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1 Sydney Melbourne Adelaide Brisbane 16 October - 4 November 2012 Palace Norton Street Cinemas 99 Norton Street, Leichhardt An initiative of the Presented by

2 Proudly presented by National Media Partners The of Sydney is presented by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW and presenting partner Bank of Cyprus Australia. Platinum Sponsors GREEK FILM FESTIVAL OF SYDNEY ORGANISING COMMITTEE Nia Karteris (chair), Tim Anastasi, Panagiota Avramidis, Zissimos Chassis, Harry Danalis, Ula George, Themis Kallos, Nicholas Malaxos, Vicky Mitsios, Manolis Plantzos, Michael Tsilimos, Dr Alfred Vincent. Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Cultural Partner Cultural Partner Event Sponsors Official Freight Carrier SPECIAL THANKS Maria Foundas, Christina Hatzis, Associate Professor Vrasidas Karalis, Penny Kyprianou, Liza Linardou, Costas Markos, Kim Petalas, Theo Angelopoulos family, Helen Spero, Thessalian Association Prefecture of Larissa and the Australothessalian Benevolent Federation of Sydney & NSW Karaiskakis, Cyprus Community of NSW, Panachaian Philanthropical Association Paleon Patron Germanos and all the staff at Palace cinemas. The Greek Film Festival is managed by the National Network of Hellenic Festivals An initiative of Greek Orthodox Communities FEATURES 8 Welcome to All Saints 9 Magic Hour 10 Poker Face 12 Larissa Confidential 13 Alps 14 Boy Eating the Bird s Food 16 Tungsten 17 Burning Heads 18 The City of Children 20 Wasted Youth 21 Jerks 22 DOS 23 J.A.C.E 24 Unfair World 30 Fish N Chips 31 Paradise 32 Man at Sea 34 Tied Red Thread 35 Christmas Tango 44 Wild & Precious IN MEMORY OF 36 Theo Angelopoulos FAMILY FRIENDLY 38 The Canary Yellow Bicycle 39 Fading Light 37 Student Film Festival DOCUMENTARIES 40 Mirror and the Knife 41 Fortunate Son 42 Children of the Riots 43 Krisis 44 Wild & Precious SHORTS 45 The Foreigner 46 The Village 47 I m not here today 48 The Palace 2 Bronze Sponsors FILM FESTIVAL CO-ORDINATOR Dimitra Lafazanos FILM FESTIVAL ASSISTANT CO-ORDINATOR Olympia Houliaras NATIONAL NETWORK CO-ORDINATOR Penny Kyprianou PROGRAM TEXT Emma Westwood and Stephen Baker ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Studio Bauhaus FESTIVAL TRAILER Tim Anastasi Onset Productions WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Mecca Medialight Opening Night: Nisos 2 Closing Night: Dead Europe Screening Schedule Ticketing Info CONTENTS & CREDITS SPONSORS The in an initiative of the 3

3 INTRODUCTIONS WELCOME We are proud to present to you the with one of the strongest selections of contemporary Greek cinema of recent years. With over 30 films in this year s line-up, we celebrate the international voice of Greece speaking to us about their current turmoil through films such as Tungsten and Wasted Youth, proving to us that their creativity and imagination is comparable to some of the best in the international cinematic arena as they push the boundaries with films like Alps and The Boy Eating the bird s food and encouraging us to question the values of society through documentaries like Krisis and Children of the Riots. We pay tribute to the late Theo Angelopoulos with a screening of Landscape in the Mist, and launch the national release of Tony Krawitz adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas novel Dead Europe, which closes the Film Festival on Sunday 4th November. Join us for the many special events we have planned thanks to the collaborative efforts of the various associations who will provide festival-goers with a taste of the region they represent. From the tsipouro of Thessalia to the mavrodaphne of Patra to the haloumi of Cyprus, the wonderful potpourri of the flavours of Greece and Cyprus take your film experience to a new level as we tantalise your taste-buds. And of course, all this would not be possible without the assistance of our great sponsors and supporters. We would like to thank each and every one who has contributed to presenting the of Sydney, from our presenting partner Bank of Cyprus Australia to other long time sponsors St George Graphics and Printers, Emirates, Wild Fox Wines, Roses Only, George s Mediterranean, O Kosmos new sponsors Premier Northpak and Confeta, M & J Chickens, Civic Hotel and Grand Gelato, and our national and state media partners SBS, World Movies, Antenna Pacific, ERT World, 2MM, Greek Radio 1683 and all our event sponsors. We invite you to escape the routine and join us on the journey as we temporarily transform Palace Cinemas Leichhardt with a hint of Greece in the heart of Sydney! Nia Kateris Festival Chair Greek Festival of Sydney Screen Mosaics is proud to present Celebrating World Cinema Talk Series, in partnership with the Greek Film Festival Εμφάνιση: Greek Cinema as a reflection of Global Cinema with Associate Professor, Dr Vrasidas Karalis, University of Sydney To celebrate the launch of Screen Mosaics, a platform committed to fostering artistic excellence in collaboration and placing encounters between screen artists and audiences at the forefront of film discourse. In 2012 Vrasidas Karalis published A History of Greek Cinema which is the first full-length book on the topic written in English by an Australian academic. The book combines historical analysis with discussion of cinematic form in order to construct a narrative history of Greek cinematic successes and failures. In this special talk Vrasidas will give us his insights into contemporary Greek Cinema and share with us the exciting and innovative new trends emerging from a nation that has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent times. Topics include: History and evolution of Greek Cinema Contemporary Greek Directors and Films Cinema of Crisis Saturday 13th October 5pm - Meet & Mingle + Drinks 6pm - Launch, Talk + Q & A The Refectory Room, Holme Building Science Road The University of Sydney Free Entry rsvp@screenmosaics.com WORLD SERIES CINEMA TALK 4 5

