Orpheus Awards & Celebration
Los Angeles, CA {May 16, 2022) The red carpet Closing Night of the 16th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) on Sunday, May 15 at the Silver Screen Theatre, Pacific Design Center was a success. The screening of Araceli Lemos’ award-winning “HOLY EMY”, Orpheus Awards & Reception at the state-of-the-art Silver Screen Theatre at the Pacific Design Center included VIPS, celebrities, dignitaries, along with many filmmakers from Greece. Guests enjoyed music by popular DJ Yiannis Markoulakis, Greek cuisine from Pietris Bakery and signature cocktails by Kástra Elión Vodka.
Festival Director Aris Katopodis opened the ceremony with a warm welcome to the (sold out audience). “What an exceptional Festival week we have had – We are back and we are better than ever,” exclaimed Katopodis”. The Awards Ceremony was co-hosted by Lia Bozonelis and Alex Kalognomos.
LAGFF 2022 consisted of 64 films, including 25 female filmmakers and showcasing 8 world premieres, 5 international premieres, 7 North American premieres, 9 West Coast premieres, 13 U.S. premieres, 10 Los Angeles premieres and 14 animated films. The virtual portion of the Festival continues through May 22th, including on-line access internationally to 50% of the films.
And The Winners Are..
Feature Fiction Film Best
Orpheus Award Winner: Holy Emy by Araceli Lemos
Feature Fiction Film Best Director
Orpheus Award Winner: Araceli Lemos for Holy Emy
Feature Fiction Film Best Performance
Orpheus Award Winner: Angeliki Papoulia for her role in Patchwork
Honorable Mention: Nikos Zegkinoglou for his role in 18
Honorable Mention: Aris Servetalis for his role in Pack of Sheep (This one was a supporting role, but the committee thought it was worth mentioning)
Audience Award: Smyrna, My Beloved
Documentary Film
Orpheus Award Winner: The Students of Umberto Primo by Alessandra Maioletti
Special Jury Award: How to Train an Antihero by Yannis Bletas
Special Jury Award: Memento by Nikos Ziogas
Audience Award: Outer Space Kids by George Gounezos
Short Film
Orpheus Award Winner: To Vancouver by Artemis Anastasiadou
Honorable Mention: Brutalia, Days of Labour by Manolis Mavris
Honorable Mention: Memoir of a Veering Storm: by Sofia Georgovassili
Audience Award: Nexting by Karina Logotheti
Animation
Orpheus Award Winner: From The Balcony by Aris Kaplanidis, Elias Roumeliotis
Honorable Mention: Afterimage by Antonis Doussias
IPDF Award Winner
Glory B
Director: Konstantinos Antonopoulos
Producer: Fani Skartouli
Honorable Mention:
Shibboleth
Writer/ Director: Alexandra Matheou
LAGFF 2022 Sponsors Include
California Arts Council – Established by the State of California in 1976, the California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all.
Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture – The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture mission is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. They provide leadership, services, and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations, countywide arts education initiatives, commissioning and care for civic art collections, research and evaluation, access to creative pathways, professional development, free community programs, and cross sector creative strategies that address civic issues.
Department of Cultural Affairs, City of LA – The Department of Cultural Affairs generates and supports high quality arts and cultural experiences for Los Angeles’ 4 million residents.
GPK & Associates (The Kolovos Family) – George and Tina Kolovos and their family have been major supporters of LAGFF since its very beginning. They have always appreciated the value of artistic and cultural endeavors, and have actively participated in the preservation and development of our organization as well as new Greek filmmakers. Despite the limitations caused by the pandemic this year, the Kolovos Family has stepped forth with yet another major contribution. Thank you George, Tina, Maria-Elena and Peter!
West Coast Investors (The Argyropoulos Family) – West Coast Investors is a private real estate company specializing in the acquisition and management of premier retail property in prime locations and prestigious markets. Founded in 1989 by James Argyropoulos, the company is known for its high-quality portfolio.
AT&T – AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company that is headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Dallas, Texas. It is the world’s largest telecommunications company and the largest provider of mobile telephone services in the U.S.
With special thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), Elios Charitable Foundation, European Language Movies in America (ELMA), and Nick Spirtos.