced James Dean to movie audiences.
A turning point in Kazan's career came with his testimony as a witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1952 at the time of the Hollywood blacklist, which brought him strong negative reactions from many liberal friends and colleagues. His testimony helped end the careers of former acting colleagues Morris Carnovsky and Art Smith, along with ending the work of playwright Clifford Odets. Kazan later justified his act by saying he took "only the more tolerable of two alternatives that were either way painful and wrong." Nearly a half-century later, his anti-Communist testimony continued to cause controversy. When Kazan was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1999, dozens of actors chose not to applaud as 250 demonstrators picketed the event.
Kazan influenced the films of the 1950s and 1960s with his provocative, issue-driven subjects. Director Stanley Kubrick called him, "without question, the best director we have in America, and capable of performing miracles with the actors he uses." On September 28, 2003, Elia Kazan died at age 94 of natural causes at his apartment in Manhattan, New York City. Martin Scorsese co-directed the documentary film A Letter to Elia (2010) as a personal tribute to Kazan.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Michael Cacoyannis was born on 11 June 1922 in Limassol, Cyprus. He was a director and writer, known for Zorba the Greek (1964), Electra (1962) and Eroika (1960). He died on 25 July 2011 in Athens, Greece.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Actress
Born in Greece in 1977, Elina studied filmmaking and sociology in Athens. She continued her studies in cultural history in Paris and participated in the 2007 Berlinale Talent Campus. Her first feature, "The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas", won the Works in Progress Award at the Karlovy Vary IFF in 2012 and premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2013. During that same year, trade publication Variety singled her out as one of the "10 European Directors to Watch". Her second feature, "Son of Sofia", was selected to participate in the 2013 Berlinale Residency program, as well as the 2014 Berlinale co-production market, won the Works in Progress Award at the Les Arcs EFF in 2015, premiered in competition at the Tribeca FF in 2017 and won the Best International Narrative Feature Award. Currently Elina is researching her first documentary, "Europe, oh Europe", supported by Creative Europe and EAVE, and is writing her third feature. She occasionally works as a producer.- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
Constantinos Isaias was born in Cyprus and studied drama in Greece. He worked as assistant director in successful TV series. He performed in theater companies in Greece in productions such as "The Clockwork Orange", and "Hamlet B'", and was also featured in several TV Shows in Greece and he was part of the movie "El Greco". Following his passion for classic cinema and documentaries, move to US and he studied film at New York Film Academy. He started directing his own short films, the name of few: "As a last Resort", "The Vengeance", "Sacred Whispers". But his career took a turn when his love of history and researching and documenting history made him to create and produce his own documentaries. "Civil Rights Movement: Roadtrip to historic landmark and location", "Emmett Till & the 50th Anniversary of the March in Washington". He also produced for the Orpheus Awards at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival the honorary award tribute videos "Tribute to George Chakiris", "Tribute to Valorie". His most recent work was his investigation interview with Michael Jackson's Nephew Taj Jackson "Who was Michael Jackson".- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Yorgos Lanthimos was born in Athens, Greece. He studied directing for Film and Television at the Stavrakos Film School in Athens. He has directed a number of dance videos in collaboration with Greek choreographers, in addition to TV commercials, music videos, short films and theater plays. Kinetta, his first feature film, played at Toronto and Berlin film festivals to critical acclaim. His second feature Dogtooth, won the "Un Certain Regard prize" at the 2009 Cannes film festival, followed by numerous awards at festivals worldwide. It was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award (Oscar) in 2011. Alps won the "Osella for best screenplay" at the 2011 Venice film festival and Best Film at the Sydney film festival in 2012. His first English language film The Lobster was presented in Competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, "The Lobster" was nominated for the (Oscar about the) Best Original Screenplay by the Academy and won Best Screenplay and Best Costume Design at the European Film Awards of 2015. His fifth project "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" was also presented in Competition at the 70th Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for the best Screenplay. Lanthimos's last film "The Favorite" is a historical Drama about the British Queen Anne.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Nick Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of actress Gena Rowlands and Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes. As a child, he appeared in two of his father's films: Husbands (1970) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974). After spending so much of his youth surrounded by the film industry, Cassavetes initially decided he did not want to go into the field. He instead attended Syracuse University on a basketball scholarship. His athletic career was effectively ended by an injury, and he decided to rethink his aspirations, ultimately deciding to attend his parents' alma mater, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He has appeared in the films, Face/Off (1997), The Wraith (1986), Life (1999), Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994), Backstreet Dreams (1990) and The Astronaut's Wife (1999), among others. He has directed several films, including John Q (2002), Alpha Dog (2006), She's So Lovely (1997), Unhook the Stars (1996), The Notebook (2004), and My Sister's Keeper (2009). He also adapted the screenplay for Blow (2001) and wrote the dialogue for the Justin Timberlake music video, "What Goes Around... Comes Around". In 1985, Cassavetes married Isabelle Rafalovich. They had two daughters together, Virginia Cassavetes (Virginia Sara Cassavetes) (born in 1986) and Sasha Cassavetes (born in 1988), before divorcing. He then married Heather Wahlquist (Heather "Queenie" Wahlquist), who has appeared in several of his films, including a small role in The Notebook (2004) as Sara, a secondary character and best friend to the female lead Allie Hamilton, portrayed by Rachel McAdams. The movie is effectively a family project, as Cassavetes's own mother, Gena Rowlands, appears as the older, married Allie Calhoun.