27 - 30 October 2011 Palace Centro Cinemas Fortitude Valley www

Presenting Partner
An initiative of the
Greek Orthodox
Community of
Saint George
Brisbane
Sydney
Adelaide
Melbourne
27 - 30 October 2011
Palace Centro Cinemas
Fortitude Valley
www.greekfilmfestival.com.au
18TH
GREEK
FILM
FESTIVAL
WELCOME
We would like to thank the following for
their assistance with the organisation of
the 9th Greek Film Festival of Brisbane.
Welcome to the Brisbane
Greek Film Festival 2011
National Festival Director
Dimi Lafazanos
The Greek Orthodox Community of St George, Brisbane & Bank of Cyprus
Australia, in partnership with Palace Centro Cinemas is proud to present the
2011 Greek Film Festival in Brisbane. The festival will run from Thursday 27
October to Sunday 30 October at the Palace Centro Cinemas – 39 James
Street, Fortitude Valley.
Brisbane Festival Coordinators
Elleni Comino
Dimitri Mavromatis
Helen Spero
Michael Anastas
Art Direction & Design
Carlo Mazzarella & David Buzzi One Heavy
Trailer Editor Tim Anastasi
Onset Productions
Web Design and Development
Mecca Medialight
Program Text
Emma Westwood
Stephen Scoglio
Dr Alfred Vincent
Opening Night Function
Palace Centro Cinema
Chez Nous – Catering
Spiros Bottle Shop
The Bouzouki Boys
Videographer
Miniluv (Emmanuel Kazonis)
Palace Centro Cinemas
Genevieve Kelly, Melissa Woite & Staff
Festival Contact Details
Greek Orthodox Community
of Saint George, Brisbane
36 Browning Street
South Brisbane Qld 4101
P: 07 38443669 | F: 0738440967
E: Elleni@gocstgeorge.com.au
The Festival will highlight a selection of the best in contemporary Greek
cinema. This years programme includes: Need for Lies, Attenburg, Red Sky,
Without Borders, The Heiress and more….
We would like to thank our presenting partner Bank of Cyprus Australia, venue
partner Palace Cinemas, national sponsors and particularly our local sponsors
for their generous support. We invite you to indulge in what is to be a cultural
and entertaining experience and hope you enjoy the selection.
Opening Night
Opening night will feature the comedy “Need for Lies” directed by Ieroklis
Michaelidis and starring Ieroklis Michaelidis, Zeta Makrypoulia and
Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos.
Theofilos Ferekis Minister of Health and Welfare hires the shady Theodoras
Parlas – a professional liar – as his senior advisor to help him deliver on the
promises, pork-barrelling, and wheeling and dealing he orchestrated during
his election campaign. Can Theofilos and Theodoras squirm their way out of
the mess? Will the new Minister be held to account?
Following the screening of the feature film, the Film Festival’s opening night
cocktail party will be held at Palace Centro Cinemas and guests are invited
to stay and enjoy mezethes and drinks whilst listening to live Greek music.
To book for opening night and other sessions, please call Palace Centro
Cinema on 38524488.
TICKETING AND
VENUE INFORMATION
Opening Night Event
Tickets
Brisbane Premiere
Ieroklis Michaelidis’ Need for Lies
Time: 6.30pm for 7.00pm screening
Date: Thursday 27th October 2011
Venue: Palace Centro Cinema
All tickets $40.00
Single Session Tickets
Adult $17.00
Concession $13.50
Palace Movie Club Members $13.50
Greek Orthodox Community of
St George Members $13.50
(must be pre-booked)
For bookings telephone
Palace Centro direct:
Monday - Friday between
10.30am – 5.00pm on 3852 4488
Eligible Concessions:
Cocktail function to be held at Palace
Centro Cinemas.
Group Bookings
Full-time Students (ID required),
Senior Citizens (60+), Health Care
Card holders, Pensioners.
