LOS ANGELES – The 16th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) takes place May 9-15 with in-person screenings and events while the virtual film program of screenings and exciting webinars follows May 12-29. LAGFF Artistic and Festival Director Aristotle Katopodis said: “We’re thrilled to physically welcome back filmgoers and filmmakers, let’s meet again.”

“We received over 250 film submissions this year, many reflecting exceptional creativity and diversity,” Katopodis continued. “While the pandemic effect was evident in the number of films produced, the perseverance of the filmmakers is astounding.”

The Opening Night Film & Reception, hosted by UCLA’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture, takes place on May 9 at the James Bridges Theater at UCLA. Theatrical Screenings at LA Live Regal Cinemas and DTLA continue May 10-15. On May 11, the Hollywood Scene & Be Seen Bash will be presented by Power Muse + LAGFF. May 14 features the Filmmaker’s Breakfast and the Olympia Dukakis Tribute presented by Apollo Dukakis. The in-person portion of the festival concludes May 15 with the Closing Night and the Orpheus Awards and Festivities at the Silver Screen Theater at Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

The full program of films was also announced by LAGFF and is available online: https://www.lagff.org/2022-films/.

An impressive selection of features, documentaries, animation, and shorts will be available for attendees to choose from during the in-person and virtual parts of the festival. In this centennial year of the Smyrna Catastrophe, the LAGFF opens with the in-person screening of Smyrna, My Beloved on May 9. Documentary selections including The Full Catastrophe and Lethal Nationalism: Genocide of the Greeks 1913-1923, also tackle the subject.

Among the films screening virtually is Memento, directed by Nikos Ziogas, a lyrical elegy to Epirus, a love song for its musicians and unique nature. During Easter in Giromeri, Thesprotia, the few people of the village try to keep traditions and legends alive through songs and lyrics, and the sounds of the clarinet echo through the rocks, the mountains, and the faces. The film won the Best New Greek Director Award at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in 2021 and was screened at the Greek Film Festival in Berlin in 2022.

The LAGFF Gold Pass ($175) offers all-access to the festival and is available online: https://lagff2022.eventive.org/passes/buy

It includes all theatrical screenings (May 9-15); all virtual screenings, webinars and workshops (May 12-29); Opening Night; Preferred Seating for Closing Night; Hollywood Scene & Be Seen Bash; Filmmaker’s Breakfast; Olympia Dukakis Tribute event presented by Apollo Dukakis; Presentations from the International Project Discovery Forum, exclusive audit, May 15.

LAGFF Gold Patron Sponsors are AT&T, West Coast Investors, and G.P. Kolovos & Associates. Complete 2022 Sponsor List – https://www.lagff.org/support/sponsors/

LAGFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses its attention on bringing films and filmmakers from Greece, Cyprus, and the rest of the world to the United States. Over the past 15 years, LAGFF has screened over 520 films and hosted over 500 filmmakers supporting their films. Ticket information and further details are available online: https://www.lagff.org.