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Simon Kassianides was born on 7 August 1979 in London, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for The Mandalorian (2019), Unforgettable (2017) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Nia Vardalos was born on 24 September 1962 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is an actress and writer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) and I Hate Valentine's Day (2009). She was previously married to Ian Gomez.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff) is an American actress, singer, and film producer from Los Angeles. Her ancestry is primarily Greek and Bulgarian. She was granted Greek citizenship in 2019, in honor of her efforts to assist Greece by appealing for international aid after a devastating wildfire in Mati, Attica. Also in 2019, Wilson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For several decades, Wilson has been an activist for additional funding to combat women's cancers. She has served as an honorary co-chair of the Women's Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
In 1956, Wilson was born in Los Angeles. Her father, Hassan Halilov Ibrahimoff (1920-2009), was a bartender. He was born to a Pomak family in Oraio, Greece. The Pomaks being a Bulgarian Muslim minority population in northeastern Greece. Ibrahimoff migrated to the United States in 1949, and legally changed his name to Allan Wilson in 1960. Ibrahimoff was born to a Muslim family, but converted to Orthodox Christianity upon his marriage. Wilson's mother was Dorothea Tzigkou. She was an ethnic Greek woman from Sotirë in southern Albania. Dorothea was part of a Greek minority population in Gjirokastër County. Wilson was brought up as an Orthodox Christian by her parents, and has continued practicing her religion into adulthood.
In 1972, Wilson made her television debut in an episode of the sitcom "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974). She portrayed Pat Conway, one of the candidates for the position of head cheerleader. Her character was depicted as a one-shot rival for the regular character Marcia Brady (played by Maureen McCormick). Afterwards, she started regularly appearing in guest-star roles in television.
In 1977, Wilson had her film debut in the science fiction horror film "The Day It Came to Earth" (1977). It depicted an alien who arrived to planet Earth on a falling meteor, and re-animated the corpse of a recent murder victim. The film was shot in Arkansas, and used a primarily local cast of actors. It was one of several B-Movies distributed by the company Howco, primarily to drive-in theaters. The film found moderate success, and later became available in syndicated television through an early episode of the horror television series "Elvira's Movie Macabre" (1981-1986).
In 1981, Wilson had a guest role in the sitcom "Bosom Buddies" (1980-1982), which depicted two men who regularly cross-dressed as women. She was introduced to fellow actor Tom Hanks (1956-), who was one of the series' protagonists. The two met again when they co-starred in the comedy film "Volunteers" (1985). They portrayed Lawrence Bourne III and Beth Wexler, two volunteers of the Peace Corps who fall for each other during a dangerous mission in Thailand. Wilson and Hanks eventually started a real-life romantic relationship, and Hanks converted to Orthodox Christianity to be able to marry her. The couple were married in 1988, and eventually had two sons: Chester Marlon "Chet" Hanks (born in 1990) and Truman Theodore Hanks (born in 1995). Chet eventually followed in his parents' footsteps as an actor.
During the 1980s, Wilson had continued to regularly appear in guest-star roles in television. She portrayed Nurse Lacey in two episodes of the war drama "M*A*S*H" and portrayed two different characters in episodes of the sitcom "Happy Days". Her other appearances included then-popular series, such as "Three's Company", "Who's the Boss?", and "Moonlighting". She had relatively few film roles in this period. In the 1990s, she started appearing frequently in films. She portrayed the supporting character of Suzy Baldwin in the romantic comedy "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993), the sister of co-protagonist Sam Baldwin (played by Tom Hanks). In one of the film's subplots, Suzy is mistaken for Sam's new girlfriend.
Wilson portrayed Catherine O'Shaughnessy in the Christmas-themed black comedy "Mixed Nuts" (1994). Her character was the overly emotional and empathetic supervisor of a suicide-prevention hot-line, who was unaware that her boss was nearly bankrupt. After her boss Philip (played by Steve Martin) confessed his love for her, Catherine became his new fiancee. The film was a remake of the French comedy film "Santa Claus Is a Stinker" (1982), but added several new subplots to the basic story.
Wilson portrayed the adult version of co-protagonist Chrissy DeWitt in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film "Now and Then". The preteen version of the character was portrayed by Ashleigh Aston Moore. The film's followed the lives of four 12-year-old girls in 1970, and their reunion as adults in 1995. Chrissy was portrayed as the sexually repressed and overly naive member of the group, the product of an overprotective mother. During their reunion, Chrissy was a pregnant homemaker who had never left her hometown, and was still a naive "good girl". Her friends had become successful career women, and two of them had moved away.
