LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) 6th International Project Discovery Forum takes place at the Egyptian Theatre, June 7-10 this year. The International Project Discovery Forum (IPDF) is LAGFF’s industry program.

IPDF is a pioneer in the development and promotion of international independent films, utilizing the innumerable resources that exist in Los Angeles to create a bridge between two very different worlds – American and Greek/Balkan independent cinema.

“We look for films that have an original approach, and are made by independent filmmakers that have a unique voice,” explains IPDF Director Araceli Lemos. “The stage of development of the selected projects varies from inspiring and promising treatments or scripts in the early stages – to more advanced projects with complete scripts. We create a network of creative professionals from Greece, the Balkans, and the U.S. that share the desire to preserve film as an artistic expression, always searching for new ways of storytelling through image and sound.”

An example of a bridge created by IPDF is with Cypriot filmmaker Marios Piperides. He participated in the second edition IPDF (2014) and his first feature Smuggling Hendrix recently won the International Narrative Feature Award at Tribeca 2018.

After studying Broadcast Management and Film Production in the U.S., Piperides returned to Cyprus in 2002 and founded his production company. The main theme in his work is the ongoing division of Cyprus and their need to overcome their own prejudices. Smuggling Hendrix was selected by LAGFF curators to open the 12th LAGFF on June 6 at the Egyptian Theater,marking the film’s West Coast premiere.

The 2018 Forum includes a four-day development lab with six selected filmmakers, as well as a series of roundtables, workshops, and masterclasses that are free and open to the public. This year’s filmmakers come from Greece, Romania, and Lebanon with diverse and compelling stories.