Melbourne Greek Film Festival currently screening until Sun 8th October

Palace Cinema Como, Cnr Chapel St & Toorak Rd, South Yarra

GREEK FILM FESTIVAL UPDATE

The Melbourne Greek Film Festival went off with a bang on Wed (20th Sep), over 750 people attended Opening Night which proved to be a big success. The Opening Night film, the box office smash hit and critically acclaimed “Siren’s in the Aegean” also proved to be a big hit as audience numbers are indicating.

DUE TO POUPULAR DEMAND AND SOLD OUT SESSIONS A NEW SCREENING OF “SIREN’S IN THE AEGEAN” WILL BE HELD ON SAT 30 SEP @ 7PM

The first of the Sunday night special events which included the screening of Modern Stahtopouta followed by pitas and drinks also sold out!

SIREN’S IN THE AEGEAN



Dir. Nikos Perakis
2005 | Rating: 18+ | Greece | 35mm | 115 minutes | In Greek with English subtitles | 18+ WARNING: contains strong language
Cast: Yannis Tsimitselis, Yorgos Seitaridis, Ioannis Papazisis, Orfeas Avgoustidis, Socratis Patsikas, Stelios Ksanthoudakis, Vassilis Haralabopoulos, Renos Haralambidis, Vicky Kaya, Tugce Seitaridi, Arzu Yanardag, Muge Bakircioglou, Metin Belgin, Aris Bafaloukas, Apostolis Totsikas

Sirens in the Aegean, the sequel to Loafing and Camouflage (also screening at this year’s Greek Film Festival) is directed by Nikos Perakis. Siren’s, follows the adventures of a group of Greek soldier’s after they impound a Turkish yacht. Aboard are a camera crew and two women- one of which is the niece of a Turkish admiral. All are bound for a beauty competition on the Turkish Island of Bodrum. Passions ignite, tempers flare and stereotypes and prejudices must be overcome to avoid an escalation of the already tense relations between the two Aegean neighbours.

Screenings:
Tue 26 Sep 7.00pm
Sat 30 Sep 7.00pm

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS- NOT TO BE MISSED!

Advance sales for Chariton’s Choir, Liubi, the Michael Cacoyianni’s trilogy, Electra, The Trojan Women and Iphigenia as well as the Sunday special events nights featuring the classic films like Nomos 4000 and the closing night event I Soferina are strong so book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets can be pre-purchased in advance by contacting Palace Cimena Como on 9827 7533, by logging onto www.palcecinemas.com.au or in person at Palace Cinema Como.

CHARITON’S CHOIR

Dir: Grigoris Karantinakis
2005, Greece, 35mm, 115 minutes, In Greek with English subtitles
Cast: George Chorraface, Stefanos Karantinakis, Maria Nafpliotou, Akyllas Karazissis, Christos Steryioglou, Alexandros Logothetis, Ilektra Nikolouza, Vassilis Kolovos, Yvonni Maltezou, Dimitris Piatas, Spyros Stavrinios.

The politics of individuality versus autocratic rule is also the theme of Chariton’s Choir, a comedy/drama by Greek director Grigoris Karantinakis, which stars Greek superstar George Corraface as a bohemian school principal whose free-thinking spirit will not be crushed by the fascistic military after their 1967 coup d’etat.
Chariton Ulianov has one great love: Life! That great love affair however does not hamper him in his pursuit of everyday pleasures.

His position as School Principal in a provincial town on the island of Corfu gives him the opportunity to disseminate his own unique philosophy especially to the students that participate in his greatest passion: the choir. His tender and playful outlook on life is an inspiration to his students who find themselves facing all the challenges of adolescence in a Greece which is itself facing the challenges of life under dictatorship.

Screening:
Sat 30 Sep 9.15pm
Sun 1st Oct 5.30pm
Sat 7th Oct 9.15pm

LIUBI

Dir. Layia Yiourgou
2005 | Rating: 18+ | Greece | 35mm | 95 minutes | In Greek with English subtitles

Cast Alexis Georgoulis, Lena Kitsopoulou, Katerina Papadaki, Eugenia Kaplan, Nikos Georgakis

On the very night of handsome Dimitris’ engagement party, a beautiful Russian named Liubi enters his middle-class home as the hired companion for his ailing mother. Sparks fly and a passionate affair ensues; though Dimitris is a prisoner of his family circumstances, which may ultimately blind him to further possibilities. A delicately observed drama, Liubi backgrounds a cross-cultural romance against ethnic prejudices in today's Greece.