Wilson had a supporting role in the comedy film "That Thing You Do!" (1996). She portrayed the waitress Marguerite, an employee at a jazz club. Marguerite tried to romance professional drummer Guy Patterson (played by Tom Everett Scott), but he ignored her when he had a chance to meet his idol, Del Paxton (played by Bill Cobbs). Guy's night out with his idol resulted in him suffering from a hangover in his performance. His music group fell apart soon after, and Guy started a romantic relationship with Faye Dolan (played by Liv Tyler), an assistant of the band members.
Wilson had a supporting role in the Christmas-themed comedy film "Jingle All the Way" (1996). She portrayed Liz Langston, the wife of workaholic salesman Howard Langston (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). Howard loved his wife and son but neglected them. When he remembered that Liz instructed him to buy a Christmas gift for his son, it was already Christmas Eve and most shops had sold out their toys. Howard started obsessively searching for his son's favorite action figure, in the apparent belief that it will cheer up his heartbroken son. Meanwhile, Liz had to face the unwanted romantic advances of their neighbor, Ted Maltin (played by Phil Hartman). By the end of the film, Howard realized that he never bought a Christmas gift for Liz. The film was in part a satire of the commercialization of Christmas, and in part a quest for a parent to apologize for neglect through a single gift to his son. The film earned 129.8 million dollars at the worldwide box office. Wilson was nominated for the "Stinkers Bad Movie Award" for Worst Supporting Actress for this role, but lost to actress Jami Gertz (1965-).
In the psychological horror film "Psycho" (1998), Wilson portrayed Caroline, the office co-worker of Marion Crane (played by Anne Heche). The film was a remake of "Psycho" (1960), where the role of Caroline had been played by Pat Hitchcock. Caroline is remembered primarily for offering to share her tranquilizers with Marion. Caroline apparently considered them superior to aspirins in dealing with common headaches. Caroline also made references to her nagging mother, making her one of several characters in the film who had a problematic relationship with their mother.
Wilson portrayed Ellie Graham in the romantic comedy "Runaway Bride" (1999). Her character was both the ex-wife and the editor of news reporter Homer Eisenhower "Ike" Graham (played by Richard Gere). In the film, Ike had undermined his own career by publishing an inaccurate biographical article on a woman, using as his only source the ramblings of a casual acquaintance. In an effort to restore his reputation, Ike decided to write an in-depth biographical article. He systematically interviewed the woman's friends, family, and several of her ex-fiances. In the process, Ike became romantically interested in the woman. The film earned 309.5 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
Wilson produced the hit comedy film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002), in her debut as a producer. She had helped the lead actress and playwright Nia Vardalos to secure a film contract for her script. Wilson won the "Visionary Award" at the "Producers Guild of America Award". She subsequently served as an executive producer for the spin-off television series "My Big Fat Greek Life". Wilson subsequently served as one of the producers in several films. Her films include "Connie and Carla" (2004), "Mamma Mia!" (2008), "My Life in Ruins" (2009), "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" (2016), "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" (2018), and "A Simple Wedding" (2018).
In 2012, Wilson released her debut solo album as a singer, "AM/FM". The album included several classic songs from the 1960s and the 1970s, such as ""Angel of the Morning" and ""Faithless Love"". In 2014, Wilson performed for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, DC . In 2016, Wilson released the eponymous album "Rita Wilson". It included mostly new material, including song written by Wilson herself. She joined the music band Chicago on tour in order to promote the album. Her subsequent albums included "Bigger Picture" (2018), "Halfway to Home" (2019), and "Now & Forever: Duets" (2022).
In 2015, Wilson had a month-long hiatus in her performing career. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and the hiatus was intended to help her deal with her health problems. She subsequently had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. In 2020, Wilson and her husband contracted COVID-19 during their stay in Australia. They were experiencing only minor symptoms, but they were admitted to the Gold Coast University Hospital. After their recovery, the couple decided to donate their blood antibodies for virus research.