(10 people or more)
Groups of 10 or more people will be
admitted at the special price of $13.00
per person for all sessions except
Opening Night.
VENUE
Palace CENTRO Cinema
Cnr James Street & Robertson Streets
Fortitude Valley
HOW TO BUY
In Person
Palace Centro Cinema
12pm until 8.30pm daily
until sold out.
Online
Tickets are available
securely online 24hrs via at
www.palacecinemas.com.au
Major credit cards accepted.
Booking fees apply.
By Phone
Tickets may be purchased using
any major credit card by calling the
cinema you wish to attend:
Palace Centro Cinema: 3852 4488
FESTIVAL CONDITIONS
All festival films are restricted to persons 18 years of age and over, unless specified. This relates not necessarily to the content of the films,
but to the legal requirements of holding the festival, as set by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
There are no booking fees for purchasing at cinemas with cash. Cinema box offices accept all major credit cards Festival tickets , once
acquired, are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Lost or stolen tickets will not be replaced or refunded. Patrons are encouraged to
collect booked tickets 30 minutes prior to the session to avoid queues. Palace Cinema passes and other complimentary passes, cinema
promotions and free ticket offers are not valid for festival screenings. Dates, times and programs are correct at the time of publication,
but may need to be altered. We reluctantly reserve the right to withdraw, change and replace programs without notice. All non-English
language films have English subtitles. Allocated seating in Brisbane.
OPENING NIGHT
COMEDY
4
5
Need for Lies
The Heiress
dir: Ieroklis Michaelidis
dir: Panayotis Fafoutis
(Ζητείται Ψεύτης)
One of Greece’s best-loved stage
comedies, Dimitris Psathas’ satire on
Greek political machinations comes
to life on the silver screen.
Theofilos Ferekis (played by the film’s
director Ieroklis Michaelidis) has been
appointed Minister of Health and
Welfare. It’s time for him to deliver
on the promises, pork-barrelling, and
wheeling and dealing he orchestrated
during his election campaign.
Hopelessly unable to meet his mark,
Theofilos hires the shady Theodoras
Parlas (Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos) – a
professional liar – as his senior advisor.
Can Theofilos and Theodoras squirm
their way out of the mess? Will the new
Minister be held to account? Find out
in this “Spin City meets The West Wing”
look at politics in Greece.
Όταν ο Θεόφιλος Φερέκης αναλαμβάνει
το Υπουργείο Υγείας & Κοινωνικής
Αλληλεγγύης, έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με
όλες τις “χάρες” που είχε τάξει προεκλογικά
στους ψηφοφόρους του. Μόλις
καταλάβει ότι δεν πρόκειται να τα βγάλει
εύκολα πέρα, χρειάζεται επειγόντως να
προσλάβει έναν… επαγγελματία ψεύτη,
τον Θεόδωρο Πάρλα, ή Ψευτοθόδωρος,
“ταλέντο” στις ψεύτικες υποσχέσεις.
Greek language with English subtitles
Greece | 2010 | 91mins | e-cinema
Written by Panayotis Mantziafos and
Konstandina Yiahali, based on the play
with the same title by Dimitris Psathas
Produced by Manos Krezias, Kostas
Lambropoulos and Dionysis Samiotis
Cast: Ieroklis Michaelidis, Zeta Makrypoulia,
Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos
(Η Κληρονόμος)
About the Director
Ieroklis Michaelidis is no stranger to
Greek audiences, with over twenty
years’ experience in front of the
camera in countless television roles.
Need for Lies is his directorial
debut. As an actor he starred most
recently in The Flight of the Swan,
alongside James D’Arcy, Alicia Witt
and Colm Meaney.
A soccer comedy that finds the back
of the net!
Woman of leisure Vera (Smaragda
Karydi) – an attractive former
stewardess – finds herself thrust into
the cut-throat world of professional
football following her philandering
husband’s untimely death. In order to
secure her family’s inheritance, Vera
takes the reins of her late husband’s
struggling ‘Black Panthers’ Football
Club in Greece’s ‘A-League’
championship in an effort to turn
their fortunes around. Armed with her
wits and tenacity, the laughs flourish
as Vera fights to overcome both her
lack of knowledge of football, as well
as the entrenched prejudices on and
off the field.