4 CLOSING NIGHT OPENING NIGHT NISOS 2 (Νήσος 2) Dir. Antonis Aggelopoulos SPECIAL EVENT DEAD EUROPE Dir. Tony Krawitz The sequel to 2010 s Greek Film Festival Opening Night feature film continues the laughs with some unexpected twists and grotesque situations. Fast forward five years, and the heroes from Nisos, Babis (Vladimiros Kiriakidis) and Afroditi (Zeta Douka), prepare for release from jail. A long-term inmate starts blabbing about the existence of a treasure trove on the island that dates back to the Ottoman occupation, which, of course, tweaks their interest. Various alliances and spurious friendships emerge as they search for the buried treasure and reunite with the islanders we now know and love that includes the ghost of Olympia who has the whole island in a stir or is it actually Olympia? With an all-too familiar tone and Cycladic backdrop, Nisos 2 propagates what Christos Dimas original box office smash did so well, although with Antonis Aggelopoulos ably holding the directorial reins. Η ταινία Νήσος, η ταινία που έσπασε τα ταμεία το 2009, επιστρέφει στην μεγάλη οθόνη. Μαζί της, όλοι οι αγαπημένοι πρωταγωνιστές της πρώτης ταινίας που θα «συνασπιστούν» για ένα κοινό σκοπό: έναν χαμένο θησαυρό από την εποχή της Τουρκοκρατίας A bruising blast of intense drama. Sydney Morning Herald Based on the novel by Melbourne writer Christos The Slap Tsiolkas and from the producers of Shame and Animal Kingdom, Dead Europe is a deep, densely wrought autopsy of Europe in which death hangs like a virus. Following the passing of his father (William Zappa), Isaac (Ewen Leslie) takes the ashes back to his father s birthplace in Greece where he finds himself on the trail of a buried family secret. An Australian of Greek parents who feels little connection with his ancestors, Isaac is drawn further and further down into the underbelly of contemporary Europe a cemetery of dark revelations threatening to tear his family apart. The film s dreaminess is captivating, it moves along like a thriller, which is a neat trick since the actual narrative is episodic and without any conventional suspense. SBS Η ταινία βασίζεται στο διήγημα του πολυβραβευμένου Ελληνοαυστραλού συγγραφέα Χρήστου Τσιόλκα «Νεκρή Ευρώπη», το οποίο μεταφέρεται στην οθόνη από τον Τόνι Κράβιτζ, κουβαλώντας μαζί του την βαριά σκιά ενός πράγματος που πεθαίνει ή που πρέπει να πεθάνει. 6 Greek with English subtitles Greece mins Cast: Eleni Kastani, Vladimiros Kiriakidis, Zeta Douka, Elisavet Konstantinidou, Mixalis Marinos, Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos, Dimitris Tzoumakis and Tania Tripi ENGLISH/GREEK/ HUNGARIAN/FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Australia mins Cast: Ewen Leslie, Marton Csokas, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jean-François Balmer, Yigal Naor, William Zappa, Françoise Lebrun, Thanos Samaras and Danae Skiadi 7

5 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS WELCOME TO ALL SAINTS (Απ τα Κόκαλα Βγαλμένα) Dir. Sotiris Goritsas MAGIC HOUR (Μαγική Ώρα) Dir. Costas Kapakas No f**king way I m gonna trust a Greek hospital, OK? Based on the experiences of filmmaker Sotiris Goritsas medic brother as well as a book written by Greek doctor Giorgos Dendrinos Welcome to All Saints places an absurd yet inspired tragicomedy spin on the rotten workings of the Greek national health system. Seen through the eyes of a young intern at the beginning of his career, the Greek public sector is anything but a well-greased machine. He finds out how a system designed for the well-being of everyone has become an insane instrument of torture that grinds people down, whether they re a saint or not. I wanted to depict the overall bureaucracy of my country in a humorous way. Sotiris Goritsas Ένας ορθοπεδικός γιατρός ξεκινάει την καριέρα του σε δημόσιο νοσοκομείο. Εκεί ανακαλύπτει το πώς ένα δημόσιο σύστημα που φτιάχτηκε για να υπηρετεί τον άνθρωπο έχει εξελιχθεί σε δήμιό του. Employs gallows humor to peel back several layers of Greek society and in the process expose some fairly substantial rot. Bright Lights Film Journal One of the funniest recent Greek films presents the surrealist side of a personal crisis, and contrasts the beauty of the Greek landscape with the ugliness of the economic crisis. The film also answers primordial questions: Is dying like taking off or like landing? When your lover cheats on you should you laugh or cry? Is it better to owe than to be owed? If there is indeed money, as our prime minister claimed before he was elected, why are we all broke? And if there is no money, why are we still making films? Renos Haralambidis shows off supreme comedic abilities as the failed filmmaker of a hapless duo that embark on a road-trip odyssey to rival those of the Ancient Greeks. Δύο εντελώς διαφορετικοί μεταξύ τους άντρες συναντιούνται τυχαία και ξεκινάνε μια διασκεδαστική περιήγηση στην ελληνική επαρχία. Ο πρώτος έχει μόλις ανακαλύψει ότι η γυναίκα του τον έχει απατήσει με τον καλύτερο του φίλο, ενώ ο δεύτερος προβληματίζεται για την ματαιωμένη πορεία του ως σκηνοθέτης. 8 Greek/English with English subtitles Greece mins Cast: Argyris Xafis, Dimitris Imelos, Anna Koutsaftiki, Stelios Mainas, Bessy Malfa and Gerassimos Skiadaressis GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Renos Haralambidis and Tasos Antoniou 9