By 2022, Wilson was 66-years-old. The veteran actress has no apparent plans to retire yet, and her singing career has been adding to her fame. Despite a number of health scares, she remains remarkably active and energetic. Though she is better known for supporting roles rather than lead roles, Wilson is familiar to several generations of viewers through her performances in films with enduring popularity.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Tassos Boulmetis studied Physics at the University of Athens and Film Production and Direction at the University of California (UCLA), under a scholarship support from the A. Onassis Foundation. At UCLA he taught as a teaching assistant classes on directing actors for film and television. In Greece he started his career as a director/producer of TV shows for the state TV networks. In 1990 he wrote, directed and co-produced the film "The Dream Factory" which was shot on analogue video and then transferred to 35mm film. The film obtained 8 awards in Greece and the Golden Award of Fantasy Movies in the Houston Film Festival. For several years he directed TV Commercials for Greek and European agencies. His second feature film, "A Touch of Spice", which he wrote, directed and co-produced is a labor of love for him as the story is based, mostly, on true facts drawn from his own life. The film became the biggest hit ever in Greece with over 1.600.00 admissions and has been distributed in 45 countries in all over the world. A "Touch of Spice" has been presented in several festivals around the world and has been awarded with 8 Awards of excellency in Greece. The film was Greece's official entry in the Academy Awards of 2005. His recent academic activities include, teaching classes on Advanced Film Directing, in private institutions in Greece. He is the first unanimously elected president of the Hellenic Film Academy. His third feature, "MYTHOPATHY", a coming of age story of a young man during the 70's in Greece, is a sarcastic comedy, about the Greek political system, and how it ended up in today's crisis. In 2018 he wrote directed an co-produced, the film "1968", a docu-fiction project, presenting the story of A.E.K. an underdog basketball team, founded by refugees in 1924 and after almost 50 years, won the European Champions Cup. He is a member of European Film Academy.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Theo Angelopoulos began to study law in Athens but broke up his studies to go to the Sorbonne in Paris in order to study literature. When he had finished his studies, he wanted to attend the School of Cinema at Paris but decided instead to go back to Greece. There he worked as a journalist and critic for the newspaper "Demokratiki Allaghi" until it was banned by the military after a coup d'état. Now unemployed, he decided to make his first movie, Anaparastasi (1970). Internationally successful was his trilogy about the history of Greece from 1930 to 1970 consisting of Days of '36 (1972), The Travelling Players (1975), and Oi kynigoi (1977). After the end of the dictatorship in Greece, Angelopoulos went to Italy, where he worked with RAI (and more money). His movies then became less political.- Director
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- Producer
He studied film direction in Greece and worked in more than 40 films as an assistant director. In 1965 he made his first short film O kleftis (1965) and in 1967 his second short film, Tzimis o Tigris (1966) won many awards in several festivals. In 1972 he made his feature film debut, Anna's Engagement (1972) (Anna's Engagement), which won several wards in the Berlin Film Festival, London Film Festival and more. He spent six months in exile during the Greek junta in 1973. Then he made O megalos erotikos (The Great Love Songs) after Manos Hatzidakis's request about this documentary based on his music work.
In 1977 he directed the controversial political allegory Happy Day . In 1980 he directed _Eleftherios Venizelos: 1910-1927 (1980)_, a film based on the life of the Greek politician. In 1985 he directed Petrina hronia (Stone Years), a strong emotional drama in politically turbulent times based on a true story, which won a best actress award in the Venice Film Festival and was a great commercial success. In 1989 he directed I fanela me to '9' (1988), a film about a soccer player.
In 1992 he directed _Isyhes meres tou Avgoustou_ (Quiet Days in August), which won a special mention in the Berlin Film Festival. In 1996 came _Akropol_ based on the Greek theatre of the 50s and then in 1997 he directed It's a long road.
Father of director/actor Alexander Voulgaris and director Konstantina Voulgari.- Director
- Writer
- Music Department
Olga Malea was born in 1960. She is a director and writer, known for Proti fora nonos (2007), Rizoto (2000) and Matzourana (2013).- Director
- Cinematographer
- Writer
Adam Schmedes is known for Kamæleonernes strand (2009), Wild North (2015) and The Arctic Giant (2013).- Composer
- Actor
- Writer
Alexander Voulgaris was born on 22 February 1981 in Athens, Greece. He is a composer and actor, known for Pink (2006), Winona (2019) and Thread (2016).- Writer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Alexandra Anthony is known for Lost in the Bewilderness (2014).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Alexis Damianos was born on 21 January 1921 in Athens, Greece. He was an actor and director, known for ....mehri to ploio (1966), Evdokia (1971) and Iniohos (1995). He died on 4 May 2006 in Athens, Greece.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Argyris Papadimitropoulos was born in Athens, Greece. He is a director and writer, known for Monday (2020), Suntan (2016) and Wasted Youth (2011).- Editor
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Christos Pitharas is known for Bliss (2016), Solstice or the End of Summer (2020) and Sopi: Mia imera akomi (2018).- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Basile Doganis is known for Journée d'appel (2014), Meltem (2019) and Kami Hito E: On the Edge (2009).- Make-Up Department
- Writer
- Producer
- Editor
- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
James Chressanthis is known for his cinematography on Greenleaf (2018), The Tale (2018, additional photography), Gone (2018), The Family (2016), American Horror Story (2015), In My Dreams (2014), The Watsons Go To Birmingham (2013), Hide (2012), Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010), The Reagans (2004), The Music Man (2003), Chicago (2002, additional photography), Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) and Urban Legend (1998). He also directed the Cannes Premier feature documentary No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos (2009).- Writer
- Director
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
- Editor
- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Studied Film in Bournemouth University in the UK and The Los Angeles Film School in the US. He begun his career creating actor-produced scenes and short films to promote emerging artists through his Los Angeles based company. He has directed several short films of various genres, some of which have led to multiple festival submissions and awards. He was also hired to work as a script consultant for York Studios in New York and he is currently in the development stages of his first feature film.- Editor
- Director
- Writer
Yannis Sakaridis' Amerika Square (2016) won many international awards and selected as Greece's official Academy Award entry. His debut film Wild Duck (2013) was world premiered in Toronto IFF 2013. A veteran film editor has worked mainly in London, on seventeen award winning feature films and on many documentaries for British TV. After eighteen years in London, came back to Athens where he wrote and directed the award-winning short film Truth (2006). He is based in Athens now where he also co produces shorts, documentaries and features along with developing his next film.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Yannis Economides was born in Cyprus in 1967. In 1987 he moved to Athens, Greece, to pursue studies in law, but almost immediately quit law school to study filmmaking instead.
