Phedon Papamichael has agreed to direct "Romero, Julieta and the General"

Nicholas T. Proferes’ a.ka.a Handsome Harry and winner of the LAGFF (Los Angeles Greek Film Festival) 2008 scriptwriting competition for “ROMERO, JULIETA AND THE GENERAL” has secured a development deal with Human Revolution.
Phedon Papamichael (Director Arcadia Lost, Cinematographer 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line, and the upcoming The Descendents) is on board to direct. The film is scheduled to begin principal photography in the Spring of 2011 with the majority of filming to be shot on the island of Crete. Stratton Leopold (Mission: Impossible III, Wolfman) will executive produce along with Angeliki Giannakopoulos (Human Revolution Entertainment). Freddy Vianelli (Modiano) and Stamatis Athanasoulas (Top Cut) will co-produce.

“I am grateful to the LAGFF team for the opportunity – not only to have my script chosen by some of the film industry’s most respected professionals, but to have it honored with a production” Nicholas Proferes stated.

“Romero, Julieta and the General” was selected from over 70 scripts that were submitted by Greek writers from around the world and reviewed by jury members that included Leopold, Kary Antholis (HBO, President of Miniseries), and Christina Lazaridi (Columbia Film School professor).

“I wanted to have my next film be a comedy and when I read Romero,Julieta and The General – it was such a refreshing and imaginative script rich with humor that would translate across all cultures – I said yes immediately” said Papamichael. “I also look forward to returning to shoot in Greece as my experience with filming Arcadia Lost there was such a positive one.” Greece is becoming one of the best places to shoot in Europe right now, can’t beat locations like that!”

“Our goal is to cast the majority of roles locally and of course crew,” said Angeliki Giannakopoulos. “As for the key roles, we are in discussions with some of the top names in Hollywood.”

“We are pleased to be associated with this Greek-American co-production and delighted to produce the film in Greece and be able to showcase the quality production and cast that the country has to offer. We are meeting with potential production partners in Greece and plan to announce those partners and cast within the next few months ” added Freddy Vianellis

Proferes’ romantic comedy follows a young Greek-American filmmaker, Romero, who goes to Greece to settle a long-standing family dispute. In the process he discovers a manuscript that he just has to make into a film! He knows the film could win an Oscar one day … IF his mother, his sister, his brother-in-law, his aunts, the village priest, the old General who wrote the manuscript, the General’s beautiful granddaughter, Julieta, the village’s Handsome Devil, the Shepherd, and even the town’s plumber can just leave him alone…long enough to shoot it.

Director of Prison Break, Bobby Roth

Are you ready for Greek Prison Break? Fox TV director, Bobby Roth (Prison Break, Lost etc.) is going to Greece to teach a workshop for the Greek TV Station, Antenna. The Greek TV Station would like to produce six TV series for the upcoming season similar to Prison Break and Lost that have been very popular in Greece. A few days before his departure for Greece we asked the American director a few questions about his trip and the workshop.

How did you decide to go to Greece?

I have always wanted to see Greece and this opportunity is combined with my desire to teach what I’ve learned about directing contemporary network TV.

Have you ever been there before?
No.

Have you watched any Greek TV preparing for the workshop?

No, I wouldn’t know where to find it in LA and I don’t speak Greek.

What is the theme of the workshop?

I will take the directors through my preparation and production of an American Television show like LOST or PRISON BREAK

You have worked on many hit shows at FOX. Which one is your favorite?

PRISON BREAK

What has been your best day on set?

My best days on set is always when I’m directing my son, who has acted with me many time. My favorite collaboration with him was on my independent film, BERKELEY, where he played the lead.

Do you think that we are living the end of the TV era as we know it?

I have seen many changes in film and TV over the last thirty years, but its always been about story-telling since Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad. I am first and foremost a storyteller.

Do you have any Greek friends here in LA?
Greg Yaitanes who is an excellent director, Anthony Skordi a great actor, and Zoi Kottas, a lovely actress…

Are you planning to combine business with some vacation time while in Greece? What destinations are you looking forward to visit?

If I can find time I would like to see the sights.

The panel will discuss recent productions in Greece and how the Greek culture and new infrastructure aided in the telling of their stories. In addition, advantages, challenges as well as future possibilities of foreign film production will be expanded on. “With the recent success of MAMMA MIA! and the soon-to-be-released MY LIFE IN RUINS, starring Nia Vardalos, the Greek culture is making its way to the mainstream through the art of filmmaking,” said Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Festival Co-Founder and Director. “Greece is experiencing a rise in tourism this summer which is being attributed to the success of last summer’s hit MAMMA MIA! Audiences enjoy seeing the images of Greece and the unique personality of the Greek people. The LA Greek Film Festival is delighted to encourage more productions there.” MY LIFE IN RUINS director Donald Petrie adds, “Greece was an amazing place to shoot a film from the breathtaking locations, to the warm and welcoming attitude of both the Greek government, and the people.”