6 FEATURE FILMS POKER FACE Dir. Christos Dimas 10 Bluff, bet, chase, gamble and play... the ultimate comedy battle of the sexes. Niki (Evi Saoulidou) has been reared by her father in the somewhat dubious world of professional gambling where she relies a little too heavily on the support of her lucky charm a stuffed parrot. Her life goes down the tubes when said lucky charm is stolen and her father, consequently, gets sent to jail. Fast forward a few years and Niki works for a lifestyle magazine. As fate (or fortune) would have it, her editor asks her to interview a poker champion who just happens to be her parrot thief and adversary. Niki agrees to do the interview but she has different plans. Trivia: Poker Face was co-funded by casinos in a novel solution to Greek film financing problems while state funding remains in limbo. Η Νίκη είναι η κινητή απόδειξη της γκαντεμιάς. Όχι, δεν γεννήθηκε έτσι. Ήταν το παιδί θαύμα. Είχε το Χάρισμα, προς μεγάλη χαρά του τσογαδόρο πατέρα της Φανούρη, μέχρι τη μέρα που της το έκλεψε ένας παιδικός της φίλος... GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Alkis Kourkoulos, Evi Saoulidou, Antonis Kafetzopoulos, Dimitris Piatas, Giorgos Pyrpassopoulos and Yannis Bostantzoglou Say hello to a brighter world Fly Emirates to over 120 destinations including Athens emirates.com/au For more information visit emirates.com/au, contact your travel agent or call Emirates on

7 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS LARISSA CONFIDENTIAL (Λάρισα Εμπιστευτικό) Dir. Stratos Makridis SPECIAL EVENT ALPS ( Αλπεις) Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos A riotous comedy about two villages, a big wall and biological wastewater. Two villages divided by a large wall have lived side-by-side in perfect harmony until the Kallikratis plan to merge them and all hell breaks loose. A big-time journalist dies, the establishment of a biological wastewater treatment plant causes further friction, the minister accepts bribes, dirty money is flying around like pollen in spring, and the Financial and Economic Crime Unit sticks its nose where it doesn t belong. State and private interests are crossed and one nasty surprise follows the next. After much calamitous dealings, it somehow comes together in the end. If you liked [the box office hit] I Love Karditsa, there s no reason you won t enjoy this outrageously crude mainstream comedy. Athens News Η ζωή στην Πεζούλα και τη Βρυσούλα κυλούσε αρμονικά. Βοηθάει βεβαία το ότι υπήρχε ένας τοίχος ανάμεσα στα δυο χωριά, χτισμένος από άκρη σε άκρη, κι έτσι κανείς δεν ανακατευόταν στη δουλειά του αλλού. Όταν όμως έρχεται ο Καλλικράτης να ενώσει τα δυο χωριά, έρχονται τα πάνω-κάτω! Winner of the Best Film Award at the Sydney Film Festival, as well as the Best Screenplay Award at the Venice Film Festival. Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos follows up his Oscar-nominated and Cannes awardwinning Dogtooth with the equally unnerving Alps a disconcertingly humorous look at rules and rituals, and the struggle to decipher life s meaning. A nurse, a paramedic, a gymnast and her coach have formed a service for hire they stand in for dead people by appointment, hired by the relatives, friends or colleagues of the deceased. The company is called Alps. Their leader, the paramedic, calls himself Mont Blanc. Although Alps members operate under a disciplinary regime demanded by their leader, the nurse does not. Puzzling and provocative, Alps has a lingering power and an effect that is thrillingly difficult to define. Time Out New York Μια νοσοκόμα, ένας τραυματιοφορέας, μια αθλήτρια ρυθμικής γυμναστικής και ο προπονητής της έχουν δημιουργήσει μια ομάδα που ονομάζεται Άλπεις. Αντικαθιστούν νεκρούς ανθρώπους και προσλαμβάνονται από τους φίλους και τους συγγενείς των νεκρών. 12 GREEK WITH NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Dimitris Starovas, Tasos Palatzidis, Gerasimos Skiadaressis, Dimitris Tzoumakis GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins 35mm Cast: Stavros Psyllakis, Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Ariane Labed and Aggeliki Papoulia 13

8 FEATURE FILMS BOY EATING THE BIRD S FOOD Dir. Ektoras Lygizos Warning: Contains explicit sexual imagery Starvation and de-humanisation on the streets of austerity-dominated Athens. Filmmaker Ektoras Lygizos makes an explosive breakthrough into feature films with this very confronting take on Greece s stultifying condition based on Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun s 1890 novel, Hunger. Yorgos (Yiannis Papadopoulos) is an educated loner, estranged from his family and friends, keeping counsel only with his pet canary. Unemployed and destitute after being evicted from his decrepit apartment, he seeks to placate his hunger rummaging through dumpsters for scraps. But this is only the beginning of his descent into morally bankrupt and flagrantly indecent levels of desperation. [So] intensely corporeal that it can be almost painful to watch. An unforgettable experience, Lygizos debut feature marks him as one of the most impressive new talents to emerge since the international breakthrough of the Greek New Wave. Toronto International Film Festival Η ταινία αφηγείται τρεις μέρες από τη ζωή ενός 23χρονου αγοριού στη σημερινή Αθήνα που παλεύει να επιβιώσει, αλλά και να κρατήσει στη ζωή το καναρίνι του, κόντρα στις συνθήκες αλλά κυρίως κόντρα στο πείσμα και την υπερηφάνεια του. Προειδοποίηση: Περιέχει ισχυρές σεξουαλικές εικόνες. 14 GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Yiannis Papadopoulos, Lila Baklesi and Vangelis Kommatas

