PRESS

2018 PRESS RELEASES

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: 917-710-3027

NEW YORK’S MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
TO PRESENT MONTHLY SCREENINGS OF GREEK FILMS

A partnership between the Hellenic Film Society USA and the Museum of the Moving Image will make possible monthly screenings of the finest Greek films in the Museum’s state-of-the-art theater. Called Always On Sunday because the films will be shown on Sunday afternoons, the series opens on October 7 with two showings, at 4 pm and 6 pm, of THE LAST NOTE (To Teleftaio Simeioma), directed by Pantelis Voulgaris.
The Museum is located at 36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria.

“We are pleased to establish a year-round presence for Greek films in New York,” said HFS Director Jimmy DeMetro. “And we are especially honored to have access to just about the best screening facility in New York.”

“On our part, we are excited about the new Hellenic Film Society,” said David Schwartz, Chief Curator at MOMI. “We have worked with Jimmy DeMetro and his capable colleagues before, and we are sure that Always On Sunday will be an excellent showcase for contemporary Greek cinema, and that the series will find an enthusiastic audience..”

THE LAST NOTE focuses on one of the most important chapters in modern Greek history, the execution of 200 Greek partisans by German occupiers in Kaisariani on May 1, 1944, in retaliation for the ambush killing of four Nazis. Earlier this year the film won four Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Actor Andreas Konstantinou. The film, in Greek and German, will be shown with English subtitles.

To accommodate the high demand for tickets, two additional screenings of the film have been scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 6:45 and 9 pm, at the Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema (439 Plandome Road., Manhasset).

For ticket information visit: www.hellenicfilusa.org or call 917-710-3027.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is the lead supporter of the Hellenic Film Society. Generous support is provided by Carol and Niko Mouyiaris, in memory of their son Alexi, an actor. Additional funding is provided by the Onassis Foundation USA and the Kallinikeion Foundation.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Pares Mallis
pares.mallis@hellenicfilmusa.org
617-595-5638

Greek Film Expo Concludes Following Sold-Out Screenings in New York;
Hellenic Film Society USA Announces Alexis Mouyiaris Memorial Award
For Best Performance in a Feature Film to Katia Goulioni (Polyxeni);
And Greek Film Expo Audience Award to Jamaica

New York, NY– May 7, 2018 — The 2018 Greek Film Expo, the new film festival presented by the Hellenic Film Society USA, concluded after sold-out screenings at the Directors Guild Theater in Manhattan, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, and the Bow Tie Manhasset Theater in Nassau County.

Following a week of screenings of award-winning Greek comedies and dramas, The Hellenic Film Society announced the first-ever Greek film awards presented in New York. The 2018 Alexis Mouyiaris Memorial Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film goes to Katia Goulioni (Polyxeni). Goulioni is also the recipient of the 2018 Hellenic Film Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. Jamaica, directed by Andreas Morfonios, won the 2018 Greek Film Expo Audience Award for most popular film in the Expo.

The awards will be pronounced on Thursday, May 10 at a reception supporting Greeks in the Arts, celebrating the Greek Film Expo and the upcoming Carnegie Hall performance of legendary Greek singer Maria Farantouri. For further information or to buy tickets for the event at Kellari Taverna in midtown Manhattan, visit eventbrite.com.

Many of the actors and filmmakers whose films were presented at the Greek Film Expo flew in from Greece to attend screenings, participate in audience Q&A sessions, and take photographs with their fans. Actors Spiros Papadopoulos and Nikoleta Kotsailidou (Jamaica), directors Dora Masklavanou (Polyxeni), Vasilis Christofilakis (Too Much Info Clouding Over my My Head), Alex Sipsidis (Blue Queen), and producer George Stephanopoulos (Swing Away) appeared in person at screenings and at a special premiere reception. The award-winning film, Worlds Apart, was also presented.

The Hellenic Film Society USA

The Hellenic Film Society USA is a non-profit organization created to promote Greek cinema in America. Its mission is to share the richness of Greek films with a wider American audience, to promote Greek filmmakers, and to preserve the film heritage of Greece.