Screening:
Wed 27th Sep 7.00pm
Sat 30th Sep 7.15pm


MICHAEL CACOYANNI’S TRILOGY

ELECTRA- SOLD OUT SESSIONS

THE TROJAN WOMEN



Dir. Michael Cacoyannis
1971 | Rating: 18+ | Greece/ UK/ USA | 35mm | 105 minutes | In English with Greek subtitles

Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Geneviève Bujold, Irene Papas, Patrick Magee, Brian Blessed, Alberto Sanz

Euripides' classic tragedy brought to the screen by a star-studded cast of actresses. Hecuba, queen of Troy, leads this ensemble of women in a passionate, proto-feminist condemnation of war and its atrocities. Troy has been conquered by the Greeks. Hecuba and the other women find their city in ruins and their cause lost; they will be assigned by lot to become the concubines of Greek leaders.

Screening:
Thu 28th Sep 9.00pm
Sun 1st Oct 3.00pm

IPHIGENIA

Dir. Michael Cacoyannis. Music by Mikis Theodorakis.
1977 | Rating: PG | Greece | 35mm | 127 minutes | In Greek with English subtitles

Cast: Irene Papas, Tatiana Papamoschou, Kostas Kazakos, Costas Carras, Christos Tsagas, Panos Mihalopoulos, Dimitri Aronis

The Greek army is about to set sail to wage war on Troy, but the winds refuse to blow. Their leader, King Agamemnon, accidentally slays a sacred deer. His punishment from the gods is to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia.

Based on the classic Greek tragedy by Euripides (485-406 BC.), Michael Cacoyannis' film is both stunning and moving. A talented cast, headed by Irene Papas, give first-rate performances and do wonders with this stirring ancient drama.

The film brilliantly captures the stark mood of the myth.
Nominated Golden Palm Cannes Film Festival 1977
Nominated Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film 1978

Screening:
Thu 5th Oct 8.45pm
Sun 8th Oct 2.45pm

SUNDAY SPECIAL EVENTS NIGHTS

NOMOS 4000 – screening Sunday 1st October at 8pm

* Film followed by drinks and pites. All tickets $20 (incl GST)

Dir Yannis Dalianidis
1962 | Rating: 18+ | Greece | 35mm | 91 minutes | In Greek without English subtitles

Cast: Zoe Laskari, Vagelis Voulgaridis, Vassilis Diamantopoulos, Kostas Voutsas, Katerina Helmy, Hloi Liaskou, Eleni Zafiriou, Katerina Gogou, Athena Michaelidou, Spyros Mousouris, Lavrentis Dianellos, Giorgos Gavriilidis, Alekos Janetakos, Kostas Naos, Thanasis Papadopoulos

Maria falls in love with George, who is a student of her strict father, Andreas Economou. Dolly, a classmate of Maria, spends a night with George and the next morning tells Maria about it. George tells Maria that his relation with Dolly is not a serious one and swears that she is the only one he loves. Maria accepts his apologies and because she is afraid of losing him decides to make love with him. Maria's father, who is not aware of his daughter's love affair with George, expels one of George's friends from school. When Maria tells George that she is pregnant he forces her to have an abortion. During the time of Maria's operation things go wrong and her father learns about Maria's situation.

CLOSING NIGHT EVENT

I SOFERINA – Sunday 8th Oct 8.00pm

* followed by food, drinks and entertainment

Dir. Alekos Sakellarios
1964 | Rating: 18+ | Greece | 35mm | 100 minutes | In Greek without English subtitles

Cast: Aliki Vougiouklaki, Alekos Alexandrakis, Maro Kodou, Giorgos Konstadinou, Vasilis Avlonitis, Costas Hajihristos, Giorgos Panjas, Dionysis Papayannopoulos, Joly Garbi, Keti Lampropoulou, Alkis Yannakas, Tassos Yannopoulos, Cleo Skouloudi, Theodoros Katsadramis

Mary lends her car to her friend Lili (wife of jealous Mihalis) who wants it for meeting her new boyfriend. But Lili has an accident and returns the car in a very bad condition. To cover for her friend, Mary tells her husband Nikos that she is responsible. Things become more complicated when Mary goes to the court accused of the accident. A cast of first-rate actors and good dialogue make this movie shine, oh, and the courtroom scene is one of the funniest in Greek film history.

COMPETITION

We are giving you the chance to win one of five double passes to see UNPLANNED on Sat 30th Sep at 3.30pm

UNPLANNED is a documentary about the Gypsy community, their origins, their history and the daily problems they face in Greece. It highlights their special social characteristics, their nomadic perception of life, childhood, work, education, their social mores and traditions, their musical skill, their weddings and celebrations. A special element of this film is the attempt to fuse the narration with the tales of the gypsies and excerpts from Costis Palamas’ poem “The Twelve Words of the Gypsy”.

The first five people to correctly answer the following question: What subject does the documentary UNPLANNED discuss? and send this to events@antipodesfestival.com.au along with their details will win a double pass.

For further information please logo onto
www.greekfilmfestival.com.au

Alternatively, if you would like to be sent a Melbourne Greek Film Festival brochure please email your details to events@antipodesfestival.com.au

We hope you enjoy the selection!