The New York Greek Film Expo is giving New Yorkers a taste of Greek life as the annual ten-day event unfolds, including a grand finale at the Museum of the Moving Image from Oct. 10-12.
The event, which will be held at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria, is organized by the Hellenic Film Society. This year, the Astoria event will feature a retrospective on filmmaker Pantelis Voulgaris, including a screening of his films, which highlight the creator’s talent and skill in nuanced storytelling while maintaining ties to Greek history and society.
“As master filmmaker, Pantelis Voulgaris marks his 85th birthday later this month, the time seems right to present a retrospective of his work, an opportunity to revisit, enjoy and reassess some of his major films,” Hellenic Film Society President Maria C. Miles said.
The Hellenic Film Society has been offering film lovers an immersive experience of Greek life through its film screenings throughout Astoria and New York City since the non-profit organization’s launch in 2018. The 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization provides a platform for Greek filmmakers and highlights the cultures of Greece and Cyprus. In addition to the New York Greek Film Expo, the organization also hosts a monthly film screening at the Museum of the Moving Image, titled “Always on Sunday,” which takes its name from the 1960 romantic comedy Greek film “Never on Sunday.”
“In 2018, we had our first film festival and we’ve been doing it ever since,” said Nancy Nicolelis, the brand’s marketing and communications director. “We were obviously on lockdown during the pandemic, and at the time, we were doing the festival in the Spring, and over the years, we’ve been able to attract a more diverse audience.”
The weekend-long event will feature the filmmaker’s first film, along with his most recent work, including The Engagement of Anna (1972), The Last Note (2017), Brides (2004) and Little England (2013). His work, along with many of the films highlighted by The Hellenic Film Society, provides an opportunity to bridge cultures in the very diverse borough of Queens, with audience goers hailing from all backgrounds, including Greece and beyond.
“We are the only Greek film society, to my knowledge, in the U.S.,” Nicolelis said. “And in a borough as diverse as Queens, you want to share your culture. A lot of the themes and relationships in the films are universal; they’re not unique to Greece, so we see it as a way to build bridges with other nationalities and cultures.”
The annual festival opens on Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Directors Guild Theater in Manhattan, followed by screenings on Oct. 3-5 at the Village East Theater. From Oct. 7-9, the Expo will take place at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, followed by the retrospective in Astoria on Friday, Oct. 10.
For tickets, schedules and more information, visit their website.