The organization, founded by Jimmy DeMetro and the team that presented the New York City Greek Film Festival for 11 years, was established to expand the reach of Greek film beyond a single annual festival. In addition to presenting screenings of new and classic Greek films throughout the year in cities across the US, the organization is embarking on programs to support aspiring filmmakers of Greek descent; foster relationships between Greek filmmakers and US investors and distributors; and restore and preserve Greek film classics.

“We are passionate about our mission to present and support high-quality, well-crafted films and we’re looking forward to presenting our loyal audiences with engaging films at the Greek Film Expo,” says president Jimmy DeMetro. “Film has a very a special way of revealing culture, so we don’t just project Greek films, we project Greece. What we do brings Greece closer to all of us.”

The Hellenic Film Society USA, a 501(c)(3) organization, receives funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Nikos and Carol Mouyiaris, in memory of their son Alexis Mouyiaris. The Greek Film Expo in New York is made possible with generous support from the Onassis Foundation USA.

For further information, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or email info@hellenicfilmusa.org.

Spiros Papadopoulos addressing the audience at a screening of Jamaica at the Greek Film Expo while costar Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Greek Film Expo director Jimmy DeMetro look on. The film received the Greek Film Expo Audience Award for most popular film.

Download the press release in its pdf version

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Pares Mallis
pares.mallis@hellenicfilmusa.org
617-595-5638

Newly Created Hellenic Film Society USA
Announces Premiere of Greek Film Expo April 27-May 3, 2018

New York, NY– April 2, 2018 — The Hellenic Film Society USA is pleased to announce its first ever Greek Film Expo, a showcase for six outstanding Greek comedies and dramas, to be held April 27-May 3 in the New York metropolitan area. Screenings will be held at the Directors Guild Theater in Manhattan, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, and the Bow Tie Manhasset Theater in Nassau County. The Hellenic Film Society will host an opening reception on Friday, April 27 immediately following the debut of Jamaica. Actors Spiros Papadopoulos and Nikoleta Kotsailidou and directors Vasilis Christofilakis and Dora Masklavanou are expected to attend the reception to be held at Ousia, 629 West 57th Street, NY, NY. Tickets are required.

Jamaica, directed by Andreas Morfonios, is a bittersweet comedy which tells the story of two estranged brothers at very different places in their lives. Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos, who also hosts the popular TV musical revue, Stin Ygeia Mas Re Paidia, are expected to attend all screenings. The award-winning drama Polyxeni, directed by Dora Masklavanou, was nominated for 11 Hellenic Film Academy Awards including Best Picture. It tells the story of a young woman attempting to gain independence in a traditional society. The director is expected to attend the Manhattan and Astoria screenings of her film.

Blue Queen, directed by Alex Sipsidis, is a mystery that unfolds from four different points of view with intriguing plot twists that keep the audience guessing till the end. Sipsidis is expected to attend the screenings on April 27 and 29. The clever comedy Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head, directed by Vasilis Christofilakis, focuses on a hapless film director whose career is sidetracked when he is forced to raise money to film a screenplay he detests. The director is expected to attend the screenings of his film.

Swing Away, directed by Michael Achilles Nickles, is the story of a discouraged golf pro who gets her groove back by reconnecting with her Greek roots. Worlds Apart, directed by Christopher Papakaliatis is a major box office hit in Greece. Starring J.K. Simmons and Papakaliatis, it follows the dramatic unfolding relationships of three couples at a time of economic turmoil.

The Hellenic Film Society USA

The Hellenic Film Society USA is a non-profit organization created to promote Greek cinema in America. Its mission is to share the richness of Greek films with a wider American audience, to promote Greek filmmakers, and to preserve the film heritage of Greece.

The organization, founded by Jimmy DeMetro and the team that presented the New York City Greek Film Festival for 11 years, was established to expand the reach of Greek film beyond a single annual festival. In addition to presenting screenings of new and classic Greek films throughout the year in cities across the US, the organization is embarking on programs to support aspiring filmmakers of Greek descent; foster relationships between Greek filmmakers and US investors and distributors; and restore and preserve Greek film classics.

“We are passionate about our mission to present and support high-quality, well-crafted films and we’re looking forward to presenting our loyal audiences with engaging films at the Greek Film Expo,” says president Jimmy DeMetro. “Film has a very a special way of revealing culture, so we don’t just project Greek films, we project Greece. What we do brings Greece closer to all of us.”

The Hellenic Film Society USA, a 501(c)(3) organization, receives funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Nikos and Carol Mouyiaris, in memory of their son Alexis Mouyiaris. The Greek Film Expo in New York is made possible with generous support from the Onassis Foundation USA.

For further information, to purchase tickets to the Greek Film Expo and Opening Reception or for information on how to become a Hellenic Film Society USA sponsor, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or email info@hellenicfilmusa.org or call 718-531-5074.

2018 Greek Film Expo Schedule

Screenings will be held at the following theaters:

Directors Guild Theater, 110 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106
Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema, 430 Plandome Rd, Manhasset, NY 11030

Friday, April 27—Directors Guild Theater

7pmJamaica* (Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos are expected to attend the screening)
9:15pmBlue Queen

*Immediately following the premiere of Jamaica, the Hellenic Film Society will host an Opening Reception at Ousia, 629 West 57th Street – tickets are required

Saturday, April 28—Directors Guild Theater

7pmPolyxeni (Director Dora Masklavanou is expected to attend the screening)
9:15pmToo Much Info Clouding Over My Head (Director Vasilis Christofilakis is expected to attend the screening)

Sunday, April 29—Museum of the Moving Image

1:30pmPolyxeni (Director Dora Masklavanou is expected to attend the screening)
4pmJamaica (Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos are expected to attend the screening)
7pmBlue Queen

Tuesday, May 1—Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema

7pmToo Much Info Clouding Over My Head (Director Vasilis Christofilakis is expected to attend the screening)
9:15pmJamaica (Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos are expected to attend the screening)

Wednesday, May 2—Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema

7pmSwing Away
9:15pmWorlds Apart

Thursday, May 3—Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema

7pmBlue Queen
9:15pmPolyxeni>

For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or call 718-531-5074.

Download the press release in its pdf version

2018 MEDIA COVERAGE

Newly Created Hellenic Film Society USA Announces Premiere of Greek Film Expo April 27-May 3, 2018

New York, NY- April 2, 2018 — The Hellenic Film Society USA is pleased to announce its first ever Greek Film Expo, a showcase for six outstanding Greek comedies and dramas, to be held April 27-May 3 in the New York metropolitan area. Screenings will be held at the Directors Guild Theater in Manhattan, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, and the Bow Tie Manhasset Theater in Nassau County. The Hellenic Film Society will host an opening reception on Friday, April 27 immediately following the debut of Jamaica. Actors Spiros Papadopoulos and Nikoleta Kotsailidou and directors Vasilis Christofilakis and Dora Masklavanou are expected to attend the reception to be held at Ousia, 629 West 57th Street, NY, NY. Tickets are required.

Jamaica, directed by Andreas Morfonios, is a bittersweet comedy which tells the story of two estranged brothers at very different places in their lives. Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos, who also hosts the popular TV musical revue, Stin Ygeia Mas Re Paidia, are expected to attend all screenings. The award-winning drama Polyxeni, directed by Dora Masklavanou, was nominated for 11 Hellenic Film Academy Awards including Best Picture. It tells the story of a young woman attempting to gain independence in a traditional society. The director is expected to attend the Manhattan and Astoria screenings of her film.

Blue Queen, directed by Alex Sipsidis, is a mystery that unfolds from four different points of view with intriguing plot twists that keep the audience guessing till the end. The clever comedy Too Much Info Clouding Over My Head, directed by Vasilis Christofilakis, focuses on a hapless film director whose career is sidetracked when he is forced to raise money to film a screenplay he detests. The director is expected to attend the screenings of his film.

Swing Away, directed by Michael Achilles Nickles, is the story of a discouraged golf pro who gets her groove back by reconnecting with her Greek roots. Worlds Apart, directed by Christopher Papakaliatis is a major box office hit in Greece. Starring J.K. Simmons and Papakaliatis, it follows the dramatic unfolding relationships of three couples at a time of economic turmoil.