This is Working Girl meets Wildcats…
but done Greek style.
Η Βέρα είναι μια όμορφη πρώην
αεροσυνοδός και σύζυγος του Στέλιου
Σκαρίμπα, ευκατάστατου προέδρου της
μικρομεσαίας ποδοσφαιρικής ομάδας
«Μαύροι Πάνθηρες». Ζει μια ήσυχη ζωή,
μεγαλώνοντας τα δυο παιδιά της. Όλα
κυλούν ομαλά, μέχρι που μια εξωσυζυγική
περιπέτεια του Στέλιου έχει μοιραία
κατάληξη...
Greek language with English subtitles
Contains nudity
Greece | 2009 | 94mins | e-cinema
Written by Dimitris Emmanoulidis
Produced by Panos Papahadzis
Cast: Smaragda Karydi, Gerasimos Skiadaresis,
Petros Lagoutis, Titika Stasinopoulou,
Kostis Koroneos
About the Director
After many years working in Greek
television drama , The Heiress
marks Panayotis Fafoutis’
graduation to feature film direction.
His most recent film, Paradeisos – in
which he assumes both writing and
directorial responsibilities – was
released earlier this year.
COMEDY
6
7
Everything is Going to be Alright
Charisma
dir: Yannis Xanthopoulos
dir: Christina Ioakimidi
(Όλα θα πάνε καλά)
A comedy where Ruthless People
meets Lock, Stock and Two
Smoking Barrels.
Miltiadis (Akis Sakellariou) cooks up
a scheme to kidnap well-known and
notoriously corrupt lawyer Yotis
Mathiopoulos (Dimitris Piatas). To help
him execute the plan, he enlists the
help of his fiancée, Gina (Faye Xila),
and her “unofficial” partner, the
short-fused Fanis (Orfeas Avgoustidis).
Things are thrown into chaos when
a comedy of errors sees our band
of crooks wind up with Yotis’ aunt,
Elenitsa (played by Greek cinema
veteran, Efi Papatheodorou) as their
captive instead of Yotis. They are
unaware that Yotis has been plotting
to get rid of her anyway.
Propelled into a world of thugs and
organised crime, Miltiadis, Gina and
Fanis soon learn that Aunt Elenitsa
isn’t the benign elder she may initially
seem – and so their lives are sent into
a tail-spin.
Ένα αρραβωνιασμένο ζευγάρι,
η Τζίνα και ο Μιλτιάδης μαζί
με τον Φάνη, αποφασίζουν να
απαγάγουν τον διεφθαρμένο
μεγαλοδικηγόρο Μαθιόπουλο. Η
απειρία όμως των κακοποιών έχει
ως αποτέλεσμα να απαχθεί λάθος
πρόσωπο, και συγκεκριμένα, η θέια
του, Ελενίτσα!
Greek and English language with English
subtitles
Greece | 2009 | 96 mins | e-cinema
Written by Yannis Xanthopoulos
Produced by Panos Papahadzis
Cast: Orfeas Avgoustidis, Faye Xila, Akis
Sakellariou, Efi Papatheodorou, Dimitris Piatas
About the Director
Yannis Xanthopoulos has a solid
pedigree in Greek cinema and
television dating back to 1980. His
screenwriting credits include
Eyewitness (1993), Borderline (1994)
and Extended Play (2006); the latter
he also directed. Everything is Going
to be Alright is his second feature as
writer and director.
(Χάρισμα)
A sunny, romantic comedy about
learning to open yourself to love.
Ismini (Vaso Kavalieratou) is a single
woman in her early 30s. She is strong,
independent and sensitive, but she is
also emotionally handicapped. Her
defence mechanism for protecting
her wellbeing is to avoid emotional
attachment to the men who move
in and out of her life.
