ASTORIA – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) on September 16 announced the lineup for its New York Greek Film Expo 2021, to be held in theaters, October 1-10. Selections include eight feature-length films and five film shorts, as well as award-winning presentations and U.S. premieres. The screenings will be held at the Directors Guild Theater, 110 West 57th Street in Manhattan, and the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, following public health protocols. The film festival opens Friday, October 1 with the screening of the critically acclaimed film, Tailor, at the Directors Guild Theater. All films are in Greek, with English subtitles.

“While we welcomed the opportunity to keep in touch with our audience through virtual screenings for the past year and a half, it's a real pleasure to be back in theaters, where movies were made to be shown,” said Jimmy DeMetro, president, Hellenic Film Society. “As our city makes bold steps to return to normalcy this fall, we invite our audience to come enjoy the latest Greek films and to rediscover the magic of the movies.”

The films being presented represent the best of what Greek filmmakers have created over the past two years, including two films and a short subject written and directed by women. “We take film selection very seriously,” said DeMetro. “We try to select the most interesting of the films that are available to us, keeping in mind the need to create a slate of films ranging from the commercial to the artistic so that every viewer will find something to enjoy.”

New York Greek Film Expo 2021 is made possible with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. 

For further information about the New York Greek Film Expo or to purchase tickets, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or call 347-934-9497.

Following is the 2021 feature film lineup:

THE AUDIENCE, written and directed by Mariano Pensotti, U.S. premiere Friday, October 1, 9:20 PM – Directors Guild Theater.

This strikingly original film follows the stories of 11 audience members attending a play in Athens. Their personal stories reveal the transformative power of theater. Mature audiences only.

DIGGER, written and directed Georgis Grigorakis, New York theatrical premiere Sunday, October 3, 6:45 PM – Directors Guild Theater.

A reclusive farmer battles a giant mining company digging up the forest and threatening his property. But the greatest threat is from the unexpected arrival of his estranged son, who appears to claim the family land. Winner of ten 2021 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.

GREEN SEA, directed by Angeliki Antoniou, Saturday, October 2, 7 PM – Directors Guild Theater, and Friday, October 8, 7 PM – Museum of the Moving Image.

Anna has lost her memory but hasn’t forgotten how to cook. She gets a job in a working-class seaside taverna, where amid the aromas of old beloved recipes, she struggles to rediscover herself. This film, directed, written, and starring women, is being co-presented by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT).

IN THE STRANGE PURSUIT OF LAURA DURAND, written and directed by Dimitris Bavellas, Sunday, October 3, 1:30 PM – Directors Guild Theater.

Ranging from zany to poignant, this comic road movie blends various film genres and a lively 1980s indie rock soundtrack as it tells the story of two down-and-out musicians who embark on a search for a porn star of their youth who mysteriously disappeared several years ago. Winner of seven film festival awards.

THE MAN WITH THE ANSWERS, written and directed by Stelios Kammitsis, Saturday, October 2, 9:20 PM – Directors Guild Theater.

Following the death of his grandmother, an uptight former Olympic diving champion heads to Germany to visit his estranged mother. En route, he meets a free-spirited German tourist. The mismatched men hit the road where they develop a surprising relationship on their way to self-discovery and reconciliation. Mature audiences only.

MY NAME IS EFTYHIA, directed by Angelos Frantzis, Sunday, October 3, 4 PM – Directors Guild Theater, and Saturday, October 9, 7 PM – Museum of the Moving Image.

This biographical drama tells the story of the indomitable Eftyhia Papagiannopoulou, who escaped the burning of Smyrna and went to Athens where she became the beloved lyricist of Greece. Winner of eight Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.

SENIOR CITIZEN, directed by Marinos Kartikkis, Saturday, October 2, 5 PM – Directors Guild Theater, and Sunday, October 10, 4 PM – Museum of the Moving Image.

A lonely old man spends his nights in the outpatient department of a local hospital. Every morning, he returns home to his cat and his memories. One night he is discovered by a nurse, who tries to learn more about him and gradually, a relationship of trust begins to build between the two. Winner of 10 film festival awards.

TAILOR, directed by Sonia Liza Kenterman, Friday, October 1, 7 PM – Directors Guild Theater, and Saturday, October 9, 4 PM – Museum of the Moving Image.

Changing trends in men’s fashion bring hard times to a master tailor. When the bank threatens to repossess his shop, he hits the road with a tailor shop on wheels.  Determined to survive, he manages to reinvent himself while bringing style to the brides of Athens. Winner of two Hellenic Film Academy Awards and three Thessaloniki Film Festival Awards.