Fifth annual L.A. Greek film festival to run June 9-12 (VIDEOS)

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The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) announced the 2011 line-up of films for its 5th annual Festival, which runs June 9-12 at the Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood. Seven feature films, five documentaries and nine shorts, including three world premieres, ten US premieres and eight LA premieres will be presented during the 4-day Festival. The Festival has also added an industry panel “Crossing Borders: Foreign Films in Hollywood” to the schedule this year.

"This year's films represent all facets of Greek life ­– humor, music, wine, erotica, and family... with a twist!  Los Angeles audiences will not be disappointed," says Ersi Danou, LAGFF co-founder. 

 "The growing Greek film community is rapidly proving itself a formidable source of truly groundbreaking cinema and I am proud to help bring these incredible works to the Los Angeles screen." states Owen Ward, Director of Programming.

Opening night gala will showcase Lea Binzer's  documentary PELICAN'S WATCH about a small community of elders on the island of Santorini charged with the unique duty to preserve the traditions of vine-growing and winemaking in the face of changing times that threaten their ancient and world-renowned art. The screening will be followed by a reception featuring some of the top Greek wines. Santorini winemakers and the filmmakers are expected to attend. On Friday June 10, LAGFF presents the US premiere of Roy Sher's MY SWEET CANARY, a documentary that recounts the story of Roza Eskenazy, the Diva of Rebetiko or “Greek Blues," whose music shaped the soundtrack of Greece and Asia Minor for almost a century.

The Festival organizers are thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of the critically acclaimed drama/comedy A WOMAN'S WAY (STRELLA) produced and directed by Panos Koutras, written by Panajotis Evangelidis and Panos Koutras, starring Mina Orfanou, Yanis Kokiasmenos and Minos Theoharis ­– a daring film about the relationship of newly released convict Yorgos and the matriarchal transsexual Strella. The film will be shown Saturday evening June 11, at 9:30 pm.

In addition, LAGFF is proud to present the US premiere of Yannis Economides' fearless and artful KNIFER, top winner of the Hellenic Film Academy awards, a story set against the milieu of a decaying middle class where right and wrong seem interchangeable.

The legendary music composer Mikis Theodorakis will be presented with a Honorary Orpheus Award during the awards ceremony on Sunday, June 12, at the Writers Guild Theatre. The award acknowledges his body of work in the world of music and contribution to world cinema with scores for milestone films such as Z, SERPICO, STATE OF SIEGE, and ZORBA THE GREEK. Accepting the Orpheus on his behalf will be Asteris Koutoulas, a longtime collaborator as well as the director of the featured documentary MIKIS THEODORAKIS, COMPOSER, which will be shown on Saturday, June 11.

The Festival comes to a close Sunday, June 12 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills with a Gala event and world premiere of BURNING HEADS (To Gala), directed by Giorgos Siougas, screenplay by Vassilis Katsikonouris with the collaboration of Nikos Vouteniotis, produced by Christos Konstadakopoulos, Manos Krezias, Kostas Labropoulos, Dionisis Samiotis, with  Promitheas Aliferopoulos, Ionna Tsirigouli, Omiros Poulakis, Iro Bezou, and Demitris Mavros. This poignant story, based on the Greek play  To Gala by Katsikonouris is a hardcore look at immigration and resulting family dynamics in Greece today.  When Russian immigrant Adonis introduces his bride-to-be to his mother and schizophrenic brother, deep-rooted rifts within their family explode as Adonis seeks to ease his guilt and his mother tries to restore the bond their family once knew in their long-lost homeland.

Here are two films scheduled to be viewed.

PELICAN's WATCH

The Death I Dreamed Of - Trailer 

Source: http://lagff.org