9 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS TUNGSTEN (Τάνγκστεν) Dir. Giorgos Georgopoulos BURNING HEADS (Το Γάλα) Dir. George Siougas Exclusion, violence, psychological cannibalism and consecutive power failures highlight a society forgotten in the dark A powerful melodrama of familial conflict, acceptance and the search for redemption in a rapidly changing Europe. A ticket inspector (Vangelis Mourikis) is looking for ways to rid himself of massive debts in order to keep his family together. A couple (Tasos Nousias and Kora Karvouni) are on the brink of separation. Two teenage boys (Omiros Poulakis and Promitheas Aliferopoulos, both from Burning Heads) wander aimlessly around the city in-between futile job interviews carrying an old revolver as a companion. All three stories unfold within the timeframe of a single day in compelling blackand-white. As the narratives intersect, they also change direction. Victims become villains and each person comes face-to-face with the consequences of their actions. Tungsten made a clean sweep of the awards Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing at last year s Cyprus International Film Festival. Δυο έφηβοι, ένας ελεγκτής τρόλεϊ, ένα ζευγάρι, στριμωγμένοι στον τοίχο ενός αδιέξοδου στη καρδιά της Αθήνας. Mια ασπρόμαυρη, σπονδυλωτή ταινία με λιτή αφήγηση και σκληρό λόγο. Adonis (Omiros Poulakis) is a 25-year-old immigrant desperate to cast off his Georgian roots and assimilate into Athenian culture. Ambitious and intent on progressing up the social ladder, he is also poised to wed his boss daughter, Natasa (Iro Bezou). The introduction of Natasa to his mother, Rina (Ioanna Tsirigouli), and schizophrenic younger brother, Lefteris (Promitheas Aliferopoulos), ignites a confronting and sometimes violent chain of events. Adonis finds himself forced to deal with his brother s mental illness, as well as deep-seated guilt over the denial of his ancestral roots. Against all this emotional discord, his mother painfully perseveres at attempting to restore the bonds the family once shared in their homeland. Based on a hit stage play by Vassilis Katsikonouris Μια συγκλονιστική οικογενειακή ιστορία με τη μάνα και τα δύο αγόρια της, το μεγάλο και σθεναρό, το μικρότερο τον «προβληματικό». 16 GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Vangelis Mourikis, Tasos Nousias, Kora Karvouni, Promitheas Aliferopoulos and Omiros Cast: Omiros Poulakis, Promitheas Aliferopoulos, Ioanna Tsirigouli and Iro Bezou Poulakis 17

10 FEATURE FILMS THE CITY OF CHILDREN (Η Πόλη των Παιδιών) Dir. Yorgos Gkikapeppas Four couples. Four pregnancies. One inextricably violent end. 18 This edgy drama follows a day-in-the-life of four pregnant couples in modern Athens, but with stories that differ drastically to the usual ones of hope and joy. One couple deals with a marital crisis, while another reconsiders a premature pregnancy while looking down the barrel of a mad man s gun. The draining realities of IVF unite and then tear apart two women who have shared the same man. An Iraqi immigrant, alone in her apartment, gives birth with the assistance of her stalker/ next door neighbour. Not for the faint-hearted, The City of Children is a harrowing perspective on the dawning of new life against an Athens gripped by the hands of fate. Winner of Best Actress Award for Kika Georgiou, Best Special Effects and Best Script at last year s Hellenic Film Academy, as well as the Critics Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Μέσα από ένα κολλάζ γόνιμων ή άγονων ερώτων της Αθήνας, η ταινία προσπαθεί να εστιάσει στην ωριμότητά μας τη στιγμή που γεννάμε, όταν η ίδια μας η αντιφατική πολλές φορές πραγματικότητα μετατρέπει αυτό το θαύμα της ζωής σε θρίλερ. GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Kika Georgiou, Yorgos Ziovas, Vassilis Bisbikis, Anna Kalaitzidou and Iosif Polyzoidis, Dimitris Kotzias, Natalia Kalimeratzi, Maria Tsima, Yro Loupi, Leonidas Kakouris and Michalis Sarandis

11 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS WASTED YOUTH Dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos and Jan Vogel JERKS (Κωλόπαιδα) Dir. Stelios Kammitsis An energetic and exciting drama that is a breath of fresh Athenian air. Screendaily Three friends roam the streets of Exarcheia on a hot August night This spellbinding drama inspired by the tragic shooting of Alexandros Grigoropoulos observes a day-in-the-life of a young skate-punk (Haris Markou) and policeman Vasilis (Ieronymos Kaletsanos). While the teenager s life is filled with the usual travails of youth, Vasilis is on the edge of a nervous breakdown with the pressures of work and home becoming way too much. What begins as a run-of-the-mill day for them both will conclude as anything but ordinary. Underscored by a fashionably modern soundtrack and allowing a mix of professional and amateur actors to tell the story, Wasted Youth accurately taps into the current zeitgeist of angst-ridden, existentialist Greece. Nominated for the Tiger Award 2011 at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Καλοκαίρι στην Αθήνα. Ένας έφηβος skateboarder ξεκινά για μία συνηθισμένη μέρα με τους φίλους του. Πρόκειται για ένα πορτρέτο της Αθήνας, για μία πόλη και μία κοινωνία που βρίσκονται σε κρίση. Phevos (Giorgos Kafetzopoulos), Savvas (Diogenis Skaltsas) and Andreas (Aineias Tsamatis) are in the final 12 hours of their life in Greece before they try for a new beginning in Berlin. As the evening becomes morning, their lives are changed forever and not in the way they planned. Kammitsis first feature film encapsulates the sense of helplessness, betrayal, frustration and alienation afflicting not just Greek youth but an entire society who see little hope in the future. They struggle to cope with a present they had no say in creating, and a yearning for how things once were, but will never be again. [Jerks] was shot in Athens over the summer of 2010 in an attempt to give the lost generation of the 00s the indie anthem they deserve. Flix.gr Αύγουστος. Εξάρχεια. Καλλιδρομίου, Θεμιστοκλέους. Τρεις κολλητοί φίλοι ξενυχτάνε στις γνώριμες γειτονιές των Εξαρχείων όπου μεγάλωσαν, δώδεκα ώρες πριν εγκαταλείψουν μόνιμα την Αθήνα. 20 GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins 35mm Cast: Haris Markou and Ieronymos Kaletsanos GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Giorgos Kafetzopoulos, Diogenis Skaltsas, Aineias Tsamatis 21

12 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS DOS Dir. Stathis Athanasiou J.A.C.E. Dir. Menelaos Karamaghiolis A love story in reverse. Eye-opening, terrifying, crazy, chaotic, whacky and, ultimately, tragic. Flix.gr Two cities. Two languages. Two realities. Or is it all one? This slice of life drama set in Barcelona draws from seductive visuals to present two very separate, but parallel, relationships on the brink of collapse in the Spanish corner are Héctor (David Fernandez Fabu) and Nerea (Inés Castano) and, representing the Greeks, Hippolytus (Stavros Yagoulis) and Phaedra (Marina Kalogirou). Dos explores the complexity of relationships; beginnings, endings, the dichotomy of separation and loneliness mixed with a yearning for freedom and the inevitable mistakes we make along the way in our search for love. Winner of Best Feature Film and Audience Award at 2011 New York Independent Film Festival, as well as the Audience Award at last year s Corinthian International Film Festival. By the end of the film, I had travelled so much I didn t want to return to my seat to watch the credits. Cineparmenos Δύο ιστορίες αγάπης ιδωμένες στα δυο δυνατότερα σημεία τους, την αρχή και το τέλος, όχι αναγκαστικά με αυτή τη σειρά. Μια ιστορία αγάπης από την ανάποδη. Twice-orphaned Jace a seven-year-old Albanian of Greek origin witnesses a massacre that wipes out his entire foster family in Argyrokastron, and then falls into the hands of a bunch of ruthless gangsters who export children abroad for profit. Jace ends up in Athens, begging on street corners, exploring the secret horrors of institutions for young offenders and then much later serving obscure patrons in an underworld where violence and loss seem to be his destiny. He spirals down deep into a dark world of abuse, murder and fear as he desperately (and silently) seeks for a family to call his own or, at least, a sense of belonging. Stefania Goulioti won best actress at Thessaloniki Film Festival for her outstanding performance as Maria in J.A.C.E. Ο Jace, θαρραλέος μέσα σε έναν αφιλόξενο κόσμο, αναζητά το όνειρό του. Απέναντι σε ένα δίκτυο αδίστακτων παρανόμων αντιπαρατάσσει τη θέλησή του να ξεφύγει. Η αθωότητα και η ευαισθησία του επιβάλλονται όμως στη σκληρή πραγματικότητα. 22 GREEK/SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: David Fernandez Fabu, Inés Castano, Marina Kalogirou and Stavros Yagoulis GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece/Portugal/Turkey/The Netherlands/Fyrom mins Cast: Alban Ukaj, Stefania Goulioti, Argyris Xafis, Ieronymos Kaletsanos, Minas Hatzisavvas, Kora Karvouni and Akilas Karazisas 23

13 FEATURE FILMS UNFAIR WORLD (Αδικος Κόσμος) Dir. Filippos Tsitos 24 A simple everyday story of little people trying to make it in the big world. Flix.gr Filmmaker Filippos Tsitos follows the international success of Plato s Academy (Greek Film Festival 2011) with another straight-faced comedy and one of the most eagerly anticipated Greek films of Sotiris (disarmingly played by Antonis Kafetzopoulos, also from Plato s Academy) is a police interrogator with a conscience, bogged down by the weight of a heavy world on his shoulders. One day, he chooses to pardon everyone who s been driven to crime by necessity and, while hoping to save an innocent life, commits manslaughter. The only witness to his crime is a joyless cleaning lady, Dora, who becomes an unlikely ally in his attempts to save himself. Half the time you don t know whether to laugh or to cry. Eye For Film Μια πολύ τρυφερή ταινία του Φίλιππου Τσίτου, ουμανιστική κι επίμονη στα ερωτήματα που θέτει περί ηθικής και δικαιοσύνης με πρωταγωνιστή τον Αντώνη Καφετζόπουλo. GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Antonis Kafetzopoulos, Christos Stergioglou, Theodora Tzimou and Minas Hatzisavvas AlexAndeRSydney.com.Au The largest exhibition ever seen in Australia from The State Hermitage, Russia FRom 24 november 2012 / on SAle now! TIcKeTmASTeR.com.Au or GRoupS official TRAVel & corporate packages VISIT SHoWBIZ.com.Au only In Sydney / THe AuSTRAlIAn museum

14 SCREENING SCHEDULE 26 PALACE NORTON STREET CINEMAS 99 Norton Street, Leichhardt Tuesday 16 October 6:30pm Nisos 2 OPENING NIGHT EVENT for 7:00pm (Followed by Cocktail Party) Wednesday 17 October 7:00pm Man At Sea 9:00pm Burning Heads Thursday 18 October 6:45pm DOS 9:00pm Magic Hour Friday 19 October 6:45pm Nisos 2 9:15pm Jerks & I m not here today* Saturday 20 October 1:30pm Krisis & Children of the Riots 4:00pm Fish n Chips & The Palace* SPECIAL EVENT (Traditional Cypriot mezedes & wine served before screening) 6:30pm J.A.C.E. 9:15pm Christmas Tango Sunday 21 October 12:00pm The Canary Yellow Bicycle & The Village* 2:15pm Mirror and the Knife 4:15pm Larissa Confidential SPECIAL EVENT (Traditional Thessalian mezedes & drinks before screening) 6:30pm Tied Red Thread 8:45pm The City of Children Monday 22 October 6:30pm Unfair World 9:00pm Tungsten Tuesday 23 October 6:45pm Larissa Confidential 9:00pm Tied Red Thread Wednesday 24 October 6:45pm Fish n Chips & The Palace* 9:15pm DOS Thursday 25 October 6:30pm J.A.C.E 9:15pm Boy Eating the Bird s Food Friday 26 October 6:45pm Christmas Tango 9:00pm Wasted Youth Saturday 27 October 2:00pm A Fortunate Son 4:00pm Landscape in the Mist Q&A SESSION 7:00pm Poker Face 9:00pm The City of Children Sunday 28 October 11:30am Fading Light & The Village* 2:00pm Wild & Precious & The Foreigner* 4:15pm Krisis & Riots 6:45pm Nisos 2 9:15pm Poker Face Monday 29 October 6:30pm Tungsten 9:00pm Jerks & I m not here today* Tuesday 30 October 6:30pm Wasted Youth 9:00pm Man at Sea Wednesday 31 October 7:00pm Welcome to all Saints 9:00pm Unfair World Thursday 1 November 6:45pm Magic Hour 9:00pm Boy Eating the Birds Food Friday 2 November 7:00pm Burning Heads 9:15pm ALPS Saturday 3 November 2:00pm The City of Children 4:15pm Paradise SPECIAL EVENT (Traditional mezedes & drinks from Patra before screening) 6:30pm Nisos 2 9:00pm Poker Face Sunday 4 November 11:30am Student Film Festival 2:00pm Christmas Tango 4:45pm Jerks & I m not here today* 7:00pm Dead Europe CLOSING NIGHT FILM *Short film SCREENING SCHEDULE 27