After making several documentaries and short films, in 2003 he wrote and directed his first feature film, the iconic MATCHBOX. His second feature, SOUL KICKING, premiered at the International Critics' Week at Cannes Film Festival in 2006. His third feature, KNIFER, premiered at Busan International Film Festival in 2010 and went on to win seven Greek Film Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. His fourth feature, STRATOS, had its world premiere in the Official Competition of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival in 2014.
In 2016 Yannis Economides wrote and directed his first play, SLEEP, STELLA, SLEEP for the New Stage of the National Theatre in Athens, which became a huge critical and commercial hit.
His latest feature, BALLAD FOR A PIERCED HEART, premiered in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and managed to become a box office hit in Greece. The film received 15 Greek Film Academy nominations, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
All five of his feature films have been honored with the Greek Film Critics Association Award for Best Greek Feature Film of the Year and have screened at several prestigious international film festivals.
In November 2022, MATCHBOX - THE MUSICAL, premiered at the main stage of "Onassis Stegi", in libretto and artistic direction by Yannis Economides.
Currently, he is preparing his next feature, entitled ROCKS IN THE HEAD.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Stelana Kliris is a South African-Cypriot writer, director and producer known for Committed (2014) and The Islander (2024).
She is developing several new projects under her production company Meraki Films, including her next feature film Apart from Her and the series Unexpected which participated in the 2019 Midpoint TV Launch Programme and won Best Pilot at the 2022 Owl Screenwriting Workshop.
She is a member of the European Women's Audiovisual Network (EWA) and the Directors Guild of Cyprus, as well as a graduate of the 2018 EAVE Producers Workshop and an EFP Producers on the Move alumna. She is inspired by stories with heart and humanity and has a wealth of tales from her multi-cultural upbringing in countries with complicated political situations, like South Africa and Cyprus.- Director
- Producer
- Production Manager
Petros' early exposure to photography, theatre and art, as well as his need for emotional and visual expression led him to Hollywood where he studied film and television directing at the California State University.
Since 2000, he is working as a freelance film director shooting commercials and narratives.
Some of his commercials were nominated and awarded in various competitions.
His first feature film "Boy on the Bridge" had its world premiere in Rome Film Festival 2016, Greek Premiere at Thessaloniki Film Festival 2016 and received Best Film Award from Panorama of European Cinema Film Festival in Athens. Also nominated for Best First Time Director Award at the Hellenic Film Academy's IRIS Awards. The film has participated so far in more than 50 festival winning 13 awards.
Patchwork, his second feature film, had its world premiere in the East of the West competition section of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2021.
He directed the small opera "Epitafios", the play "Historias Paralelas" and for the 24hours plays the theatre performance "Hearts at 950 degrees Celcius" and the play Your Molotov Kisses. In September 2022 he directed the performance "My Room is Not a Stage" as part of the Kypria International festival in Cyprus.
He was the artistic director of the children's section of Cyprus Film Days and organized the European Film Academy Young Audience Award from 2019 to 2021 in Cyprus.
He is in development for his new feature film entitled "4 Hours".- Sound Department
- Director
- Editor
Thouly Dosios is known for To spiti me tis elies (2007), Grey Fruit (2000) and Waltz Goodbye (1999).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Stella Theodoraki is known for Free Subject (2018), From the Unique to the Multiple (1993) and Amnesia Diaries (2012).- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Casting Director
- Director
Spiros Charalambous was born in South Africa in 1971. He studied cinema at the Stavrakou film School in Athens. He has worked in various cinema productions both in Greece and Cyprus. He has also directed for theatre and television. Both of the short films he directed, Anna 2012 and Forever young 2014 had a great career in International Film Festivals and have won Various Nominations and Awards.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Socrates (Sokratis) Alafouzos is an international award-winning Director, Writer and Actor.
After studying theater, film, dance and photography in Athens, Greece he attained a Fulbright scholarship in the U.S., where he continued his post-graduate studies in acting and directing. While there, Socrates wrote and directed the one act play America and directed his first short film on video. He later returned to Greece and soon became a very well-known actor. His career includes leading roles in Theater Productions of Shakespeare, Marlow, Anouilh, Shaffer, Camus, Cocteau, Euripides etc. and leading roles in Films and TV series.
