FIRST ANNUAL LOS ANGELES GREEK FILM FESTIVAL

CelebrateGreece.com proudly covered the 1st Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, which took place at The Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills earlier this summer. The Festival featured 24 feature films and shorts, many as World Premieres. This wonderful four-day festival was created under co-directors Angeliki Giannakopoulos (MY CHILD: MOTHERS OF WAR, 2006) and Ersi Danou (A SEA APART, 2003). CelebrateGreece.com’s own CYNTHIA DADDONA graced the red carpet on Opening and Closing Nights interviewing established celebrities and the Greek stars of Hollywood’s tomorrow, such as 300's Tyler Neitzel, Troy's and 24's Adoni Maropis, Spiderman's Michael Papajohn and NBC'sDeal Or No Deal's Model Patricia Kara. (See photos of these new Greek stars below)
CelebrateGreece.com's Cynthia Daddona on the Festival's Red Carpet

The Festival consisted of Opening Night Ceremonies, special panels and Closing Night Ceremonies (with the E! Network's Daily 10 show's Debbie Matenopoulos serving as hostess). The LAGFF handed out the festival's first Orpheus Award to Academy Award Winner OLYMPIA DUKAKIS at the Closing Night Ceremony with Academy Award-winning filmmaker ALEXANDER PAYNE (SIDEWAYS; ABOUT SCHMIDT) on hand to present to Dukakis. Also honored with the first Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by legendary actress ANNE JEFFREYS, was veteran Hollywood Foreign Press Association journalist YANI BEGAKIS, who has been instrumental in the success of the Golden Globe Awards.





On hand as presenters for the awards of Best Dramatic Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Direction, Audience Choice and a Special Jury Award were MICHAEL CONSTANTINE (My Big, Fat Greek Wedding), MELINA KANAKAREDES (CSI: NY; Providence), STRATTON LEOPOLD (Exec. Producer of Mission Impossible III; Star Trek[XI]) and Chairman of 20th Century-Fox Filmed Entertainment JIM GIANOPULOS.



Also on hand to honor Yani Begakis was Karen Sharpe Kramer and her daughter Katharine Kramer. Their late husband and father, respectively, was Director Stanley Kramer who's credits include, but most certainly are not limited to "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", "High Noon", "The Caine Mutiny" and "The High & The Mighty". Karen Kramer won a Golden Globe for "The High & The Mighty" and Katharine is the god-daughter of the late Katharine Hepburn.


Feature length films included THE GUARDIAN’S SON (2006), SWEET MEMORY (2006), THE HEART OF THE BEAST (2005), PINK (2006), AKAMAS (2006), OPA! (2005), BRIDES (2004), WHO’S ON FIRST (2006), A SONG FOR ARGYRIS (2006), SUGARTOWN (2006), and MARSEILLES, A GREEK PROFILE (2004).

Short films included THE TRIKALA PHOTOGRAPHER (2005), THE THIEF (2005), MINES (2006), TIME OUT (2006), THE LONG HAUL OF A.I. BEZZERIDES (2006), SHRINK (2005), HOUSE OF THE OLIVE TREES (2007), PAPERBOAT (2006), AIRPORT FOR SALE (2006) and MY GERMAN VOCABULARY (2007).

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE - AKAMAS - Dir: Panikos Chrysanthou
BEST DOCUMENTARY -WHO’S ON FIRST - Dir: Valerie Kontakos
BEST DIRECTOR - ALEXANDER VOULGARIS for PINK
BEST SHORT - MINES - Dir: Christos Nikoleris
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD - A SONG FOR ARGYRIS - Dir: Stefan Haupt

SPECIAL JURY AWARD - THE GUARDIAN’S SON - Dir: Dimitris Koutsiabasakos
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - OLYMPIA DUKAKIS
HONORARY ORPHEUS AWARD - YANI BEGAKIS

CELEBRATEGREECE.COM's CHOICE - OPA!

Greek Stars of tomorrow (top to bottom), Tyler Neitzel, Adoni Maropis, Patricia Kara and Michael Papajohn (right).






Among the many sponsors of the festival were the Greek or Hellenic Secretariat General of Information (Panos Leivadas), Metaxa, the Greek Film Centre and Antenna Group.

Panos Leivadas (Ctr), Hellenic Secretariat General of Information, and Helen Vrynioti (rt), Press Counselor, Los Angeles Greek Consulate