The Hellenic Film Society USA

The Hellenic Film Society USA is a non-profit organization created to promote Greek cinema in America. Its mission is to share the richness of Greek films with a wider American audience, to promote Greek filmmakers, and to preserve the film heritage of Greece.

The organization, founded by Jimmy DeMetro and the team that presented the New York City Greek Film Festival for 11 years, was established to expand the reach of Greek film beyond a single annual festival. In addition to presenting screenings of new and classic Greek films throughout the year in cities across the US, the organization is embarking on programs to support aspiring filmmakers of Greek descent; foster relationships between Greek filmmakers and US investors and distributors; and restore and preserve Greek film classics.

“We are passionate about our mission to present and support high-quality, well-crafted films and we’re looking forward to presenting our loyal audiences with engaging films at the Greek Film Expo,” says president Jimmy DeMetro. “Film has a very a special way of revealing culture, so we don’t just project Greek films, we project Greece. What we do brings Greece closer to all of us.”

The Hellenic Film Society USA, a 501(c)(3) organization, receives funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Nikos and Carol Mouyiaris, in memory of their son Alexis Mouyiaris. The Greek Film Expo in New York is made possible with generous support from the Onassis Foundation USA.

For further information, to purchase tickets to the Greek Film Expo and Opening Reception or for information on how to become a Hellenic Film Society USA sponsor, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or email info@hellenicfilmusa.org or call 718-531-5074.

2018 Greek Film Expo Schedule

Screenings will be held at the following theaters:

Directors Guild Theater, 110 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106
Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema, 430 Plandome Rd, Manhasset, NY 11030

Friday, April 27—Directors Guild Theater

7pmJamaica* (Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos are expected to attend the screening)
9:15pmBlue Queen

*Immediately following the premiere of Jamaica, the Hellenic Film Society will host an Opening Reception at Ousia, 629 West 57th Street – tickets are required

Saturday, April 28—Directors Guild Theater

7pmPolyxeni (Director Dora Masklavanou is expected to attend the screening)
9:15pmToo Much Info Clouding Over My Head (Director Vasilis Christofilakis is expected to attend the screening)

Sunday, April 29—Museum of the Moving Image

1:30pmPolyxeni (Director Dora Masklavanou is expected to attend the screening)
4pmJamaica (Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos are expected to attend the screening)
7pmBlue Queen

Tuesday, May 1—Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema

7pmToo Much Info Clouding Over My Head (Director Vasilis Christofilakis is expected to attend the screening)
9:15pmJamaica (Actors Nikoleta Kotsailidou and Spiros Papadopoulos are expected to attend the screening)

Wednesday, May 2—Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema

7pmSwing Away
9:15pmWorlds Apart

Thursday, May 3—Bow Tie Manhasset Cinema

7pmBlue Queen
9:15pmPolyxeni>

For further information or to purchase tickets, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or call 718-531-5074.

Projecting Greece, Something New in New York for Greek Movies
February 25th, 2018

New York.- By Vicki James Yiannias

Greece is in social, political, and economic crisis that appears not to be diminishing, with a public image that has suffered, with no prospects for the young, but on an artistic level, Greece continues to produce.With an exhibition of emerging and established artists at the New Museum and coming up at Fordham University, and grants going to Greeks actors, Greek creativity is drawing attention. Jimmy DeMetro, founding president of a new organization, the Hellenic Film Society USA (HFSUSA), talks to the GN about the organization’s plan to increase Greek film production and to maximize attention to Greek films in the US.

“I always say we don’t just project Greek films. We project Greece,” DeMetro said in the interview, “Film has a very a special way of revealing culture. What we do brings Greece closer to all of us. Our mission is not only to entertain but to educate, preserve the Greek language.”

INTERVIEW

GN: What is HFSUSA all about?

JD: HFS is an independent organization totally and exclusively devoted to promoting Greek cinema. No distractions. No other allegiances. What we are doing has never been done before. Time will tell if we will succeed, but it’s certainly worth trying.

Our mission is both exciting and ambitious. We want to present screenings of Greek films throughout the year not only in New York but also in cities across the US where people don’t have access to Greek films. We want to encourage investment in Greek films and work closely with distributors to get the films shown in the US. We want to serve as a Greek film resource center to academia and non-Greek festivals across the country. And, very importantly, we want to launch a program that will work to restore classic films and do our part in helping save the film culture of Greece.

