LA Greek Film Festival 2011

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Tuesday, 07 June 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

The 5th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) runs from June 9-12, 2011 at Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood, California.

The Festival showcases new films from Greek filmmakers worldwide to promote and nurture Greek Cinema while bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood.

The Festival also offers screenings of film masterworks, seminars on important contemporary film issues, and tributes to significant filmmakers and performers of Greek origin. Orpheus Awards are given to the most outstanding new films in the dramatic, documentary and short film categories.

"This year's films represent all facets of Greek life - humor, music, wine, erotica, and family... with a twist!  Los Angeles audiences will not be disappointed," says Ersi Danou, LAGFF co-founder.

"The growing Greek film community is rapidly proving itself a formidable source of truly groundbreaking cinema and I am proud to help bring these incredible works to the Los Angeles screen." states Owen Ward, Director of Programming.

The Opening Night film is the documentary Pelican's Watch, directed by Lea Binzer. A small community of elders on the island of Santorini are charged with the unique duty of preserving the traditions of vine-growing and winemaking in the face of changing times that threaten their ancient and world-renowned art.

The screening is followed by a reception featuring some top Greek wines.  Santorini winemakers and the filmmakers are expected to attend.

Also screening is the Los Angeles premiere of the critically acclaimed drama/comedy A Woman's Way / Strella, produced and directed by Panos Koutras, written by Panajotis Evangelidis and Panos Koutras, starring Mina Orfanou, Yanis Kokiasmenos, Minos Theoharis. This is a daring film about the relationship of newly released convict Yorgos and the matriarchal transsexual Strella.

The legendary music composer Mikis Theodorakis will be presented with an Honorary Orpheus Award during the awards ceremony on Sunday, June 12, at the Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills.

The award acknowledges Theodorakis‛ iconic status as a leading figure in a nation's struggle for freedom and peace, as well as his body of work in music, contributing to world cinema with scores for milestone films such as Z, Serpico, State of Siege, and Zorba the Greek.

The Festival comes to a close Sunday, June 12 at the Writers Guild Theater with a Gala event and world premiere of Burning Heads / To Gala, directed by Giorgos Siougas, screenplay by Vassilis Katsikonouris; with Promitheas Aliferopoulos, Ionna Tsirigouli, Omiros Poulakis, Iro Bezou, Demitris Mavros.

This story, based on the Greek play by Katsikonouris, is a hardcore look at immigration and resulting family dynamics in Greece today. When Russian immigrant Adonis introduces his bride-to-be to his mother and schizophrenic brother, deep-rooted rifts within their family explode as Adonis seeks to ease his guilt and his mother tries to restore the bond their family once knew in their long-lost homeland.

Other films are:

Fiction Features

Biloba
Director: Sofia Papchristou
An engineer sets off to build a power generator fueled by toxic waste on an uncharted island, but unexpectedly finds magic amongst the backward islanders and is faced with a difficult choice.

Death I Dreamed of / O Thanatos pou Oneireythika
Director/Producer: Panagiotis Kravvas
Based on a true story, this horror tale follows a group of teenagers as they encounter a mysterious stranger who at first gathers them in a celebration of the occult but eventually unleashes a very real display of death and destruction.

Harisma
Director:  Christina Ioakeimidi
When unsophisticated bus driver Haris thrusts himself into the seemingly controlled life of young teacher Ismini, both have to abandon their safety nets in order to find true love in this light-hearted comedy.

Knifer / Macherovgaltis
Director: Yannis Economides
In this artful B&W account of a decaying middle class, Nikos moves in with his brutish uncle to guard his dogs, but soon finds out that he must pull himself together in order to set things right.

Without Borders / Horis Sinora
Director: Nick Gaitatjis
With the help of his eccentric cousin, Thanasis embarks on a journey across continents in search of his six-year-old adopted daughter, along the way redefining the meaning of familial love.

Documentaries

The Game must Go On / Ta Paidia Den Paizei
Director: Angeli Andrikopoulou, Argyris Tsepelikas
Tired of being hassled by their neighbors for playing soccer in the streets, an ambitious group of children set out to build a playing field of their own by daring what most adults would not: Cutting through the red tape and going up against the machine of local politics.

My Sweet Canary (Israel/France/Greece)
Director/Producer: Roy Sher
The story of Roza Eskenazy, the Diva of Rebetiko or "Greek Blues," whose music shaped the soundtrack of Greece and Asia Minor for almost a century, is unveiled through the journey of three modern musicians who retrace her steps and perform her songs.

With Great Power: the Stan Lee Story
Directors: Will Hess, Terry Dougas, Nikki Frakes
Get up close and personal with Stan Lee, the artist behind world-famous Marvel comics and comic book favorites like Spiderman and The Fantastic Four in this star-studded documentary that explores how one of today's great creative minds came to be.

Short Films

1.2 Million Children / 1.2 Ekatommyria Paidia
Director: Effie Pappa
This animated short brings light to the tragic issue of children being bought and sold across international borders.

13 ½
Director: Haris Vafeiadis
The road to adulthood is fraught with peril for this young teenage girl who comes to understand the value of her lost innocence.

Alter
Director: Petros Antoniadis
An unconventional artist finds that he must embrace all parts of his psyche in order to reach fulfillment.

Commentary
Director: Jonathan Crow
What starts as a simple behind-the-scenes commentary recording session between a film producer and director becomes a hilarious conflict of personal relationships.

Marios and the Raven
Director/Producer: Yiannis Bougioukas
On his 53rd birthday, Marios seems to have everything he ever wished for -- until a bird dropping from the blue reveals his happiness to be far more fragile than it seemed.

Pyramids of Athens / Pyramides tis Athinas
Director/Producer: Yolanda Markopoulou
A young Egyptian immigrant in Athens observes suspicious activity in the abandoned building where he is squatting and decides to take matters into his own hands despite language and cultural barriers.

RF
Director: Stavros Liokalos
One man simply trying to adjust his TV antenna sets off a chain of comic events that bring an entire apartment community together.

The Dog / O Skylos
Director: Nikos Charalabopoulos (aka Labot)
The arrival of a young suitor and his dog means war for a father who compulsively protects his only daughter.

What Time Will You Be Back? / Ti Ora tha Gyrisis?
Director: Maritina Passari
When Eurydice rebels against her mother to follow her dream of becoming a punk-rock singer, she realizes that the mother-daughter relationship is not one-way.

An industry panel, "Crossing Borders: Foreign Films in Hollywood" is being held "with experts who are able to address new avenues outside the traditional route."

For more information, go to www.lagreekfilmfestival.org.

Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
June 9 - 12, 2011

Laemmle's Sunset 5
8000 W. Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA