Who’s who in Chicago’s Greek community are expected to turn out for the first Greek Film Fest Chicago! (GFFC), when it opens Thursday, Sept. 29, providing what GFFC chairman and filmmaker Niko Franghias calls “the opportunity to witness the rising momentum of New Greek talent.”
The four-day event will screen 49 films through Oct. 2 at the Pickwick and Portage theatres, and a documentary series at the new National Hellenic Museum, at 333 S. Halsted.
The films, subtitled in English, are made by Greek filmmakers from around the world and filmmakers who made films about Greece of the Greek culture.
FilmHellenes, the sponsoring organization, is flying from Athens director Margarita Manda, whose drama, Gold Dust, is the opening night selection.
“Greeks have always been master storytellers,” says Peter Kanelos, Loyola University Professor of Theatre and GFFC board member.
“The dynamic state of contemporary Greek film is keeping this tradition alive by bringing Chicago audiences some of the most provocative works in modern European cinema.”
The festival was organized in May and as soon as the call for entries was announced, “We received 90 submissions immediately. We had to cut off the entries on Aug. 1, as we realized the selection committee would not have had time within the six week period we had allotted for selecting the films,” says directors’ rep and producer Valerie Gobos, who with Fletcher Cameras’ general manager Zoe Borys, are GFFC board members.
Adds Franghias, “The board was astounded to receive three times as many submissions than they anticipated. Filmmakers from Greece, the US, France, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, the UK and Canada answered our call with strong entries.”
Borys produced the festival trailer that will introduce each festival presentation. “The trailer was shot in Greece and Chicago by Milwaukee cinematographer George Nienhuis, and first AD Eric Arndt. Filmworkers, which processed the film, Kodak and Fletcher provided in-kind services.
On the 2011 Greek Film Fest Chicago! schedule are internationally-acclaimed films, Attenberg, Plato’s Academy, Eduart, Tale 52, Apnea and the Oscar-nominated, Dogtooth, plus works from up-and-coming filmmakers, including The Guide, 45m2, The Guardian’s Son, and the opening-night feature, Gold Dust.
Click here to view the schedule and purchase tickets, $10, which also may be purchased at the three festival locations on the day of the screenings.
There are limited Opening Night $100 tickets available for the screening and reception following in Park Ridge, sponsored by Miller’s Pub Chicago.