In 2011, he made his professional debut as a screenwriter, film director and producer with his short film, Little King (Mikros Vasilias), and in 2015 he wrote, directed and produced his second film, Between Black and White. Both films participated in many film festivals around the world and received numerous awards, like the Grand Jury Prize at the Mediterranean Short Film Festival in Tangier, Best International Short at the Manhattan Film Festival and the Salento International Film Festival. He has also directed documentaries, commercials, corporate, music and performing arts videos.
In 2016, he started working in the U.S. after receiving a honorary Visa granted to those who have attained extraordinary achievements in their field. He is now a U.S citizen.
In 2019, he founded the Theatron of the Americas and became its Artistic Director. Theatron is a non-profit theater organization whose purpose is to operate a repertory theatre group that expands the awareness of the ancient Greek drama through theatrical presentations and educational programs.
A Good-Will Ambassador for the Elisa - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children from 2014 to 2020. He supported the work of the NGO Arc of the World (Kivotos tou Kosmou) and directed a short documentary and a TV commercial to promote the organization's charitable activities.
On March 24, 2021, Socrates curated and hosted an international event online for Theatron of the Americas to "Honor the Country in Which Theater was Born." Actors and Distinguished Guests from U.S. and around the world read passages from Ancient Greek Drama and poetry. Honorary Guest included world-renowned Dr. Deepak Chopra, along with famous British actor Julian Sands, Emmy nominated Thaao Penghlis, Emmy winner Eleftheria Deko, acclaimed Romanian actor Maia Morgenstern and more.
His feature film screenplay, My Diva, was recently optioned by Argonauts Productions, a major Production Company in Greece.
In January 2022 he was appointed as a Presidential Fellow in Greek Theater at Chapman University.
TEACHING In January 2022, he was appointed as a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he created and taught a new course for the Honors department, directed the production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" for Department of Theater and he is teaching an Advanced Directing Performance Techniques class at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
In February 2014, Sokratis conducted two professional seminars on filmmaking during a special event in Athens, organized by the European Independent Film Festival.
2013 - 2014 Sokratis gave a series of acting and self-improvement seminars under the titular theme "Acting and Career" at the Michael Cacoyiannis Foundation in Athens, Greece.
2013 Lecturer at Sokratis's seminar titled Dreams into Action in conjunction with the screening of his film Little King at the Michael Cacoyiannis Foundation in Athens, Greece.
In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Sokratis taught acting and self-concept through the opportunity of creative drama at the Theater of Changes in Athens, Greece.
EDUCATION 2015 Participates at the Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab.
1991-94 Receives Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. During this time he is admitted to the institution's elite Master Class directed by director Milton Katselas. Concurrently attends film-directing seminars at the American Film Institute.
1987 Begins ongoing study of still photography with acclaimed photographer Andreas Smaragdis 1987-88 Studies film directing at Hatzikou Film School in Athens
1983-87 Dance Studies at Cay Holden Dance Academy
1982-85 Bachelor in Acting from the Professional Theater School of Athens
He has technical knowledge in Film and TV production and his experience and expertise expands to filmmaking, lighting, sound and editing.
HONORS-AWARDS In 2016, he received a Honorary Award by the Eliza's President, Marina Karella, for his contribution to the Elisa - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
2016 Best Script - Kinofilm International Short Film Festival, Manchester 2016 Jury Award - Be Epic London International Film Festival 2016 Festival Winner -Near Nazareth Film Festival 2016 Rising Star Award - Canada International Film Festival 2016 Foreign Short Winner - Blissfest333 2016 Special Jury Mention - Luxor Arab&European Film Festival 2015 Grand Jury Prize - Tangier Mediterranean Short Film Festival 2015 Best International Short - Salento International Film Festival 2015 The Jury Prize - Baghdad International Film Festival 2013 Honorary award for his achievements by the NGO Korifogrammi 2012 Best Actor - Madrid International Film Festival for his performance in the film Little King 2012 Best International Short - Manhattan Film Festival 2012 Best International Short - Salento International Film Festival 2012 Best Greek Film & Audience Award - Cyprus International Film Festival 2102 Best Short Film - London Greek Film Festival 2012 Honorary award for his film Little King by the Greek Institute of Arts in New York 2012 Audience Award - 60N OS International Film Festival 2003 Honored by AWOG (American Women's Organization of Greece) 2002 Best Actor - Korfiatika Awards for his performance in the TV series Air Silences 1991 Fulbright Fellowship for graduate studies in acting - directing 1987 Acting award at Thessaloniki Int. Film Festival for his performance in the film The Noose- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
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Rinio Dragasaki is known for Cosmic Candy (2019), Proavlio (2014) and Daddy, Lenin and Freddy (2011).- Producer
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- Animation Department
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Effie Pappa is known for My Stuffed Granny (2014), 1,2 Million Children (2010) and Yusuf/Cat Stevens: Wild World (2020).- Producer
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Athina Rachel Tsangari was born on 2 April 1966 in Aspra Spitia, Greece. She is a producer and director, known for Attenberg (2010), Chevalier (2015) and The Slow Business of Going (2000).- Actor
