HONORARY ORPHEUS AWARDS
Jim Gianopulos, Chairman & CEO 20th Century Fox
Academy Award ® Winner J.K. Simmons
AUDIENCE AWARD
“Worlds Apart”
JURY AWARDS
Best Fiction Feature Film: “Riverbanks”
Best Documentary Film: “Exotica, Erotica, Etc.”
Best Documentary Film – Honorable Mention:
“Golden Dawn: A Personal Affair”
Best Short Fiction Film – Van Vlahakis Award: “Stagnation”
Best Performance Award: Maria Kavogianni (“Worlds Apart”)
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL PROJECT DISCOVERY AWARDS
MFI Scholarship and Aegean Award Nazli Elif Durlu for “Zuhal”
Honorable Mention Harris Raftogiannis for “The River”
The 10th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (lagff.org) came to a close Sunday, June 5 with a screening and N. American Premiere of “ Worlds Apart ” and the starstudded Orpheus Awards produced by Dorothea Paschalidou and directed by Yorgos Karamihos and hosted by Mena Suvari. In his opening remarks, Festival creative topper Aris Katopodis remarked “This 10th LAGFF is almost history, but it is also one that made history. Most films than ever, 56, most filmmakers present, 58, most North American Premieres 24, largest attendance and the belief that the future LAGFF will continue to shine, full of hope for Greek film, filmmakers and Greek culture, here in Los Angeles.”
The sold out Egyptian theatre was peppered throughout with 40 students from the Stella Adler Acting Academy dressed to honor the various eras since cinema began.
Katopodis introduced festival cofounders Ersi Danou and Angeliki Giannakopoulos . Danou thanked the many professionals including Executive Producer Alex Kalognomos and coproducer Eleni Arvaniti , the 50 volunteers and sponsors who have grown the festival to one of the premier summer events in Los Angeles. Giannakopoulos spoke to the filmmakers and the fact that when they conceived the idea for LAGFF all the festival directors in town told the they would not last four years emphasizing how wrong they were.
Kelly VlahakisHanks took the stage to give out the night’s first Jury prize the Van Vlahakis Short Film Award to Alexander Swart’s “Stagnation.” LAGFF’s director of development Paschalidou thanked all the sponsors for making the 10th special. She then gave out the second Jury Prize – Best Documentary to Evangelia Kranioti’s “ Exotica, Erotica, Etc.” with a special mention going to Loukas Stamellos ‘ “ Golden Dawn: A Personal Affair”.
Anastas Michos ASC, juror, on behalf of all the jury, gave the Best Fiction Feature Orpheus honors to Panos Karkanevatos’ “ Riverbanks .”Next up, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” star Louis Mandylor announced the final Jury Prize for Best Performance to actress Maria Kavogianni for her portrayal of the older love interest to J.K. Simmons in “Worlds Apart.”
The Orpheus for Audience Choice was then awarded to Christopher Papakaliatis for his touching triptych to love affairs and closing night film “ Worlds Apart.” The International Project Discovery Awards were handed out by IPDF alumnus Paolo Marinou Blanco with honors and scholarship going to Turkishborn Nazli Elif Durlu for her project “Zuhal.” An honorable mention went to Haris Raftogiannis for his pitch “The River”. HBO/Cinemax’s Kary Antholis introduced the first honoree of the evening 20th Century Fox Chairman & CEO Jim Gianopulos.
Papakaliatis then presented his film’s star J.K. Simmons , recipient of the night’s second honorary Orpheus. The Orpheus Awards concluded five days of screenings and master classes and events for the patrons and participants of the festival. The fest began with raves from the crowd for the North American premiere of Tassos Boulmetis bittersweet “Mythopathy” introduced with a live performance by worldrenowned singing sensation Alexia Vassiliou accompanied by guitarist George Karpasitis. The opening night party which kicked off the five days of screenings, master classes, and culinary events was DJ’d by KCRW’s Chris Douridas.
The Festival will reconvene in June of 2017 to begin its second decade providing Los Angeles with the best that Greek filmmakers have to offer.
