2nd Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (2nd of 5) Greek Celebrities on Greece & Greeks

"Greek Celebrities on Greece & Greeks" (2nd of 5 videos)

Video 1: LA Greek Film Festival, Opening Night Red Carpet & Zorba The Greek Event
Video 2: Greek Celebrities Talk About Greeks
Video 3: Celebrity Tribute to John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands
Video 4: Greek Celebrities on Greek Food
Video 5: Closing Night Red Carpet & The Winners Are...

CelebrateGreece.com again proudly covered the Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, which took place during five days in Hollywood, California at the Egyptian Theater, The Linwood Dunn Theater, the Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian, and the Silver Screen Theater in the Pacific Design Center.

The Festival featured over 30 feature films, documentaries and shorts, many as World Premieres. This wonderful annual festival was created under co-directors Angeliki Giannakopoulos (MY CHILD: MOTHERS OF WAR, 2006) and Ersi Danou. CelebrateGreece.com’s own CYNTHIA DADDONA graced the red carpet on Opening and Closing Nights interviewing established celebrities and the Greek stars of Hollywood’s tomorrow.

The Festival consisted of Opening Night Ceremonies, special panels and Closing Night Ceremonies (with the E! Network's Daily 10 show's Debbie Matenopoulos serving as hostess). The LAGFF honored two-time Academy Award Nominee and Golden Globe winner GENA ROWLANDS (Notebook; Gloria; A Woman Under the Influence) with Academy Award Nominated actor and director PETER BOGDANOVICH (Last Picture Show; Paper Moon; Mask) on hand to present to Rowlands. Also honored was Ms. Rowland's late husband, three-time Academy Award Nominated actor and director JOHN CASSAVETES (Faces; The Dirty Dozen, Husbands).

OPENING NIGHT festivities featured a restored print of the classic ZORBA THE GREEK, winner of four Academy Awards in 1964, starring Anthony Quinn. After the showing, Chairman of 20th Century-Fox Filmed Entertainment JIM GIANOPULOS talked to the sold-out audience at Hollywood's Grauman's Egyptian Theater about the restoration of Zorba and how the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright discouraged a young, wannabe architect named Anthony Quinn. The rest is history. Mr. Gianopulos said he considered Zorba the Greek to be the "crown jewel" of the Fox movie library.

On hand as presenters for the awards of Best Dramatic Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Direction, Audience Choice and a Special Jury Award were MICHAEL CONSTANTINE (My Big, Fat Greek Wedding), NICK CASSAVETES (Notebook), PETER BOGDANOVICH (Last Picture Show); GENA ROWLANDS (Notebook; Gloria; A Woman Under the Influence), JOHN ANISTON (JENNIFER ANISTON'S father and star of NBC's Days of our Lives), producer Barbara De Fina (Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear), HBO's Kary Antholis (Executive Producer), Academy Award Winner, Golden Globe Winner actor GEORGE CHAKIRIS (Westside Story) and SAKIS ROUVAS (Eurovision Song Contestant, Europe's "American Idol").

Feature length films included COMING AS A FRIEND (2006; Dir: Dora Masklavanou), EDUART (2006; Dir: Angeliki Antoniou), SIRENS IN THE AEGEAN (2005; Dir: Nikos Perakis), ALTER EGO (2007; Dir: Nicholas Dimitropoulo), HOLD ME (2006; Dir: Lucia Rikaki), FALSE ALARM (2006, Dir: Katerina Evangelakou), PVC-1 (2007, Dir: Spiros Stathoulopoulos) and LITTLE GREEK GODFATHER (2007; Dir: Olga Malea)

Documentaries and Shorts included: LIEBESTOD-FOUR ACTS (2007; Dir: Stathis Athanasiou), THE LOVERS FROM AXOS (2007, Dir: Nikos Ligouris), PASSAGE (2007, Dir: Yannis Katsamboulas), THE CAVE: AN ADAPTATION OF PLATO’S ALLEGORY IN CLAY (2007, Dir: Michael Ramsey), SUNNY DAY (2007, Dir: Anthi Daountaki), THE CUP (2006, Dir: Yiannis Bougioukas), TRANSIT (2007, Dir: Yiannis Gaitanidis), TOWER BLOCK (2006, Dir: Nikias Chryssos), THE SECRET OF THE SNAKE GODDESS (2007, Dir: Christian Bauer and Nikos Dayandas), RESURFACE (2007, Dir: Alexandre Papanicolaou and Emilie Yannoukou), FIRST LOVE (2007; Dir: Maritina Passari), BACH & BOUZOUKI (2006, Dir: Angela Milonaki), MOOG (2008, Dir: Haris Vafeiadis), SUMMER HOLIDAYS (2006, Dir: Elina Psykou), SHOULDER FOR HIRE (2007, Dir: Dimitris Emmanouilidis), DEAR STEVEN SPIELBERG (2006, Dir: Stefan Georgiou), THE JOURNEY: THE GREEK-AMERICAN DREAM (2007, Dir: Maria Iliou), THE TRAP (2007, Dir: Rita Wilson), AUGUST 27, 2007 (2008, Dir: Daphne Valentina), THE ASH THAT REMAINS (2008, Dir: Nikos Kavoukidis), WILDFIRE CRISIS (2007, Dir: Stefanos Bertakis), SALONICA (2008, Dir: Paolo Poloni), ASTORIA PARK (2007, Dir: Chrysovalantis Stamelos and Paras H. Chaudhari) and UP WITH ME (2008, Dir: Greg Takudes).

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE - EDUART (2006; Dir: Angeliki Antoniou)
BEST DOCUMENTARY -THE LOVERS FROM AXOS (2007, Dir: Nikos Ligouris)
BEST DIRECTOR - EDUART (2006; Dir: Angeliki Antoniou)
BEST SHORT - THE CUP (2006; Dir: Yiannis Bougioukas)
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS:
FEATURE: FALSE ALARM (2006, Dir: Katerina Evangelakou)
DOCUMENTARY: RESURFACE (2007, Dir: Alexandre Papanicolaou and Emilie Yannoukou)
SHORT: THE CUP (2006, Dir: Yiannis Bougioukas)
SPECIAL JURY AWARDS :
FEATURE: COMING AS A FRIEND (Features: 2006; Dir: Dora Masklavanou)
DOCUMENTARY: UP WITH ME (2008, Dir: Greg Takudes).
SHORT: TRANSIT (2007, Dir: Yiannis Gaitanidis)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - GENA ROWLANDS
HONORARY ORPHEUS AWARD - PHEDON PAPAMICHAEL

CELEBRATEGREECE.COM's Top Picks -
FEATURE: LITTLE GREEK GODFATHER (2007; Dir: Olga Malea)
DOCUMENTARY: RESURFACE (2007, Dir: Alexandre Papanicolaou and Emilie Yannoukou)

For More Information visit LAGreekFilmFestival.org