12th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
June 4-10, 2018
DO IT YOURSELF
Greece, 2017, 98 min, U.S. Premiere
| Director/Writer: Dimitris Tsilifonis Producers: Kostas Lambropoulos, Andreas Tsilifonis, Yorgos Kyriakos Cinematographer: Angelos Papadopoulos Editor: Lampis Charalampidis Music: Chris Christodoulou Production Designer: Maria Papadimitrou Cast: Konstantinos Aspiotis, Makis Papadimitriou, Themis Panou
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A small time crook agrees to star in a viral video which can restore the public image of a prominent businessman. What he didn’t expect is that he would end up fighting for his life after the video’s director, a powerful gangster, decides he is an expendable part of his plan. Without much help to count on, this crook needs to find a way out, and he needs to do it himself.
* 2018 Hellenic Film Academy – Iris Award for special Effects, Editing
* 2017 Thessaloniki International Film Festival
HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Hronia Polla)
Greece, Cyprus, France, Germany, 2017, 88 min, LA Premiere
| Director/Writer: Christos Georgiou Producer: Thanassis Karathanos, Birgit Kemner, Costas Lambropoulos, Christos Georgiou Cinematographer: Yorgos Giannelis Editor: Aliki Panagi Music: Kostantis Papakonstantinou Cast: Nefeli Kouri, Dimitris Imellos, Mirto Alikaki
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When George runs out of the police riot bus and sees his daughter among the demonstrators facing him, he and his wife decide that father and daughter should go to their country home for a few days, to keep her safe and see if they can salvage their relationship.
* 2018 Palm Springs IFF
* 2018 Seattle IFF
* 2017 Sao Paulo IFF
JAMAICA (Tzamaika)
Greece, 2017, 95 min, West Coast Premiere
| Director: Andreas Morfonios Writer: George Feidas Producer: George Kyriakos, Costas Labropoulos Cinematographer: Yiannis Drakoularakos Editor: Labis Charalambidis Production Designer: Stefanos Katselis Music: Themis Karamouratidis Cast: Spyros Papadopoulos, Fanis Mouratidis
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Akis and Timos are two siblings who were close during their childhood but ended up growing apart. They are the main heroes of a film that explains the sweeping power of life and the sibling love that overcomes all misunderstandings from the past.
* 2018 NY Greek Film Expo
* 2018 London Greek Film Festival
LOVE ME NOT
Greece, 2017, 99 min, US Premiere
| Director: Alexandros Avranas Writer: Alexandros Avranas, Costas Peroulis Producer: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos Cinematographer: David Pimm Editor: Christos Yannakopoulos Sound: Nikos Bougioukos Sets: Jacqueline Abrahams Cast: Eleni Rousinou, Christos Loulis, Célestine Aposporis, Manos Vakousis, Nikos Hatzopoulos, Maria Skoula, Reni Pittaki, Penelope Markopoulou, Stefanos Kosmidis, Vicky Tsirou
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A couple hires a young migrant to be their surrogate mother and moves her to their beautiful villa. While the man is away for work, his wife and the girl start to bond and enjoy the wealthy way of life. But behind her forced cheerfulness, the woman seems more and more depressed. After a few drinks with the girl, she goes for a drive. The next morning, her husband gets a call: his wife is dead, her burned body was found in her wrecked car.
* 2107 Thessaloniki International Film Festival
* 2017 San Sebastian International FIlm Festival
* 2017 Zagreb Film Festival
PERFECT STRANGERS (Teleioi Xenoi)
Greece, 2016, 92 min, West Coast Premiere
| Director/Writer: Thodoris Atheridis Producer: George Kyriakos, Costas Labropoulos Cinematographer: Giorgos Argiroiliopoulos Editor: Labis Charalabidis Music: Panayiotis Tsevas Production Designer: Eva Nathena Cast: Thodoris Atheridis, Smaragda Karydi, Maria Nafplioti, Alkis Kourkoulos, Makis Papadimitriou, Evaggelia Syriopoulou, Giannos Perlegas
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Seven friends meet up for dinner on a Friday night. An idea emerges. Every text and call they receive through the night must be shared with the whole group. When the game forces complete transparency, secrets are revealed and relationships are deeply threatened.
* 2017 Thessaloniki International Film Festival
* 2017 New York Greek Film Festival
POLYXENI (Polykseni)
Greece, 2017, 100 min, West Coast Premiere
| Director/Writer/Editor: Dora Masklavanou Producer: Fenia Cossovitsa Cinematographer: Claudio Bolivar GSC Music: Nikos Kypourgos Production Designer: Giorgos Geogiou Cast: Katia Goulioni, Ozgur Emre Yildirim, Lydia Fotopoulou, Akyllas Karazissis
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In 1955, a couple of prominent Greek-Istanbulites adopt an orphan Greek girl from the town of their origin. They offer her a powerful family name and ensure her devotion. She embarks on a new life towards a bright future. Time passes, and the girl grows up, unaware of the devious plan that has been set behind her back.