LAGFF SPONSORS
The 2016 Los Angeles Greek Film Festival is grateful for the support of numerous key sponsors. LAGFF is copresented by : The Greek National Tourism Organization . Visitgreece.gr is the official tourism web site for Greece, run by the Greek National Tourism Organization, where you’ll find information on the main tourist destinations, such as cities, beaches, as well as activities, events and much more! (Link:http://www.visitgreece.gr/ )
And
The Onassis Foundation (USA) is committed to the promotion of Greek culture. By cooperating with educational and cultural institutions in Greece and the Americas, it promotes cultural relations. The Onassis Cultural Center NY , founded in 2000, explores Greek culture, from antiquity to today, through a diverse program of exhibitions, events and online engagement. Located in midtown Manhattan, the renovated space offers experiences that inspire and support interaction between audiences and artists in all cultural fields from visual arts, dance, film, music and theater to the humanities. Programs—for novices and scholars—are presented free of charge.
Platinum Patron:
Hostess Brands and the Metropoulos Family – Today, Hostess Brands, LLC. continues to delight snack fans everywhere with a variety of new and classic treats like Ding Dongs®, Ho Hos®, Donettes®, and Fruit Pies. They make the original crèmefilled cakes that so many consider an irreplaceable part of American Life.
Gold Patron :
The G.P. Kolovos & Associates With a history of success in the real estate world and philanthropy, the Kolovos Family have been with LAGFF since its inception, and have been instrumental in its growth.
Medix: Launched in 2001, Medix was built on the principle of becoming a leading provider of workforce solutions for clients and candidates across the Healthcare, Scientific and Information Technology industries. As we grow and evolve, we recognize our differentiation lies not just in traditional staffing, but in true partnerships and collaboration on hiring solutions. We bring value to our talent by helping them identify their individual skills and aptitudes, matching them with opportunities to excel and creating communities where they can foster their skills and always have a trusted partner in their career. In supporting our clients, we understand that each organization and culture is unique, and we thrive in collaborating with our clients to provide innovative solutions to suit their specific needs. Through our core purpose of positively impacting lives, we’re proud to partner with many philanthropies, including Camp Hometown Heroes and Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors.
Silver Patron:
Earth Friendly Products – Earth Friendly Products is a pioneer and a leader in the development and production of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies for household and commercial use, with over 150 products manufactured, distributed, and sold in the USA, Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia. All Earth Friendly Products are created with only replenishable and sustainable plantbased ingredients that are safe for people, pets, and the planet. The Company proudly adheres to its strict “Freedom Code”. Avoiding a list of harmful and toxic ingredients that are not found in any of its products. Earth Friendly Products has proudly received the 2010 GEELA Award for Sustainable Business Practices, 2009 Green PatrionTM Green 100TM Designation and the Champion level recognition from the US Epa, through the Design for the Environment (DfE) Program’s Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative. The company’s solar division, Progressive Power Group, is just another example of how Earth Friendly Products is a sustainable business leader.
Marcus & Millichap, Inc. – NYSE:MMI ( www.marcusmillichap.com ) has nearly 1,600 investment professionals located throughout the United States and Canada, Marcus & Millichap, Inc. is a leading specialist in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research and advisory services. Founded in 1971, the firm closed over 8,700 transactions in 2015 with a value of approximately $37.8 billion. Marcus & Millichap has been a pioneer in the real estate investment industry and has established a reputation for maximizing value for its clients while fostering longterm relationships built on integrity, trust and service. The company has perfected a powerful system for marketing properties that combines investment specialization, local market expertise, the industry’s most comprehensive research,
stateoftheart technology, and relationships with the largest pool of qualified investors. Marcus & Millichap also offers clients access to the most competitive real estate financing through Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation (MMCC), which maintains relationships with the industry’s leading national, regional and local lenders. Marcus & Millichap, Inc. is headquartered in Calabasas, California.
Bronze Patrons:
Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Cinemax, LMU/LA
Media Sponsor:
ANT 1,Campus Circle, Cosmos 91.5 FM, EPKTV, Greek Reporter, Immigrant Magazine, Los Angeles Hellenic Radio, Mignatio.com ,Tolucan Times
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks go to ELMA , an organization dedicated to the promotion of European Cinema in America.
Special Mentions:
Loyola Marymount University, KMR Catering, Petros Restaurant.