In one of the rare moments that Ismini
unwittingly lowers her defences, rough
diamond Haris (Makis Papadimitriou)
enters her life. Will Ismini choose to
push away the unsophisticated and
irrascible, but also passionate, Haris
– or will he be the one that infiltrates
her tough exterior?
Η Ισμήνη μόλις πάτησε τα τριάντα της.
Είναι καλλιεργημένη, ευγενική, ευαίσθητη
και συναισθηματικά τσακίζει για πλάκα.
Όλα καταρρέουν, όμως, όταν ο μπρούτος,
απλοϊκός κι αγενής Χάρης μπαίνει για τα
καλά στη ζωή της. Greek language with English subtitles
Sex scenes
Greece | 2010 | 85mins | 35mm
Written by Christina Ioakimidi
Produced by Christina Ioakimidi and Louizos
Aslanidis
Cast: Vaso Kavalieratou, Makis Papadimitriou
and Yannis Tsortekis
About the Director
Christina Ioakimidi was born in
1975 in Athens. She studied
directing at film school in London,
during which she made several
short films. Charisma is her debut
feature film where she takes
on the roles of writer, producer
and director.
18TH
GREEK
FILM
FESTIVAL
Brisbane
Screening
Schedule
27 - 30 October
Thursday 27 October
Palace Centro Cinema
Cnr James and
Robertson Streets,
Fortitude Valley
T: 3852 4488
Saturday 29 October
Sudnay 30 October
2pm
Everything is going
to be alright
Without Borders
4pm
Harisma
The Heiress
7pm
9pm
OPENING NIGHT
NEED FOR LIES
Friday 28 October
Everything is going
to be alright
Attenburg
RED SKY
The Heiress
www.greekfilmfestival.com.au
6:45pm
Riders of Pylos
8:45pm
The Signature
NEO CINEMA
10
11
Without Borders
The Signature
dir: Nick Gaitatjis
dir: Stelios Haralambopoulos
(Η Υπογραφή)
(Χωρίς Σύνορα)
An dramatic adventure that
crosses continents and
international borders.
The simple and carefree life of
Thanasis (Giorgos Voyatzis) is
shattered when his adopted
six-year-old daughter Melissa
(Veronika Vassilakopoulou) is
taken away without warning to
the United States by her
biological mother. With the help
of his cousin, the eccentric Plato
(Georges Corraface, who also
appears in The Signature),
Thanasis sets out on a search to
retrieve Melissa at any cost.
Ο Θανάσης, ένας καλοκάγαθος πωλητής,
έχει υπό την προστασία του την μικρή
Μελίσα, που η μητέρα της Μίλλα,
μετανάστρια από την Ρωσία,
του την εμπιστεύτηκε, προκειμένου να
αναζητήσει την τύχη της στην Αμερική.
Όλα θα ανατραπούν στη ζωή τους, όταν
η Μίλλα επιστρέφει στην Ελλάδα με τον
άνδρα της, για να πάρει την κόρη της.
Greek and English language with English
subtitles
Greece | USA | 2010 | 97mins | 35mm
Written by Nick Gaitatjis
Produced by Nick Gaitatjis and
Sandra Staggs
Cast: Giorgos Voyagis, Georges Corraface,
Seymour Cassel
About the Director
Nick Gaitatjis was born in Veria,
Greece. He moved to the USA
to study cinema, where he also
directed many live theatre
productions before returning
to Greece to work on a number
of prime time television shows.
With much of his career spent in
producing roles, Without Borders
is Gaitatjis’ second feature
as director, following on from
Gettin’ It (2006).
An enigmatic thriller about true
love and sacrifice, set within the
art world.
Famous painter Maria Demou
(Maria Protopappa) died
mysteriously 15 years ago. In
preparing a retrospective exhibition
of her work, young researcher Anna
(Alexia Kaltsiki) calls on Maria’s lover,
Angel (Georges Corraface), who
uncovers some paintings Anna did
not realise existed. This awakens her
curiosity about the past and even
Angel’s possible involvement in
Maria’s sudden death.
