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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The 21st Annual San Francisco Greek Film Festival (SFGFF) wrapped on March 23 after in person screenings and a popular virtual program. A total of 40 films were screened- eight narrative features, 13 documentaries, and 19 shorts – all by Greek and Cypriot filmmakers from around the world.
The 2024 SFGFF kicked off on March 16 at the Delancey Street Screening Room with the feature film ‘Behind the Haystacks’, the Greek entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, preceded by the short film ‘Another One’. The audience gathered on the Embarcadero adjacent to San Francisco Bay and was welcomed by SFGFF Executive Director Kleon Skourtis. Festival team members also came on stage to share their greetings, directors Maria Nicolacakis and Katerina Mavroudi-Steck, Chair of Events Receptions Tatiana Drakaki, and Chair of Hospitality Aggeliki Karantzas.
Honored guests who also addressed the audience were Modern Greek Studies Foundation President Chris Kanios and Consul General of Greece in San Francisco Socrates Sourvinos, whose heartfelt comments were very inspiring, as he praised the success of contemporary Greek cinema and the importance and achievements of the SFGFF.
Other special guests in attendance were Vas Kiniris of Next SF and San Francisco – Thessaloniki Sister City Association; Stanley Papulkas, Executive Director of the Greek International Film Festival Tour (GIFFT) of Canada; Marianna Michalitsianou, also with GIFFT; Peter Nikkos, Feelgood Entertainment Director of Development & Production; Panos Gakis, SFGFF Audio Visual Director; Alexander Germanacos, SFGFF Hospitality Coordinator; Apollon Bollas, actor and SFGFF Festival Poster Designer; and actor and journalist/film critic Alexandros Romanos Lizardos.
Many distinguished guests attended the Festival including filmmakers who participated in Q&A sessions with the audiences- ‘The Summer with Carmen’ director Zacharias Mavroeidis, ‘Fonissa’ (‘Murderess’) director Eva Nathena, ‘The Promotion’ director Periklis Choursoglou, and actors featured in ‘Minore’ Apollon Bollas and Alexandros Romanos Lizardos.
The Festival wrapped with a sold-out Closing Night event on March 23 at the Delancey Street Screening Room. On stage presentations from the entire Festival team began the celebration with a grateful spirit and comments of appreciation for all the patrons, participants, and sponsors.
A special introduction was made by Delancey Street founder, President, and CEO Mimi Silbert, who expressed her warm feelings to the Festival for making Delancey its home for 21 years. She was accompanied by her beautiful rescue dog Syrup.
SFGFF Board member and film industry luminary Sid Ganis also spoke, congratulating the Festival on all its accomplishments.
A special certificate on behalf of San Francisco Mayor London Breed was presented to the Festival by Liston Hulse, Program Officer for the SF Mayor’s Office of Protocol, and another honor was bestowed by Mahanaz Ebadi, legislative aide representing San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey.
After the screening, which began with short films ‘The Thief’ and ‘Taxi’, followed by the feature ‘The Promotion’ and a Q&A with director Periklis Choursoglou, the Festival-goers moved to the adjacent hall for the Closing Night party. The awards were announced during the reception with filmmakers Choursoglou and Eva Nathena on hand to accept their honors. Additional special guests at Closing Night included California Deputy State Controller Hasib Emran, Dr. Timothy Patitsis, Interim Dean of Hellenic College and co-founder of Beauty First Films, with colleague and co-founder of Beauty First Films Thomaida Hudanish whose documentary film ‘Amphilochios: Saint of Patmos’ was in the online program.
SFGFF audiences responded to surveys at every screening, making their voices heard to select the audience choice awards, known as the Astron Awards. A panel of nine film/art industry professionals deliberated to bestow Jury Awards in three film categories, and two performance categories. This year, in the Astron Award Audience Favorite in the Narrative Feature category, two films tied in the vote tallies for the first time since the awards were started.
The two winners were ‘Fonissa / Murderess’ and ‘The Summer with Carmen’ while ‘The Promotion’ was the runner-up for Audience Favorite in the Narrative Feature.
The top Documentary Feature was ‘Homeland Sickness.’
‘Taxi’ took home the award for Short Film while ‘The Armchair on the Pavement’ was the runner-up.
In the Jury Awards Best Narrative Feature (awarded $1000, sponsored by Nick and Athena Arvanitidis), the Narrative Jury singled out ‘Behind the Haystacks,’ directed by Asimina Proedrou: “For replacing the traditional storytelling three-act structure with three contrasting perspectives within a family dramatizing their choices and decisions – thus revealing true-to-life evolving characters. For its realistic cinematic approach in photography by tightly framing characters in action, providing angular momentum leading to dynamic editing. For its perfect casting. And for such an extraordinary direction coming from a first-time director.”
The Narrative Feature Film Honorable Mention went to ‘The Summer with Carmen,’ directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis.
For Best Documentary (awarded $1000, sponsored by Dr. Alexi Exuzides), the Documentary Jury selected ‘Mighty Afrin: In the Time of Floods,’ directed by Angelos Rallis, and gave the Honorable Mention to ‘Spinnerakos A.K.A. Panayiotis, Grigoriou,’ directed by Nasos Karamalegkos.
For Best Narrative Short Film (awarded $500, sponsored by Kleon Skourtis and Demetrios Skourtis in loving memory of their mother Katie Skourtis) the Short Films Jury selected ‘The Crossing,’ directed by Katerina Mavrogeorgi and Aineias Tsamatis, and gave the Honorable Mention Short Film to ‘Buffer Zone,’ directed by Savvas Stavrou. Best Performance in a Narrative Feature Film (awarded $1000, sponsored by Courtney and Alexander Germanacos Pythia Fund) went to Alexandros Logothetis in ‘The Promotion,’ directed by Periklis Choursoglou, Best Performance in a Short Film (awarded $500, sponsored by Courtney and Alexander Germanacos Pythia Fund)
went to Flomaria Papadaki in ‘Nothing Holier than a Dolphin,’ directed by Isabella Margara.
Honorable Mention Performance in a Narrative Short went to Giannis Tsortekis in ‘The Crossing.’
SFGFF gave special thanks to all the 2024 jurors, for Narrative Feature- writer, director, producer, designer, lyricist, and composer Nicholas Frangias, film professor and author Philip Phillis, film industry professional Rita Roti; for Documentary- multimedia and special events pioneer babaLou, story and marketing consultant Laura Louden, artist and film industry veteran Jerry Rosenblum, filmmaker and health care teacher Liza Xydis; for Short Film- film producer Henry Rosenthal, film producer and specialist Debbie Brubaker, filmmaker and film instructor Paul Kmiec, and musician and filmmaker Dale Sophiea.
More information is available online: https://grfilm.com/.