GN: Can you give an idea of what to expect for HFSs inaugural program, planned to take place in April?

JD: It’s a little too early to go into specifics and give you details about the actual program, but we want to present an event that will introduce us to New Yorkers, let them know we’re here, alive and kicking. The selections have not been made, but we will be showing important new films and inviting guests from Greece to join us for the screenings.

As with any beginning, there’s a lot of excitement. We have worked the festival scene for many years, and we see this as an opportunity to recharge our batteries, so to speak.

GN: What inspired the creation of this new organization?

JD: I am the founding director of the New York City Greek Film Festival and am very proud of my eleven years of volunteer work there. My colleagues and I felt that it was time we expanded our reach beyond a single annual event, and that is precisely what motivated us to establish the Hellenic Film Society USA (HFSUSA).

GN: An all-consuming project, certainly.

JD: I told you this is an ambitious mission. We are not going to be able to do all this in year one. Much depends on how successful we are going to be in raising money and inspiring others to support our goals. But our passion, enthusiasm and commitment are quite strong, and these qualities usually go a long, long way.”

GN: Do you consider the HFSUSA to be an innovation, or a reinterpretation of the NYCGFF—building around some things that have been established?

JD: HFS is a multi-faceted project. It is not only going to be about holding a film festival.

GN: As I understand, there are five phases to HFSUS: screenings of Greek films here and around the country, investment in the making of Greek films, achieving US distribution of Greek films, archival presentation of Greek films, and the restoration and archiving of classic Greek films. What do you estimate is the amount of financial support required to set these goals in motion the first year?

JD: About $180,000 per year. First year will be less since we will not be in full mode until 2019.

GN: Is HFS slated to enter non-profit status?

JD: We anxiously await word from the IRS any day now. We filed slightly over 6 months ago, so we should hear any day now.

GN: Will New York City be HFS’s base of operations?

JD: We are operating from NYC. The plan is to connect with organizations across the country and work with them to present film festivals.

GN: Are there plans to establish an HFS office here?

JD: We work out of our homes, so there isn’t even any office rent to pay. We keep our overhead at an absolute minimum. Everyone who works for the Hellenic Film Society is a volunteer. Only hired vendors get paid. This means that every dollar of every contribution goes directly to fulfilling our mission.

GN: What is your overarching opinion on the Greek film industry after your extended involvement with Greek film production?

JD: This is an exciting time for Greek cinema. Over the past years there has been a reawakening of the Greek film industry, and world audiences are taking notice. It’s incredible that this is happening at a time of crippling economic realities, but it is happening. In the last ten years, nine Greek films have been sold for US distribution.

GN: How does that compare with distribution of other foreign films?

JD: That is more than the Italian or Spanish film industry can claim.Actually,only the French have done better than that. It is true that there has not been a big break-through film for the reborn Greek film industry yet…something like Never On Sunday… back in the 1960s. But it’s going to happen. Maybe the film has yet to be made; perhaps it’s already in the can. Whatever the case, we want to be here when that happens.

GN: HFS aims to encourage Greek film production; will thought be given to influencing the films in relation to their international marketability, aesthetic value, etc.?

JD: No influence at all. We want to set up some kind of procedure where Greek film makers can present their proposals for new films to potential investors in the USA. This is not about control of artistic material. Investors would have to judge the marketability of an individual project on their own.

GN: What other individuals are part of HFSUSA?

JD: In addition to myself, the founders of HFSUSA are George Balafoutis, Vice President (Athens), Vickie Rekoutis, Vice President, Maria Psomiades, Secretary, Eva Mallis, Treasurer. All are long-time veterans of the New York City Greek Film Festival. All serve as volunteers. The actual board is not yet fully established.

GN: Is there anything else you would like to get out to our readers?

JD: Raising money is the hardest part of our job, but it is among the most important. I trust people will respond to our mission and give what they can. In a very direct way, this society belongs to our community. I always say we don’t just project Greek films. We project Greece.