* 2018 Hellenic Film Academy – Iris Award for Cinematography, Original Music, Best Actress, Supporting Actress
* 2018 Greek Society of Cinematographers – Award for best Cinematography
* 2017 Thessaloniki International Film Festival – Youth Award for Best Film
* 2017 Cairo Film Festival
* 2017 Tétouan International Mediterranean Film Festival – Grand Prix / Tamouda Award for Best Feature film
* 2017 Hellenic film society – Honorable mention for Best Performance in a Feature Film
ROSEMARIE (Rozmari)
Cyprus, 2017, 112 min, North America Premiere
| Director/Writer: Adonis Florides Producer: Marios Piperides Cinematographer: Yiorgos Rahmatoulin Editor: Stylianos Constandinou Music: Costas Cacoyannis Production Design: Andreas Antoniou Cast: Yiannis Kokkinos, Andreas Vassiliou, Niovi Charalambous, Androulla Erakleous, Marios Ioannou, Christoforos Christoforou, Popi Avraam
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A burned out soap opera writer, under pressure to deliver new episodes, turns his gaze upon his dysfunctional neighbors. Transforming their tragic everyday encounters into a light-hearted serial, he gets more than the inspiration he bargained for.
* 2017 Thessaloniki International Film Festival – Best Film
* 2017 Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival – Best Film
SMUGGLING HENDRIX (Fygadevontas ton Hendrix)
Cyprus, 2018, 93 min, West Coast Premiere
| Director/Writer: Marios Piperides Producers: Janine Teerling, Marios Piperides, Thanassis Karathanos, Martin Hampel, Costas Lambropoulos Cinematographer: Christian Huck Editor: Stylianos Costantinou Music: Kostantis Papakostantinou Production Designer: Michalis Samiotis Costumes: Maria Karapouliou Make up: Kyriaki Melidou Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Fatih Al, Vicky Papadopoulou, Özgür Karandeniz |
Yiannis, a fading musician, is planning to leave crisis-ridden Cyprus for a better life abroad. His plans are put on hold when his dog Jimi runs away and crosses the UN buffer zone to the occupied side of the island. Through the simple story of a man who loses his dog, Smuggling Hendrix gives a vivid demonstration of how the fences we build, both real and imagined, between ourselves and others, can be broken down once we recognize the familiarity in the face of the unknown.
* 2018 Tribeca Film Festival – Best International Narrative Feature Award
THE LAST NOTE (To Teleftaio Simioma)
Greece, 2017, 117 min, LA Premiere
| Director: Pantelis Voulgaris Writer: Ioanna Karystiani, Pantelis Voulgaris Producer: Yiannis Jakovidis Cinematographer: Simos Sarketzis Editor: Takis Giannopoulos Music: The Boy (Alexandros Voulgaris) Production Designer: Spyros Laskaris Cast: Andreas Konstantinou, André Hennicke, Melia Kreiling, Tasos Dimas, Enea Camati, Vassilis Koukalani, Loukas Kiriazis
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Following 34-year-old Napoleon Soukatzidis, a Cretan with Asia Minor origins, who fought and was held in prisons and exiled since 1936, this film tells the story of the execution of 200 Greek resistance fighters by the German occupation on May 1, 1944, in Kaisariani.
* 2018 Hellenic Film Academy – Iris Award for Make Up, Sound, Costumes, Best Actor
THORN
Denmark-Greece, 2017, 82 min, U.S. Premiere
| Director: Gabriel Tzafkas Writers: Gabriel Tzafkas, Arne Gronbaek Producers: Panagiotis Kakavias, Katerina Beligianni, Theis Norgaard, Michel Bille Frandsen Cinematographer: David Bauer Editor: Soren Ebbe Music: Sofie Birk, Asbjørn Derdau Production Designer: Mille Fischer Christiansen Cast: Jens Sætter Lassen, Neel Rønholt, Olaf Johannessen, Vibeke Hastrup
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The night of their marriage, newlywed couple Jacob and Lisa drive away for their honeymoon somewhere in the countryside of Denmark. However, Jacob has no idea where they are going as Lisa has made all the preparations secretly. Everything goes according to plan until Lisa realizes that her plan is harming their love, and their faith is turning into fear.
* 2018 Göteborg International Film Festival
* 2017 Copenhagen Film Festival
* 2017 São Paulo International Film Festival
* 2017 Thessaloniki International Film Festival
* 2017 Cairo International Film Festival
TOO MUCH INFO CLOUDING OVER MY HEAD
Greece, 2017, 105 min, West Coast Premiere
| Director/Writer: Vasilis Christofilakis Producer: Eleni Petritsi, Tasos Gouriotis, Vasilis Christofilakis Cinematographer: Pavlos Mavrikidis Editor: Giorgos Alefantis Music: Constantinos Evangelidis Cast: Vasilis Christofilakis, Kitty Paitazoglou, Nicol Drizi, Lena Ouzounidou
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After the failure of his previous film, Gay Nazi Cyborg Zombies in Love, Vasilis will do whatever it takes to earn money for his next film. Meanwhile, those around him will fill the young, anxious director with concerns, and he will barely be able to survive in this hilarious Greek comedy.
* 2017 Thessaloniki International Film Festival – FIPRESCI Prize for Best Greek Film, GFC Award for Best Debut Film, ERT New Cinema Award
* 2018 BAFICI
* 2018 Cyprus Film Days IFF
* 2018 ECU Paris Independent Film Festival
* 2018 New York Greek Film Expo