2015 FILMS

AND I ALSO PASSED BY THERE AND HAD PAPER SHOES TO WEAR

Dir. Vassilis Loules

The centuries old tradition of storytelling comes vibrantly alive in this documentary,  featuring
village elders telling stories they learned when they were children.
U.S. Premiere

A conversation with Vassilis Loules, with an introduction by
Maria Kaliambou (Folklore specialist, Yale University) will follow the screening.

AT HOME (STO SPITI)

Dir. Athanasios Karanikolas

A housekeeper who considers herself a member of the family she has faithfully served for
years is forced to recognize her true status within the household.
Maria Callimani was named  Best Actress 2015 by the Hellenic Film Academy
for her portrayal of the housekeeper.

BENEATH THE OLIVE TREE

Dir. Athanasios Karanikolas

This documentary examines the long-suppressed story of women unjustly imprisoned in a
concentration camp  on the island of Trikeri during the tumultuous Greek civil war.

NICOLETA

Dir. Sonia Liza Kenterman

A young boy tries to secure a better future for his baby sister.

Both directors are expected to attend the screening.

FOREVER (GIA PANTA)

Dir. Margarita Manda<

This story of two lonely people unfolds with stunning cinematography and minimum dialogue.
Will the two manage to surrender to their need for love and break the loneliness that surrounds them?

IRENE AND MARIE

Dir. Alex Thompson

Olympia Dukakis portrays a woman facing the harsh realities of growing old.

Director Margarita Manda is expected to attend the screening.

LOVESTRUCK (APO EROTA)

Dir. Thodoris Atheridis

On the eve of his wedding, a firefighter must contend with the ghost of a former girlfriend
determined to stop the proceedings from taking place.

Winner, Best Picture 2015, OTE Audience Award.

MANA

Dir. Valerie Kontakos

Over fifty years ago, six young girls, in defiance of their parents, joined a convent and eventually
founded a shelter for abused children. “The fiercest girl gang in Greek Orthodox Church history”
is still at it, having taken more than 500 children so far into their unconventional family.
U.S. Premiere

SAN ROMA: WE ARE GYPSIES

Dir. Marina Danezi

This fascinating documentary visits gypsy settlements in Greece, crossing seemingly
forbidden borders to meet the Greek Roma.
U.S.Premiere

Director Valerie Kontakos is expected to attend the screening.

PROMAKHOS: THE FIRST LINE

Dir. Coerte Voorhes, John Voorhes

Two Athenian attorneys wage a legal battle against the British Museum to win the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

A LIFE, TAKEN

Dir. George Pitsironis

A New York City police detective discovers long -suppressed demons from her past.

RIVERBANKS (OHTHES)

Dir. Panos Karkanevatos

A mysterious sapper challenges his fate daily clearing a deadly minefield.
When he falls in love, his life gets even trickier.
U.S. Premiere

Director Panos Karkanevatos is expected to attend the screening.

STRATOS (TO MIKRO PSARI)

Dir. Yannis Economides

A morose baker who moonlights as hired killer seeks redemption in a world that has lost all sense of morality. Vaggelis Mourikis was named Best Actor 2015 by the Hellenic Film Academy for his unforgettable portrayal of the killer.
Adults only.

WEDNESDAY 04:45 (TETARTI 04:45)

Dir. Alexis Alexiou

When a shady gangster abruptly calls in his debts, a jazz club owner has 32 hours to raise the cash and save everything he has worked to achieve over the years. Partly a parable on the perils of accumulated debt, this multi-layered gangster drama was selected to compete in the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

KISSES TO THE CHILDREN  (FILIA STA PAIDIA)

Dir. Vassilis Loules

In this poignant and most impressive addition to the rich archive of Holocaust films, five Greek Jews give eloquent accounts of how they were hidden and saved by fellow Greeks during the German occupation.  With its focus primarily on children and how they contended with a brutal reality that they could not have fully understood, this enthralling documentary reveals the life-long effects of early traumas and offers psychological insights into the experience of survival.

XENIA

Dir. Panos Koutras
Screenplay: Panagiotis Evangelidis, Panos Koutras

Cast: Kostas Nikouli (Danny), Nikos Gelia (Odysseas / Odi), Yannis Stankoglou (Lefteris), Marissa Triandafyllidou
(Vasiliki), Aggelos Papadimitriou (Tassos),  Romana Lobats (Maria / Sonia), and Patty Pravo

After the death of their Albanian mother, two brothers, one gay and one straight, leave Athens and head for Thessaloniki in search of the Greek father who abandoned them many years ago. While the relationship between the two brothers is often conflicted, the protective fraternal bond they share forms the emotional core of this exuberant coming of age film that is both compelling
and disarmingly engaging.

Writing in the New York Times, Stephen Holden said: “You come away from XENIA feeling a bit
more alive and ready to throw caution to the wind.”

Winner, seven 2015 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This film is the Greek entry
for  Academy Award consideration this year  for Best Foreign  Language Film.

COMMITTED

Dir. Stelana Kliris

Cast: Melia Kreiling (Woman), Orestes Sophocleous (Man)

In this bittersweet comedy with a twist, two young people escaping from their lives meet by chance on a Cyprus back road.  He has commitment issues.  She is a runaway bride. Together the two will try to forge a connection as they take to the road and attempt to sort out their conflicting feelings about love and commitment.

LITTLE ENGLAND (MIKRA AGGLIA)

Dir. Pantelis Voulgaris

In this story of passion, family and loss, two sisters on the island of Andros are united and divided by a secret: their love for the same man.

Winner: Six 2014 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
After its triumphant sold out screening last year at the 1,100 seat Ziegfeld Theater, this film is back by popular demand. This will be the first screening of the film in Nassau County.

LOVE, LIFE, HEARTBREAK

A program of short films ranging from the trivial to the sublime.

THREE FILMMAKERS TO WATCH<

Yianna Dellatolla, Nicolas Kolovos, and Spriros Charalambous, three filmmakers about to
take the next big step in their careers, present their best short films.