15 TICKETING & VENUE INFORMATION OPENING NIGHT Sydney Premiere of Antonis Aggelopoulos Nisos 2 6:30pm arrivals, 7:00pm screening Tuesday 16 October Palace Norton Street, followed by reception at Martini Bar 99 Norton Street, Leichhardt (incl. meze & drinks) All tickets $40.00 no concessions SPECIAL EVENTS Fish n Chips 3:00pm Saturday 20th October Presented by the Cyprus Community of NSW come and enjoy traditional Cypriot mezedes and wine prior to the 4:00pm screening of the film. Tickets and General Admission Prices Larissa Confidential (no English subtitles) 3:15pm Sunday 21st October Presented by the Thessalian Association Prefecture of Larissa and the Australothessalian Benevolent Federation of Sydney & NSW Karaiskakis Ltd, come and enjoy the traditional mezedes and authentic Greek tsipouro aperitif from the Thessaly region before the 4.15pm screening of Larissa Confidential. Tickets at General Admission prices. Landscape in the Mist In memory of Theo Angelopoulos 4:00pm Saturday 27th October Following the screening join us for a Q & A session with Assoc. Prof Vrasidas Karalis of the Modern Greek Department of the University of Sydney, focusing on the film and its recently passed director Theo Angelopoulos. Tickets at General Admission Prices. Paradise 3:15pm Saturday 3rd November Presented by the Panachaian Philanthropical Association Paleon Patron Germanos, guests will be immersed in the spirit of the Carnivale of Patras as traditional mezedes and drinks the Patras region is famous for will be served before the 4:15pm screening of Paradise. Tickets at General Admission prices. TICKETS Single Session Tickets Adult $18.00, Concession/Movie Club $15.00 (per film) (Eligible Concessions: Palace Movie Club members (max 2), Full-time Students (photo ID required), Senior Citizens, Health Care card holders, Pensioners. The cardholder must present a current ID card in order to gain the concession.) Multiple Film Passes 5 films pass: $80.00 (Multiple film passes are for separate, pre-selected sessions, valid for one person only. Not valid for opening night, closing night or special screenings.) Group Bookings $15.00 (per ticket) For 20 or more tickets to a single, pre-selected session. Not valid for opening night, closing night or special screenings. Bookings: or events.nsw@palacecinemas.com.au HOW TO BUY In person Palace Norton Street Cinemas (99 Norton Street, Leichhardt) 11am- 8:30pm until sold out. There are no booking fees for purchasing at cinemas. Online Ticketing are available securely online via 24hrs at MCA Ticketing. All major credit cards accepted booking fees apply ($1.30 per ticket) By Phone Tickets may be purchased using all major credit cards from MCA Ticketing. Call between 9:30am - 5:30pm weekdays, and 9:00am - 11:00am Sat. Booking fees apply: 1-4 tickets - $2.50 per ticket, 5-9 tickets - $2.00 per ticket, 10 or more tickets - $1.30 per ticket. Phone bookings for weekday sessions will cease at 1:00pm on the day of screening. Weekend session bookings will cease at 1:00pm on the Friday before. Tickets booked via telephone must be collected from the box office no later than 15 minutes prior to the advertised session time of the first session purchased. Please bring appropriate ID. COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS Palace Cinemas Complimentary tickets and other cinema promotions or ticket offers are not valid for Festival screenings. TERMS & CONDITIONS Greek Student Film Festival 11:30am Sunday 4th November The Greek Festival of Sydney and the Education Office of the Consulate General of Greece present the NSW Student Film Festival. Short fiction films, animations and documentaries submitted by all NSW primary to tertiary level Modern Greek students and the teachers involved will be screened and awarded. Free Entry. SPECIAL FAMILY SCREENINGS The Canary Yellow Bicycle 12:00pm Sunday 21st October Fading Light 11:30am Sunday 28th October COMMENCEMENT TIMES All films will commence at the advertised time please be prompt to avoid disappointment. Doors to the cinema will open approximately 15 minutes prior to the session time. Latecomers may not be admitted. DOOR SALES We anticipate that door sales will be available for most sessions, but this cannot be guaranteed. Festival patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets for their selected sessions in advance to avoid disappointment. GENERAL ENQUIRIES Greek Orthodox Community of NSW Film Festival Office (02) greekfestival@goc.com.au 28 All tickets $10 FESTIVAL CONDITIONS All Festival films are restricted to persons aged 18years and over, unless specified. This does not necessarily relate to the content of the films, but to the censorship laws regulating 29

