LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS
“A FAMILY AFFAIR” AUDIENCE AWARD
“BENEATH THE OLIVE TREE” THE VAN VLAHAKIS – LAGFF 2015 AWARD
“AGORA” BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY ORPHEUS AWARD
“STRATOS” BEST FEATURE FICTION FILM ORPHEUS AWARD
“CITIZEN DAY” BEST SHORT FILM ORPHEUS AWARD
“PORTRAIT” HONORABLE MENTION, SHORT FILM
Kary Antholis 2015 Honorary Orpheus
Los Angeles, CA (June 7, 2015 ) – There was laughter and celebration as the 9th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) concluded Sunday, June 7 at the Egyptian Theatre. The evening began with a screening of Panos H. Koutras “Xenia” followed by their annual Orpheus Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Gala Reception and live auction under the Hollywood stars.
Evan Spiliotopoulos 2015 Honorary Orpheus
Taking top Jury Orpheus honors were from Greece, Yannis Economides’ redemption drama “Stratos” (Best Feature Film); from Greece, Germany and Qatar Yorgos Avgeropoulos’ “Agora” (Best Documentary) which follows the dissolution of the city center as a hub of democracy and free thinking to becoming just a modern day marketplace; from France Basile Doganis’ “Citizen Day” (Best Short) .
Winning the inaugural Van Vlahakis Award for Innovative Filmmaking, Stavroula Toska for her daring documentary “Underneath the Olive Tree” which reveals the true stories of atrocities suffered by women during the Greek Civil War in late 1940’s.
This year’s Audience Award went to Angeliki Aristomenopoulou’s documenatary “A Family Affair” an intimate portrait of the famous Xylouris family and their sacred bonds with the musical tradition of Crete.
LAGFF’s executive producer Alex Kalognomos took center stage to introduce Panos H. Koutras’ award-winning dramedy “Xenia” before the near capacity audience. During his introduction, Kalognomos took time to thank his team and the over 50 department heads and volunteers that worked tirelessly for the past six months to bring the festival to life.”
Artistic Dir Kari Antapodis
After the screening, artistic director Aris Katopodis announced that, “This year we were proud to host over 42 filmmakers and 35 films from around the world. We were entertained, moved and inspired as we watched their visions unfold on the screen of the Egyptian Theatre and we thank them for sharing their stories with us.” Katopodis went on to say “LAGFF has reached a milestone with an attendance that boasted a double digit rise in patronage. Our industry program – International Project Discovery Program, under Araceli Lemos and producer Giulia Caruso’s guidance continues to grow in popularity and this year’s public pitching session was a huge success.” Katopodis went on to say that “Thanks to the support of our sponsors, media sponsors, co-founders Ersi Danou and Angeliki Giannakopoulos the Festival will continue to bring entertaining and thought provoking stories from Greek and Cypriot filmmakers worldwide to Los Angeles. With your continued support, we look forward to celebrating the end of our first decade in 2016. We invite everyone here to join us here for the 10th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival in June of 2016.” He then invited Orpheus Award Producer Dorothea Paschalidou to the podium to introduce the evening’s Awards host Swiss-born Greek megastar Panos Mouzourakis.
As previously announced this year’s Orpheus Honorees were Kary Antholis president, HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming, for Home Box Office and “Hercules” scribe Evan Spiliotopoulos. Presenting the Orpheus Award to Kary Antholis was Emmy Award-winning television and film director Greg Yaitanes (“Banshee”).
The 2015 International Project Discovery Forum winners were also handed out. The Aegean Award with a $1000 scholarship was presented to “Dora” (Bulgaria) and director Milko Lazarov, writers Simeon Ventsislavov and Milko Lazarov. “Dora’s” producer Veselka Kiryakova was on hand to accept the award. The Mfi script2film workshops Scholarship was awarded to “In The Arena” (Greece), writer/ director Arsenis Polymenopoulos and co-writer Dimitris Emmanouilidis. Honorable mention went to “Hamarat Apartment”, director/writer/producer Huseyin Karabey (Turkey).
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ABOUT LAGFF
The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival showcases new films from Greek filmmakers worldwide. Our foremost goal is to promote Greek cinema and cultural exchange while bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood. Orpheus Awards are given to the most outstanding new films in the dramatic, documentary and short film categories.
LAGFF SPONSORS
The 2015 Los Angeles Greek Film Festival is grateful for the support of numerous key sponsors.LAGFF is proud to receive the support of 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! ( http://www.visitgreece.gr/). Grants are received from the Elios Charitable Foundation and ELMA
Platinum Patron
Hostess Brands and the Metropoulos FamilyWe are very proud to once again welcome Hostess Brands and the Metropoulos Family Platinum Patrons of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival 2015.
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 crème-filled cakes that so many consider an irreplaceable part of American life.
Silver Patrons
Earth Friendly Products is the 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 replenish able and sustainable plant based 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 its products.
Earth Friendly Products has proudly received the 2010 GEELA Award for Sustainable Business Practices, 2009 Green PatriotTM 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.
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.
Bronze Patrons:
Aris Anagnos, Cinemax, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, West Coast Investors and Puritan Bakery.
Media Sponsors include:KPFK Radio, Greek Reporter, The Immigrant Magazine,The Tolucan Times
