12th New York City Greek Film Festival Yes, we did it again! Supported by the Consulate General of Greece in New York

With a total of 25 films including features, shorts and documentaries and with the opportunity for the first time for the audience to vote for their favorite film, the 12th annual New York City Greek Film Festival kicked off at the heart of the City on October 18th (Florence Gould Hall on 59th street).

The opening night had it all: The spotlights, the directors, Greek cinema fans and a lot of emotion for an endeavor which is genuinely supported by both the Greek-American audience and an increasing number of sponsors. The event opened with a few welcome remarks by the Festival’s artistic director Ms Maria Tzobanaki, the Head of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce and cohost of the cultural event, Mr. Markos Drakotos, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media Mr. Giorgos Florentis as well as the Director of the movie “1968”, which was screened during the opening, Mr. Tassos Boulmetis.

In a time journey back in 1968, Tassos Boulmetis, director and screenwriter of the eponymous movie, puts together a series of fictional stories based on a true athletic triumph marked by Greece in 1968, when it won its first ever European Cup in basketball (AEK BC vs Slavia Prague). The victory against the Czech goliath had a poignant social impact given that the year was a significant turnaround point in the 20th century all around the world. The Basketball Club itself, AEK was a symbol of the Hellenism’s uprooting in Constantinople and Asia Minor.  The stories animated were together personal and universal. Filled with bittersweet emotions and large doses of black humor, the movie emphasized that in the end, life itself is a sport, ready to be played, lost and won.

NYCGFF will run through October 23. The awards ceremony, scheduled the same day at Friars Club will feature the proud winners as well as a special guest for the evening, actor Giorgos Kimoulis, who will be presented the lifetime achievement award.