16 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS FISH N CHIPS Dir. Elias Demetriou SPECIAL EVENT PARADISE (Παράδεισος) Dir. Panagiotis Fafoutis SPECIAL EVENT It s about the fishy smell of happiness. Andy, a hard-working immigrant in London, deep-fries his way into oblivion until his idealised image of home sends him back to his native Cyprus. Having slaved away for others his entire life, he finally opens his very own chip shop. But his dream turns into a nightmare, as he seems to have overlooked one small detail: Cyprus just isn t London. Coming from a personal perspective of mixed heritage, filmmaker Demetriou poignantly illustrates the complications that arise from divided ethnic loyalties in a drama that is equal parts melancholic as it is happy. As Andy s East Germany friend, Karin, prophetically admits, I had no ambition to leave my country, but in the end it left me. Ο Άντυ, ένας Κύπριος μετανάστης που έχει περάσει όλη του τη ζωή τηγανίζοντας «fish and chips» στο Λονδίνο, αποφασίζει να επιστρέψει στην πατρίδα του και να ανοίξει τη δική του επιχείρηση. Paradise = place of recreation with luscious vegetation and wild or free-roaming animals. One weekend, amid the chaos, gaudy floats and colours of the carnival in Patra a celebration to rival those in Rio and Venice 4 couples try to find their own paradise. Marina (Natasa Zaga) returns to Patras determined to live with Mihalis (Mihalis Fotopoulos). Openly gay Nikos (Konstadinos Avarikiotis) tries to express his desire for his straight boss Socrates (Christos Loulis) while dreading rejection. Evgenia (Maria Skoula) is faced with her daughter s criticism of her new life as a divorcee. Ilias (Errikos Litsis) attempts to reunite with his ex-wife one last time. Love and questions about companionship form the basis upon which filmmaker Pangiotis Fafoutis throws a heady party. Music dominates the scenes and guides emotions. Behind their carnival masks, these people are free to reach their limits; free at last to be real. Τα μέλη του γκρουπ «Παράδεισος», μεταμφιεσμένα σε εξωτικά πουλιά, Αδάμ και Εύες παίρνουν μέρος στο καρναβάλι της πόλης τους. Μέσα στην «κολασμένη» ατμόσφαιρα της αποκριάς, όλοι οι ήρωες διεκδικούν το συναισθηματικό τους Παράδεισο ENGLISH/GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Cyprus mins 35mm Cast: Marios Ioannou, Marlen Kaminsky, Anne Marie O Sullivan, Diomides Koufteros, Alkistis Pavlidou, Margarita Zachariou, Andreas Fylaktou and Stefanie Neophytou GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Olia Lazaridou, Errikos Litsis, Christos Loulis, Konstadinos Avarikiotis, Maria Skoula, Andreas Konstantinou, Natasa Zaga, Mihalis Fotopoulos and Vangelis Alexandris 31

17 FEATURE FILMS MAN AT SEA Dir. Konstantinos Giannaris 32 You think you re a good man, you let them die just like your son. In this eagerly anticipated nightmarish thriller, Alex (Antonis Karistinos) and Kate (Theodora Tzimou) reunite on-board Alex s ship following the death of their son. That same day, Alex rescues 30 Farsi-speaking adolescents adrift in the Mediterranean. While under pressure to deal with the situation promptly, he comes up against a series of dead-ends with no one willing to grant asylum. Some members of the crew grow fond of certain teenagers, including Kate who takes a second-chance on motherhood with young Samir (Nikos Tsourakis), but the majority feel the guests have over-stayed their welcome. Unable to handle the tension, Alex makes some wrong decisions and the tragic results leave no one unaffected. The work of a filmmaker who s very well aware that hell is on the inside. Flix.gr Μια ταινία για το μεγάλο ευρωπαϊκό ζήτημα της μετανάστευσης, όχι όμως από την πλευρά των μεταναστών, αλλά από αυτή ενός Ευρωπαίου που βρίσκεται στη θέση που πρέπει να χειριστεί μια κατάσταση ζωής και θανάτου. ENGLISH/GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Antonis Karistinos, Theodora Tzimou, Konstadinos Avarikiotis, Konstandinos Siradakis, Stathis Papadopoulos, Thanasis Tatavialis and Nikos Tsourakis Join us at Georges and indulge in our new Greek Feast Banquet Share in taramosalata, squid, zucchini fritters, slow roasted Greek lamb and more for just $ 45pp Georges Mediterranean Bar & Grill The Promenade, King Street Wharf georgesrestaurant.com.au Open 7 days, lunch and dinner

18 FEATURE FILMS FEATURE FILMS TIED RED THREAD (Δεμένη Κόκκινη Κλωστή) Dir. Kostas Haralabous Warning: Contains graphic violence CHRISTMAS TANGO (Το Τανγκό των Χριστουγέννων) Dir. Nikos Koutelidakis A taut and compelling period drama from the award-winning maker of Love at 16. One of the most bitter and taboo chapters in Greece s history the post-world War II civil war acts as backdrop to Kostas Haralabous film of personal pain and sacrifice. It is After the signing of the Varkiza Treaty between the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of the Greek Communist Party, armed forces roam the mountainous countryside engaging in intimidation, murder and vulgarity toward leftists who have not declared their allegiance. One of these leftists is Lambros and his wife. The title of the film refers to a familiar phrase from fairytales, as well as the line of blood running through human history that joins everyone both friends and enemies. Σε ένα επαρχιακό ορεινό χωριό μετά την συμφωνία της Βάρκιζας, ένοπλοι παρακρατικοί με αρχηγό τον ΜΙΧΑ, προβαίνουν σε εκφοβισμούς και δολοφονίες απέναντι στους αριστερούς που δεν έχουν δηλώσει την υποταγή τους. Προειδοποίηση: περιέχει εικόνες βίας. Robust characters, intense dialogues, an old-world atmosphere and heaps of romantic tension. In other words, commercial cinema at its best Flix.gr Based on Yannis Xanthoulis s novel of the same name, Christmas Tango takes place during the Greek junta as four people struggle with somewhat illicit desires at a military camp. Zoi Loggos (Vicky Papadopoulou) has long fallen out of love with her husband the Colonel (Giannis Bezos) and turned her attention to handsome lieutenant Stefanos (Yannis Stankoglou). As Stefanos fervently learns to dance the tango so he may impress Zoi at the upcoming Christmas party, his dance instructor/fellow soldier Lazarou (Antinoos Albanis) feels a surge of unwanted and confusing emotions he is reticent to recognise, let alone reveal. A bonafide crowd-pleaser, as evidenced by its multiple wins at the 2012 Hellenic Film Academy Awards. Το 1970, σε ένα στρατόπεδο του Έβρου, ένας υπολοχαγός αναγκάζει έναν φαντάρο να του μάθει ώστε να ζητήσει σε χορό, στη γιορτή των Χριστουγέννων, τη σύζυγο του Συνταγματάρχη. 34 GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins Cast: Thanos Samaras, Tasos Nousias, Stefania Goulioti, Efi Gousi, Anestis Vlachos, Tasos Palantzidis, Dina Michaelidi and Spyros Bibilas GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins 35mm Cast: Giannis Bezos, Antinoos Albanis, Yannis Stankoglou and Vicky Papdadopoulou 35

