The 10th New York City Greek Film Festival kicks off on September 29 and runs through October 19 with a fascinating array of films, documentaries, and short films. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to meet with the filmmakers at some of the screenings which will take place at six different locations in New York City and Long Island. A total of fifteen narrative features and seven documentaries will be presented this year along with a program of short films to entertain, educate, and inspire audiences. The films offer a variety of entertainment options from lighthearted comedies to serious dramas tackling a wide range of issues and topics, including a romantic comedy from Australia, a historical drama about star-crossed lovers during World War II, and a documentary on the plight of a Coast Guard captain and his crew rescuing refugees in the Aegean Sea.
Mythopathy (Notias) will be screened on opening night. The coming of age comedy about a young man’s first experience with love, heartbreak, and political engagement is directed by Tassos Boulmetis , who also directed the acclaimed Politiki Kouzina (A Touch of Spice)(2003). The director is expected to attend the film screening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The US premiere of Cloudy Sunday (Ouzeri Tsitsanis) will take place at this year’s festival. The film features the iconic music of famed composer Vassilis Tsitsanis in the story of a young Orthodox Christian man in love with a Jewish girl during World War II.
Worlds Apart (Enas Allos Kosmos) the highest-grossing Greek film of the year will be presented at the festival. Director, writer, and star Christopher Papakaliatis is expected to attend a special reception at the Russian Tea Room before he personally presents his film at the Directors Guild of America Theater on October 1. Co-starring Academy Award-winner J. K. Simmons, Worlds Apart follows three separate storylines that merge at the end, each one concerning a non-Greek falling in love with a Greek.
Swing Away, a family-friendly film, tells the story of Zoe Papadopoulos, a Greek-American pro-golfer who visits Rhodes to reconnect with her roots, then meets and mentors a 10-year-old girl determined to be the next golf sensation. The feel-good film directed by Michael Achilles Nickles, produced by George Elias Stephanopoulos, starring Shannon Elizabeth, John O’Hurley, and newcomer Viktoria Miller will be screened at NYIT on October 9.
The psychological drama Silent, the suspense thriller Blind Sun (Kafsonas), and Family Member (Melos Oikogeneias) from Cyprus are also among the feature films to be screened at the festival.
Journey Through Smyrna, a documentary about the music of Asia Minor, makes its US premiere at the festival. Other documentaries include the riveting Athens from Beneath (I Athina Apo Kato), 4.1 Miles from Land, and a return engagement of And I Also Passed by There (Perasa Kai Ego Apo Ekei), Vassili Loules’ documentary about Greek fairy tales passed down from generation to generation.
More information, the full schedule of films, and tickets are available online at www.nycgreekfilfestival.com