From the poetic drama Epiphany starring AACTA award-winner Alex Dimitriades and irreverent black-comedy The Taverna, to the latest masterpiece by weird wave auteur Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster), The Delphi Bank 26th Greek Film Festival (GFF) returns to showcase diverse stories from trailblazing Greek filmmakers across the globe.
With 15 superb features, three engaging documentaries and one Australian short, the Festival returns to Leichhardt’s Palace Norton Street Cinema from 8 to 20 October 2019, with tickets on sale today at www.greekfilmfestival.com.au.
“We’re thrilled to announce this year’s eclectic lineup of films, showcasing strong Greek voices from across the globe,” says Festival Chair, Nia Karteris. “From the inspirational, to the thought-provoking, and the downright hilarious, this year’s program showcases an incredible selection of diverse tales that are guaranteed to resonate with Australian audiences.”
Opening and Closing Night
The Festival will open with inspirational sports docudrama 1968, from award-winning Greek filmmaker Tassos Boulmetis (A Touch of Spice). Starring acclaimed Greek actor Ieroklis Michaelidis, the film revisits the legendary victory of the emergent Greek basketball team AEK in the European Cup against the seemingly undefeatable Czechoslovakian team – Greece’s first ever win in history. The landmark event on April 4, 1968 smashed attendance records with over 100,000 spectators flooding the marble Panathenaic Stadium.
Closing the Festival is Australian director Alkinos Tsilimidos’ black comedy The Taverna. Set in Melbourne, the film chronicles a chaotic night in which an impromptu belly dance at a Greek restaurant leads to a series of unexpected and hilarious mishaps.
Special Events
AACTA award-winner Alex Dimitriades (The Slap) and rising star Caitlin Carmichael (Dwight In Shining Armor) will attend the Festival in Sydney to introduce Epiphany (Oct 17), and engage in audience Q&As. Dimitriades and Carmichael star alongside George Georgiou (Mamma Mia!, Game of Thrones) in this love letter to Greek culture, which tells the story of a troubled teen who befriends an older man, and slowly uncovers her family’s mysterious past.
Cypriot Sunday (Oct 13) will be a dedicated celebration of Cypriot cinema, with wine and snacks by the Cyprus Community of NSW. Screening will be: Pause, Tonia Mishiali’s striking debut feature about an overworked Cypriot housewife who dreams of violent rebellion against her sexist husband; and The Bullet Within, the true story of a son who must bury his father before his wedding day, set in today’s divided Cyprus.
The Delphi Bank 26th Greek Film Festival runs 8 – 20 October 2019 at Palace Norton Street, and also travels to Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth.
FESTIVAL DETAILS:
WHAT: The Delphi Bank 26th Greek Film Festival Sydney
WHEN: Tuesday 8 October – Sunday 20 October, 2019
WHERE: Palace Norton Street, 99 Norton Street, Leichhardt, NSW 2040
WEBSITE: www.greekfilmfestival.com.au
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/GreekFilmFestival