19 GREEK STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2012 IN MEMORY OF LANDSCAPE IN THE MIST (Τοπίο στην Ομίχλη) Dir. Theo Angelopoulos SPECIAL EVENT Following the success of 2011 s inaugural Greek Student Film Festival and Competition, this wonderful event is running again in Angelopoulos is a great master A powerful film with startling imagery. Martin Scorsese In a working class suburb of Athens, two children eleven year-old Voula (Tania Palaiologou) and her five year-old brother, Alexander (Michalis Zeke) dream of leaving their home and hunting down a father they have never met. But this father is just make-believe, concocted by their mother to placate the children s need for paternal influence. One fateful day, Voula and Alexander finally act on their desires and set out to cross countries to Germany where they hope to find this father who doesn t even exist. In the process, they are catapulted from suburban Athens into a world of betrayal and loneliness that will rob the children of their innocence forever. Landscape in the Mist was Greece s entry for the 1988 Academy Awards Foreign Film section, as well as the International Critics Prize and Silver Lion Winner for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival Δυο παιδιά εμπλέκονται σε μία διαρκή αντιπαράθεση με την πραγματικότητα. Μετά από μία σκληρή περιπλάνηση στη ζωή θα φτάσουν σ εκείνο το σύνορο, πέρα από το οποίο πιστεύουν ότι θα βρουν τον πατέρα τους και που αντιπροσωπεύει μία ελπίδα... GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Greece mins 35mm Cast: Michalis Zeke, Tania Palaiologou and Stratos Tzortoglou In order to be submitted the films must be a short fiction, animation or documentary film and must include the chosen theme. This year s theme is I support Greece and is open to the interpretation and creativity of the students and teachers involved. Sydney s best entries will be screened as part of the and three prizes will be awarded in each category. The films will be screened and awarded on Sunday 4th November, 2012 at 11.30am at Palace Norton Street Cinemas, Leichhardt. This event is a collaborative effort between the Greek Festival of Sydney and the Education Office of the Consulate General of Greece. Categories 1. Primary school students in grades Secondary school students in years Secondary school students in years 11 - Tertiary students Prizes Three prizes will be awarded in each category 1st prize, $400 2nd prize, $300 3rd prize, $200 Entry is FREE 37

20 FAMILY FRIENDLY FAMILY FRIENDLY THE CANARY YELLOW BICYCLE Dir. Dimitris Stavrakis (Το Καναρί Ποδήλατο) FADING LIGHT (Το Φως που Σβήνει) Dir. Vassilis Douros A multi award-winner at children s film festivals across the world. I ll see through my music... Based on a true story, Aris (Dimitris Alexandris), a new teacher in a junior school in Athens, soon discovers one of his students Lefteris (Yorgos Halaris) is highly illiterate and lagging behind the rest of his classmates, both in and out of school. Determined to help Lefteris, Aris confronts a number of obstacles; namely Lefteris own mistrust, the pessimism of his fellow teachers, the apathy of Lefteris parents concerning their son s education and the cruel bullying from his classmates on an unremitting basis. With determination and persistence, Aris starts to make headway with Lefteris in a conclusion that celebrates faith in human relations and the power of the will, although more ambiguous than any Hollywood film producer would allow. Ο Άρης, δάσκαλος στην έκτη τάξη κάποιου Δημοτικού Σχολείου της Αθήνας, ανακαλύπτει ότι ένας από τους μαθητές του ο Λευτέρης, είναι σχεδόν αναλφάβητος και, ως εκ τούτου περιθωριοποιημένος. Αποφασίζει να βοηθήσει το παιδί να βγει από αυτή την κατάσταση και γι αυτό θα έρθει αντιμέτωπος με εμπόδια όλων των ειδών. Twelve year-old Christos (Vladimiros Golosinski) lives with his mother (Elissavet Nazlidou) on a picturesque Aegean island. The boy is blessed with a prodigious musical talent but, at the same time, condemned to gradual blindness as a result of a rare disease. A loner who regularly skips school, Christos finds solace in nature and the dream world of a cave where his heightened hearing sees him turn natural sounds into compositions for the violin. He also shares his time with an elderly lighthouse keeper, Soursoumis (Alekos Alexandrankis), who teaches him not only music but about life in general. The arrival of a new schoolteacher, Maria (Vicky Volioti), and her persistence for Christos to take part in a music contest proves a turning point in Christo s young life. Maria helps break his isolation and show him that living shouldn t end with his sight. Μια σύγχρονη δραματική ταινία που εστιάζεται στη βαθιά φιλική σχέση μεταξύ ενός φαροφύλακα και ενός παιδιού με προβλήματα όρασης, το οποίο όμως διαθέτει ένα εκπληκτικό ταλέντο στη μουσική. 38 GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Check website for classification Greece mins 35mm Cast: Dimitris Alexandris, Yorgos Halaris, Manos Vakousis and Thanos Grammenos GREEK/ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Check website for classification Greece mins 35mm Cast: Vladimiros Golosinski, Alekos Alexandrakis and Vicky Voiloti 39