The NYC Greek Film Festival Starts Tomorrow at MOMI

On Saturday, October 18, the NYC Greek Film Festival starts at the Museum of the Moving Image. It is going to be a terrific series, full of interesting, accessible films from Greece. The festival goes through Sunday evening, with an additional film on October 22 (sold out, though tickets may become available on a first-come, first-served basis in the standby line).

I spoke with Jimmy Demetro, who programs the festival, and he’s really excited about both the selections and the venues. He’s a huge fan of MOMI and believes this is the most beautiful theater in which to see films in NYC: “It’s an extraordinary space. I feel privileged to bring the festival to Astoria and to MOMI.”

He also recognizes that many Americans many not be familiar with Greek films, which play all over the world, just not in the US much. He says, “there isn’t a major festival in Europe or Asia that usually doesn’t include a Greek film.” He really wants to establish this festival in NYC, now in its 8th year, so I think he’s really on his way. As a programmer, he has very high standards and works hard to get the best films available. There are a lot of mainstream films coming out of Greece, as opposed to perhaps more esoteric “art films,” and he’d like to see Americans have access to these very audience-friendly films.

And while he believes in all the films, there are a few highlights. First, there’s Little England, which has been a big hit in Greece, and is the film that country is going to submit to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film (it’s screening at the Ziegfeld in Manhattan on October 23). Xenia was an entry—an official selection—at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and it did very well (it’s going to have a wider US distribution in 2015), about two brothers traveling across the country to find their father after their mother died. And then there’s The Enemy Within, a revenge drama/thriller that deals with vigilantism and xenophobia.

Finally, Jimmy wants to urge both Greeks and especially non-Greeks to come and see the excellent filmmaking that is happening in Greece. All films are subtitled. One of his goals with the NYC Greek Film Festival is to find a broader audience for these films, and in line with that he’s working to keep ticket prices low, most of which at MOMI are only $10. He says, “If people like European films, they will be very pleasantly surprised at what we’re showing.”

Here’s the list of films at MOMI:

September
Saturday, October 18, 2:30 p.m.

Committed
Saturday, October 18, 5:30 p.m.

The Enemy Within
Saturday, October 18, 8:00 p.m.

Lost in the Bewilderness
Sunday, October 19, 2:00 p.m.

Common Denominator
Sunday, October 19, 4:30 p.m.

Xenia
Sunday, October 19, 7:00 p.m.

SCREENING & LIVE EVENT
Brides with Pantelis Voulgaris in person
Wednesday, October 22, 7:00 p.m. (again, sold out, though tickets may become available on a first-come, first-served basis via standby)

Feel free to check out the festival’s video here. And enjoy the festival!

Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106, movingimage.us