April 25, 2012
Twenty-two feature and short
narrative and documentary films, a screenwriting master class, and a
tribute to the late director Theo Angelopoulos—as well as gala opening
and closing nights and the annual Orpheus Awards ceremony—aimed at
“Defeating the Crisis Through The Viewfinder” May 31 – June 3rd, 2012
(April 25, 2012—Hollywood, California)“There is no more
timely reflection of Greece’s struggles than the one offered by its
burgeoning cinema,” stated Ersi Danou, Co-Founder/Artistic Director,
when announcing the theme for this the 2012 event: “Defeating the
Crisis Through the Viewfinder.” “A new generation of filmmakers has
begun to question the current state of things as well as to express an
urge to evolve as artists and human beings. These filmmakers make films
out of nothing, powered by their passion to make their stories –
however small – known.”
Opening Night, May 31st, Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood
LAGFF will kick-off May 31st at Hollywood’s historic Egyptian Theatre with the gala red carpet world premiere of
A Green Story,
the triumphant true tale of Van Vlahakis—a Greek immigrant who arrived
in America with only $22 in his pocket but eventually founded the
multimillion dollar Green company, Earth Friendly Products. After the
screening, filmgoers will party with the stars under the stars as they
look forward to three more action packed days and nights. A Green Story
stars Ed O’Ross, Shannon Elizabeth, Annabella Sciorra, George Finn,
Malcolm McDowell, Billy Zane, Louis Mandylor, Debbie Matenopoulos and
Alessandra Toressani.
“It is truly an honor that Los Angeles Greek Film Festival has chosen our movie for their gala red carpet opening night,” said
A Green Story
writer/director Nika Agiashvili. “We felt that if we were going to
tell the story of Van Vlahakis, we needed to tell it in the most
authentic way possible. When we started in pre-production, we were
committed to not only shooting in Greece, but also casting Greek
actors. To be able to shoot in such an historic location like Athens is
a dream for me as a filmmaker, and provides authenticity about the
beginnings of Mr. Vlahakis’s amazing and inspirational life, a life that
is truly having a transformational effect on the planet.”
Friday, June 1st, Linwood Dunn Theater, Hollywood
Friday, June 1
st, LAGFF moves to its main venue, the
Linwood Dunn Theater (with free off-street parking) on the campus of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Pickford Center for
Motion Picture Study, also in the heart of Hollywood. From 1:00 until
5:00 p.m. Professor Michael Economou will present an intense, structured
overview geared towards screenwriters of the advanced level course he
teaches at the USC School of Cinema. This class is specifically designed
for writers who have basic knowledge of screenwriting who have written
or in the process of writing at least one screenplay.
At 5:45 p.m., two short films will precede the documentary
Raw Material (
Proti Yli)
from director Hristos Karakepelis, which examines a group of illegal
gypsy immigrants who don’t live by the norms or speak the Greek
language, and gather garbage and recycle Athens’ material in an attempt
to improve their lives. In the U.S. premiere of
Dad, Lenin and Freddy (
O Babas mou, o Lenin, and Freddy)
(set in the 1980’s) from director Rinio Dragasaki, a nine-year-old girl
in Athens gradually loses touch with her workaholic communist father.
In Yorgos Zois’s
Casus Belli, urban life is seen through the lonesome journey of a loaded shopping cart.
At 8:30 p.m. on June 1
st, writer/director Anthony Maras takes us to 1974 Cyprus in his short film
The Palace,
in which a conscript soldier comes face to face with a family in hiding
and must confront the brutal reality of war and his role in it. Next,
the feature film
Tungsten from writer/director Giorgos
Georgopoulos tells the stories of three men living in crisis-ridden
Athens within a single day, revealing a world in havoc where victims
become villains and vice versa.
Saturday, June 2nd, Linwood Dunn Theater, Hollywood
On Saturday, June 2
nd, industry insiders will convene a panel discussion entitled
Representation in Hollywood
for want-to-be insiders. As in past years, the panel discussion should
prove to be most popular. The event will be followed by a networking
opportunity over light brunch.