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Christopher Papakaliatis was born and raised in Athens, Greece. His father, Manuel Papakaliatis was born and raised in Crete. Villy Malamis, his mother, is South African. His parents met in London, England, where they first begun dating. Four years later they got divorced, but they already have had two children, Christopher and Philippe. He also has two more siblings (Stefanos and Nara) from his father second marriage. Christopher was first cast in the age of 16 for a role in the TV drama series "Guards of Ahaia". A drama series, based on a novel by Tassos Athanasiadis, which was aired in 1992 by Mega Channel (one of the biggest private TV channels in Greece). After numerous roles in successful TV series as a teen actor in Greece, he decided to write his first TV script at the age of 23. "Our life is a path" was aired on Mega channel in the season 1999-2000 and was well recognized by critics and public. The following season he wrote and starred in the TV series "Take care of me" 2000-2001, and the following season he made the TV movie "Three wishes" 2001-2002. In 2003 he wrote and starred in the TV series "Close your eyes" which was one of the highest rating series in Greece. It was at that point that he decided to direct most of second and third season episodes with great success. In the TV drama "Close your eyes" a kiss between two men caused a great debate in Greece (as it was the first time for two male characters to kiss on air) and was followed by a fine by the Greek National Council for Radio and Television but was later withdrawn by The Council of State. In 2005-2006 he wrote, directed and starred in a new dram-thriller series "Two days only", which had controversial reviews. "Two days only" was not a big success in the rating board, but was acclaimed artistically as one of the best filmed TV series. In 2008 he wrote, directed and starred in the TV series "4". A story about four male brothers and their different lives. "4" was a big success in Mega channel but due to the economical crisis in Greece was not able to continue to its second season and was cut off the air in the summer of 2010. It was the same year that he got accepted as a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMY International). In 2012, he starred next to Catherine Deneuve and Sebastian Koch in the feature film "God loves Caviar" directed by Iannis Smaragdis. "What If" is his first feature film. The film was written and directed by him, while on the same time he played the leading role of Demetris. "What If" is a love story in Athens during the European economical crisis and is now one of the biggest Greek box office hits. The movie was a commercial success in Greece for the 2012-2013 season and remained in theaters for more than 4 months, while it received very positive reviews. In 2015, his second feature film "Worlds Apart" was released. The movie made a 5m euro grossing in the Greek box-office, was released in 25 countries and received very positive reviews from the LA Times and other publications.
He has always been the music editor in all his TV series and in charge of the music scoring and songs played in the episodes. He also was in charge of the music editing in the film "What if".
Theatre: In 1993 he made his debut in the comedy " At last alone" written by Lakis Lazopoulos which opened in City Center theatre NYC and later toured throughout Greece. In 1996-1998 he played his first leading role in 'Les Parents terribles' written by Jean Cocteau. In 1999-2000 he played the leading role in The thief written by Maria Pacome. In 2001 he played in the theatrical version of the movie Shallow grave by John Golf. In 2007 he played "human voices" a puzzle of monologues written by Jean Cocteau. In 2011-2012 he played Volfgang Amadeus Mozart in the well-known theatrical play "Amadeus" by Peter Shaffer.
This period, he shares his time between Greece and Los Angeles preparing his upcoming TV and film projects.- Director
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Konstantina Voulgari is known for Valse Sentimentale (2007), A.C.A.B. All Cats Are Brilliant (2012) and Exodos (2007).- Producer
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Jacqueline Lentzou is known for Moon, 66 Questions (2021), The End of Suffering (A Proposal) (2020) and Hector Malot: The Last Day of the Year (2018).- Director
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Georgis studied social psychology in the UK before completing an MA in Directing at the National Film and Television School (NFTS). Since 2007, he has been writing and directing short films, which have been screened and awarded in festivals worldwide. His debut feature, Digger, was supported in its development phase by the Cannes Festival Cinéfondation Residency and the Sundance Screenwriters Lab. It premiered at the 70th Berlinale, where it was honoured with the CICAE Art Cinema Award.- Director
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Savvas Christou has been experimenting with filmmaking since high school. His lifelong passion led him to move to Los Angeles in 2016 to study Filmmaking at NYFA. Since then he has written and directed 13 short films, 5 of which were awarded in local and international film festivals. One of his latest ones, A Scream That's Trapped Inside' (2017) was awarded as the 'Best Short Film' in 19 Festivals all around the world. After completing the festival circuit the short film got its first distribution with Meridian Releasing Group for their MGR Collective "Horror Volume II" and its second with Four Thieves Productions - can be seen in "Hyvio" streaming platform and it's third by Filmeraa. His feature debut film "Captive" AKA "Katherine's Lullaby" is released by Vertical Entertainment.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
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- Camera and Electrical Department
An award-winning Cypriot writer and film director. He has twice won the Best Cypriot film award and has flourished in Cypriot and international filmmaking since the participation of his first short film, "Airport for sale", at the 53rd Oberhausen Film Festival.
Apart from directing 150 episodes of a daily drama series for the CyBC, the state national Broadcaster, in 2006 he directed the short film "Airport for Sale", for which the lead actor Antonis Katsaris, won the "Best Actor" award at the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus. It was later screened in multiple film festivals abroad, (Rome, Oberhausen, Seoul, Morocco and Los Angeles among others). In 2009 his second short film "Absent" premiered at the Rialto Theater in Limassol and was warmly received. The film tackled a distinctly arduous theme of modern Cypriot history, the people missing in the war of 1974. His third film, "Stahia" ("Rye"), a somber and intricate essay on a family's response to an expected death, won the "Best National Film" and "Best Cinematography" award at the 2011 International Short Film Festival of Cyprus and the Jury Prize at the Amsterdam Short Film Festival. "Sunrise in Kimmeria", won the "Best Cypriot Film Award" at the Cyprus Film Days International Festival in 2018, the "Best Film Award" at the 20th Lucania International Film Festival, the "Audience Award" at the Sacramento Film&Arts Festival and the "Best Director Award" at the 17th Nachalo Film Festival in St. Petersburg for debuting directors. He wrote and directed the film, produced with the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus.- Director
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Asteris Kutulas is a Greek-German author, filmmaker, conceptual artist and producer. He served as a writer and director of several film and ballet productions, as well as dramatic advisor for theatre and opera productions.
Born to Greek political immigrants in Romania in 1960, Asteris Kutulas and his family moved to East Germany in 1968. He graduated from Dresden's Kreuzschule and went on to study German literature and history of philosophy at Leipzig University. From 1980 to 2021, he has been working with the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, producing books, videos and over 40 music albums and organizing more than 150 concerts worldwide.
Since the early 1980s, Kutulas has worked as an author, producer, and director in various music and documentary film productions, as well as a director and dramaturge in theater and show productions. In April 2014, he completed work on the hybrid film "Recycling Medea," which had already been released in an unfinished version in Greek cinemas in 2013. In 2014, he began production on his film project "Dance Fight Love Die - On the Road with Mikis," which premiered at the International Hofer Filmtage on October 25, 2017, and was released in German cinemas on May 10, 2018. On July 27, 2018, the ballet "Electra" (music: Mikis Theodorakis, choreography: Renato Zanella) had its world premiere as part of the Festival of the Aegean, for which Kutulas wrote the script and co-directed.
In October 2021, Kutulas was honored with the Hans-Vogt-Filmpreis at the Hofer Filmtage, where Kutulas also presented his theory of Liquid Staging in the form of a demonstration of his ballet film installation "Electra 21," a work in which four films play simultaneously on four screens distributed throughout the space, fully synchronized to the Electra opera music by Mikis Theodorakis.
Asteris Kutulas is an events-industry veteran who has produced hundreds of shows and concerts worldwide since 1979 and has worked on numerous video and TV music productions with artists like Mike Oldfield, Scorpions, Motörhead, Klaus Schulze, Buena Vista Social Club and Westbam. He has worked as producer and partner for the 40 mega events directed by Gert Hof between 1999 and 2010 that have had an aggregate live audience exceeding 10 million people and worldwide media contacts amounting to several billions.
From 2010 to 2018 he has been the executive producer and artistic consultant of all Apassionata productions, the biggest European family entertainment show.
Asteris Kutulas founded Hellas Filmbox Berlin, the first Greek film festival in the German capital in 2016. He was the creative director of the festival till 2019.- Director
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Timon Koulmasis is known for Ulrike Marie Meinhof (1995), Prin ti nyhta (2004) and Letters from Athens (2016).- Director
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Thelyia Petraki, graduated from Cal-arts (USA) with a BA in Film, and from UCL (UK) with an MA in Visual & Material Culture Dept. of Social Anthropology. She has written and directed "PRAY" 2012 (Palm Springs, Uppsala, Austin, etc.) distributed by Premium Films, the medium-length documentary "Me And The Others" 2015 that participated in Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival co-produced with Cosmote TV and "Helga Är I Lund" 2017 that premiered at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival. Her latest short film "Bella" 2020, participated at the Berlinale Short Form Station, premiered at the Visions du Reel where it was awarded with a Special Mention, won the E-Flux Prize at the Oberhausen Film Festival, became the grand winner of the Golden Dionysos in Drama Film Festival, is the Hellenic Academy Award Best Short Film winner, won the Grand Prix at the Busan International Short Film Festival, got the Jury Prize at the Vienna Shorts and is a European Film Awards nominee.- Writer
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Takis Papanastasiou is known for We No Longer Hear the Songs (2019), Such a Shame (2015) and Ekeinoi ta ixere ola (2021).