When Anna threatens to cancel the
exhibition, Angel feels compelled
to open his heart to her, revealing
the truth of his life – the enigmatic
existence of an alter ego and the
transcendent beauty of his art.
Η Άννα, μια νεαρή ιστορικός τέχνης,
ετοιμάζει ένα τιμητικό αφιέρωμα στα
έργα της διάσημης ζωγράφου Μαρίας
Δήμου. Στο πλευρό της για να την
βοηθήσει, είναι ο σύντροφος της Δήμου
και στενός συνεργάτης της, Άγγελος. Μαζί
θα ξετυλίξουν το κουβάρι της ζωής της
Μαρίας, και το μυστήριο που τυλίγει τον
θάνατό της.
Greek language with English subtitles
Nudity and sex scenes
Greece | 2011 | 130mins | e-cinema
Written by Stelios Haralambopoulos
Produced by Thanos Lambropoulos
Cast: Georges Corraface, Maria Protopappa,
Alexia Kaltsiki, Nikos Kouris
About the Director
Born in Athens in 1956, Stavros
Haralambopoulos studied at the
Stavrakos Film School and the
School of Economic and Commercial
Sciences. He is a co-founder of the
independent production company
Periplus. His films include Hades
(1996) and the documentaries
The Moment Time Was Suspended
(1993), Patmos (1995) and
Mediterranean Stories (1999-2000).
NEO CINEMA
12
13
Attenberg
Red Sky
dir: Athina Rachel Tsangari
dir: Layia Yiourgou
(Κόκκινος Ουρανός)
Through the eyes of Marina (awardwinning newcomer Ariane Labed),
Attenberg takes an arresting swipe
at coping in a post-post-modern age.
Recently selected as the Greek Film
Academy’s nominee for the Foreign
language Oscar.
At 23, Marina is repressed and late
maturing, but the approaching death
of her father (Vangelis Mourikis) forces
her to embrace life, including her latent
sexuality, and other people. She feels
more in common with the animals she
imitates from the documentaries of
David Attenborough, to whose name,
in a common mispronunciation, the
film owes its title.
Η Μαρίνα μεγαλώνει με τον αρχιτέκτονα
πατέρα της σε μια παραθαλάσσια πόλη. Το
ανθρώπινο είδος την απωθεί. Το παρατηρεί
εξ’ αποστάσεως, μέσα από τα ντοκιμαντέρ
πάνω στη ζωή των θηλαστικών του Sir
David Attenborough και τα μαθήματα
σεξουαλικής αγωγής που της παραδίδει η
μοναδική της φίλη, Μπέλλα, ενώ ο πατέρας
της προετοιμάζει τελετουργικά την
αναχώρησή του.
Attenberg shares its creative team
and its offbeat style with Dogtooth
(Greek Film Festival 2009), with Tsangari
and Giorgos Lanthimos swapping
director and producer roles. Lanthimos
also stars in some of the film’s most
purposefully awkward scenes.
Greek language with English subtitles
Sex scenes and sexual references, nudity
and mild coarse language
Greece | 2010 | 95mins | 35mm and e-cinema
Written by Athina Rachel Tsangari
About the Director
Athina Rachel Tsangari has a BA
in Literature from the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki in
Greece, an MA in Performance
from New York University’s Tisch
School of the Arts, and an MFA in
Film Directing from the University
of Texas in Austin. Attenberg is
her second feature, her first being
The Slow Business of Going (2001),
which was acquired by MoMA for
its permanent film collection.
Against the idyllic backdrop of Southern
Crete and the Libyan Sea unfolds this
smouldering, erotic drama that sees the
friendship of two men tested by the
intrusion of a beautiful woman into
their perfect world.