The afternoon screenings begin at 12:00 p.m. with the Los Angeles
premiere of the short film from writer/director/producer Yiorgos
Fourtounis, entitled
Face Down (Pistoma), in which we learn
that in a dog-eat-dog world, there is no place for affection; paired
with director/producer Ruggero Dipaola’s feature
Apartment in Athens (
Appartamento ad Atene).
Set against a backdrop of the German occupation of Greece in 1943, this
drama introduces us to an Athenian family who undergoes a profound
change when their apartment is commandeered by an exacting German
officer with an inscrutable attitude.
The U.S. premiere of director Evris Papanikolas’s short film
Just a Perfect Day—in which the world goes awry on a serene day —will kick off the 2:45 p.m. program. Next, the U.S. premiere of the drama
Wasted Youth
from director Argyris Papadimitropoulos takes us to Athens on a blazing
hot day on which a teenage skateboarder sets out for an aimless day
with his friends; a middle-aged policeman struggles to make ends meet;
and a simple twist of fate disrupts the course of their actions.
The 5:15 p.m. program lightens up a bit with
Abariza, the
short film from director Elena Dimitrakopoulou, in which an elderly
couple plans their grand escape from a senior home. This is followed by
the U.S. premiere of director Georgios Papaionnaou’s comedy
Super Demetrios.
Posing as a journalist for the Golden Jerusalem magazine,
Thessaloniki’s very own superhero, Super Demetrios, is the only person
who can save the city from its worst nightmare, Captain F. ROM.
F**k, R.E. Rodgers’s short film starring Sam Rockwell,
Christopher Meloni, Bob Balaban, Mariska Hargitay and Bobby Cannavale
opens the 8:30 p.m. program. In the film, characters will do anything
to find “the location.” Next, the L.A. premiere of director Filippos
Tsitos feature
Unfair World, which begins with a disenchanted
policeman’s decision to follow his own sense of justice. A series of
unlike events, fluctuating from tragedy to comedy, culminate in an
equally surprising outcome.
Saturday, June 2nd, Egyptian Theatre, Spielberg
Providing an option for festival goers, the 5:30 p.m. program kicks
off with the world premiere of director Yeesum Lo and writer/producer
Dorothea Paschalidou’s short film
Intersection, in which a
father and son walk different paths, but life brings them back together.
The U.S. premiere of writer/producer/director Dimitri Athanitis’
Three Days of Happiness (
Tris Meres Eftihias)
follows, in which a Russian immigrant sells her body hoping to earn
money to leave Greece, a university student struggles to overcome
personal tragedy, and a woman doubting her decision to get married,
cross paths while pursuing happiness.
Kicking off the 7:30 p.m. program, the world premiere of writer/director Constantinos Isaias’s short film
Sacred Whispers,
in which, suppressed by his religious mother, a young man strives for
salvation from his demons in a racist 1940’s society. Next, the U.S.
premiere of
Riders of Pylos (Ippeis tis Pylou) from
writer/director Nikos Kalogeropoulos, in which a middle-aged, poverty
stricken actor flees Athens to escape his creditors and travels to the
heart of historic Messinia, finding refuge in Polypylon, a decrepit
castle. While exploring the wild countryside, he meets Democracy, and
becomes desperate to win the heart.
Sunday, June 3rd, Linwood Dunn Theater
The final day, Sunday, June 3
rd kicks off at 10:00 a.m.
with a tribute to the late, great, Greek film director Theo Angelopoulos
featuring a panel discussion moderated by Fred Linch, Arizona State
University film professor, who will present a variety of film clips to
demonstrate the famed filmmakers unique visual and musical style. At
11:30 a.m., there will be a retrospective screening of Angelopoulos’s
classic film,
Ulysses’ Gaze.