In an attempt to make a new start
far from the city’s maddening crowds,
friends Aris (Orfeas Avgoustidis) and
Stelios (Apostolis Totsikas) begin a
banana greenhouse business on the
island of Crete, where they live a
simple life focused on work and the
nearby tavern. Foreign tourists come
and go, but Cordoba (Pihla Viitala) –
a friend of Aris’ sister – has a more
insidious affect.
Cordoba arouses interest in both men,
who vie for her affection despite their
initial reticence at bringing her into
their fold. But she cannot decide who
she wants, identifying elements of her
ideal man in both their personalities,
which leads to an explosive situation.
Ο Άρης κι ο Στέλιος, δυο νέοι με στενή
φιλία, κάνουν ένα καινούργιο ξεκίνημα
στη ζωή τους. Μετακομίζουν σε ένα
άγονο κι απομακρυσμένο από τον κόσμο
σημείο της Κρήτης και στήνουν ένα
θερμοκήπιο. Η άφιξη μιας Γερμανίδας,
της Κόρντοβα, φέρνει αναστάτωση και θα
βρεθούν αντιμέτωποι με έναν πειρασμό.
Greek language with English subtitles
Greece | 2011 | 105mins | e-cinema
Written by Layia Yiourgou
Produced by Layia Yiourgou
Cast: Apostolis Totsikas, Orfeas Avgoustidis,
Pihla Viitala, Efstathia Tsapareli, Laertis Vasiliou
About the Director
Layia Yiourgou was born in
Heraklion, Crete, in 1949. She
studied at the Vakalo School of
Interior Design and Graphic Arts,
the Athens School of Fine Arts
and the London International
Film School. Her films include
Country House (1994), Tomorrow
Will Be Too Late (2001) and Lyubi
(which screened at the Greek Film
Festival in 2006).
NEO CINEMA
Partners
14
Local Sponsors
Riders of Pylos
(Οι Ιππείς της Πύλου)
dir: Nikos Kalogeropoulos
In his roles as writer, director and
performer, renowned actor Nikos
Kalogeropoulos continues a life’s
work of irreverent commentary on
Greek society.
A 50-year-old poverty-stricken actor
with a glorious past, Tilemachos
(Nikos Kalogeropoulos), flees Athens
to escape his creditors. He travels
to the heart of historic Messinia and
finds refuge in a decrepit castle once
bustling with activity, but now empty
except for its two inhabitants, brothers
Evimeros (Dimitris Kamberidis) and
Myron (Ilias Logothetis).
While exploring the beautiful
countryside, he meets and falls in love
with Evimeros’ estranged daughter,
Demokratia (Julia Kalogridou), who
is also leader of a group of volunteers
called “Riders of Pylos”.
Ένας γνωστός Αθηναίος ηθοποιός, που
έχει καταστραφεί οικονομικά,
εγκαταλείπει την Αθήνα και αναζητεί
«καταφύγιο» στη πρότυπη πολιτεία
«Πολυπύλου». Η επαφή του με τους
μποέμηδες κατοίκους της περιοχής
αλλά και η γνωριμία του με μια κοπέλα
οικολόγο δίνουν καινούργιο νόημα
στη ζωή του. Greek language with English subtitles
Greece | 2011 | 98mins | e-cinema
Written by Nikos Kalogeropoulos
Produced by Christos V. Konstantakopoulos
Cast: Nikos Kalogeropoulos, Ilias Logothetis,
Takis Spiridakis, Julia Kalogridou, Dimitris
Kamberidis
About the Director
Nikos Kalogeropoulos was born
in Filiatra, Messinia, and studied
at the Kostis Michailidis and
Veakis Theatre Schools in Athens.
As an actor, he has been awarded
two Greek State Awards for Best
Actor in a leading role and one
for Best Actor in a supporting role,
as well as the prestigious Greek
State Award for Exceptional
Performance for his lead in
Rembetiko (1983). He is known
also as a playwright, composer
and poet.
Riders of Pylos is his first foray
into filmmaking.
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