Pete Stamatelatos’ short film
Sun Don’t Shine for Us will
launch the 3:30 p.m. program with its world premiere in which a Greek
immigrant mother’s hopes and dreams for her family collapse when her son
enters the world of drug addiction. The moving, bitter-sweet
documentary feature from director Tony Asimakopoulos comes after the
short. The only son of Greek-Canadian immigrants who faces his
complicated relationship with his overbearing mother and ailing father,
and the patterns of dysfunction they share, in
Fortunate Son.
Closing night festivities launch with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m.,
during which film buffs will undoubtedly be buzzing about the festival
lineup. Kicking off the closing night program with a very strong
Japanese connection, at 6:30 p.m., is the U.S. premiere of the animated
short film from director Panagiotis Rappas,
Fountain of Youth, a
tale of an elderly woodcutter who stumbles upon the fountain of youth
in a mountain forest of Japan. Next, the L.A. premiere of Nikos
Dayandas’s powerful documentary,
Sayome. After 35 years of
living in Crete, happily married to a Greek sailor and raising her two
sons, Sayome hears news of her mother’s death and returns to her native
Japan to reunite with her estranged family.
For the grand finale of the 2012 Los Angeles Greek Film Festival,
Consul General of Greece Elisabeth Fotiadou is opening her home
exclusively for LAGFF Gold Pass holders for the presentation of the
prestigious Orpheus Awards, and gala closing night party. Guests will
enjoy a pleasant atmosphere under the stars while tasting Greek
delicacies.
“As every year, I am looking forward to those wonderful days in the
beginning of summer when we all take our seats in front of the big
screen and we get transported to the Greece we love and care about,”
expressed Consul General Fotiadou. “As our country is going through one
of the most difficult times of its recent history, the new Greek films
are more intriguing and inspirational. We look forward to welcoming you
to opening night on May 31
st.”
The 2012 LAGFF Gold Pass includes tickets and advance entrance to all
films, panels and programs; the opening gala red carpet premiere of
A Green Story, with
after party; closing night champagne receptions; a deluxe program book;
free parking at the Linwood Dunn Theater; and, of course, the must-have
ticket to the exclusive Orpheus Awards party at the Consul General’s
home. In the face of the global economic crisis hitting Greece, the
cost of the 2012 LAGFF Gold Pass has been reduced by $100 (33%) to only
$200, but must be purchased online in advance. To purchase a Gold Pass
or individual tickets, and for more information, visit
www.lagff.org.
Friends and fans worldwide are encouraged to follow the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival at
www.Facebook.com/lagff,
www.Twitter.com/lagff and at
www.youtube.com/LAGreekFilmFestival.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
The 2012 Los Angles Greek Film Festival is grateful for the support of numerous key sponsors, many of which are mentioned here.
Gold Patron
Earth Friendly Products (
www.ecos.com)
is the leader in the development and production of environmentally
friendly cleaning supplies for household and commercial use with over
150 products manufactured, distributed, and sold in the USA, Canada,
Europe, South America, and Asia. All Earth Friendly Products are
created with only replenishable and sustainable plant-based ingredients
that are safe for people, pets, and the planet. The company proudly
adheres to its strict “Freedom Code”, a list of harmful and toxic
ingredients that are not found in any its products. Earth Friendly
Products has proudly received the 2010 GEELA Award for Sustainable
Business Practices, 2009 Green PatriotTM Green 100TM Designation and the
Champion level recognition from the US EPA through the Design for the
Environment (DfE) Program’s Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative.
The company’s solar division, Progressive Power Group is just another
example of how Earth Friendly Products is a sustainable business leader.
Gold Patron
Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation—ERT S.A. (
www.ert.gr/ertae/en/etaireia/etaireia.asp)
was founded in 1938 and 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 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.
Bronze Sponsors include
Hollywood Foreign Press Association and
West Coast Investors. Media Sponsors include
ERT and
NotesFromHollywood.com. While Supporters include
Astro Burger, Greek Film Center, and Delphi Greek Restaurant.
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