Over the years, Greece has attracted the interest of various international producers who have taken advantage of the country’s old culture, unique light and beautiful landscape. See the Greek reporter’s list of movies filmed in Greece. Greece is an integral part of the European Union and has a visual wealth of natural landscapes in regions like Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly , the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese , Crete and the picturesque islands in the Aegean and the Ionian seas. Many of these locations are blessed with historical monuments and traditional architecture. There are no large studios in Greece, but the country now offers a modern infrastructure for handling international film productions, experienced crews and service companies.

Panelists include Nia Vardalos (writer/actor), who made filmmaking history with the success of her independent film MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002). The movie was nominated for an Academy Award® for best original screenplay. Vardalos’ other credits include the television series My Big Fat Greek Life, CONNIE AND CARLA (2004) and the recent release MY LIFE IN RUINS, which was partly filmed in archaeological sites in Greece. Sanford Panitch is currently the President of Fox International Productions, a division of 20th Century Fox that produces and acquires local language films all over the world with strategic focus on markets with rapidly expanding local market share. He previously served as the President of Filmed Entertainment for New Regency Enterprises. He has supervised over 75 feature films such as JUMPER, DAREDEVIL, and the highest grossing movie in New Regency’s history MR. AND MRS. SMITH. Prior, Mr. Panitch was Executive Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox where he worked on the highest grossing movie of all time TITANIC. Phedon Papamichael is a top Hollywood cinematographer and director. He has worked with directors such as Oliver Stone, Wim Wenders, Jon Turteltaub, Alexander Payne, Nick Cassavetes, and Diane Keaton. Some of his cinematography credits include W. (2008), 3:10 TO YUMA (2007), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006), WALK THE LINE (2005), THE WEATHER MAN (2005), SIDEWAYS (2005), IDENTITY (2003), MOONLIGHT MILE (2002), PATCH ADAMS (1998), MOUSEHUNT (1997), PHENOMENON (1996), and UNSTRUNG HEROES (1995). Papamichael recently completed his fourth feature as a director, ARCADIA LOST (2009), starring Haley Bennett, Nick Nolte and Carter Jenkins, which was filmed entirely in Greece.

From Greece, the panel includes Markos Holevas, a film director and scholar, is the Director of the Hellenic Film Commission Office and a Special Advisor to the Greek Film Centre; Stamatis Athanassoulas, founder of one of Greece’s leading production companies Top Cut, is a producer for feature films, documentaries and TV commercials. He is the Vice President of PACT (Producers’ Association for Cinema and TV). His latest credits include ARCADIA LOST (2008) HIP HOP RHYTHMS & RHYMES (2008) and KINETTA (2006).

The panel discussion will be moderated by producer Terry Dougas, who has made films in both Greece and the US. His credits, as producer and executive producer, include BRIDES (2004), the recently completed THE BOX and THE INVENTION OF LYING, VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE (2009) and SWING VOTE (2008).

Beyond Borders: Greece on the International Film Stage will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2009, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Linwood Dunn Theater located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood.

More at LAGreekFilmFestival.org

By Jim Ballas

Whether filming an action-packed historical fiction or a documentary about archaeological landmarks, Greece is an ideal place for foreign films to be shot. In a period where Hollywood film budgets are steadily increasing and location shoots are becoming common, Greek Hollywood Reporter takes a look at what it takes to film in Greece. For this article, we will look at two types of production: assisted or unassisted production.

With assisted production, the movie producers will hire a production location service. Two such organizations are CL Productions and Film Greece. These organizations provide any services necessary for production, from casting extras to gathering permits for historical sites. CL Productions has been hired for such features as “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” Film Greece has worked for many television shows, including the History Channel’s “Human Weapon” and many Discovery Channel documentaries, including “Atlantis: Is It Real?”

While production location services seem to be a one-stop shop for all your filming needs, they are generally used by smaller-budgeted productions in order to keep costs down. A big-budget film would usually go with an unassisted production, filming without the assistance of a Greek location service.

In order to film without a location service, it is essential to first get shooting permits. There are multiple types of shooting permits in Greece and each one comes from a different location. In order to get a standard shooting permit, which works for most locations, producers must go through the Ministry of Press and Mass Media. According to the Ministry’s website, “the granting is based on the filming script which is submitted to the competent independent committee. The license permits the filming of scenes at sites other than those where a special permit is required.”

Special permits are required to film at archaeological sites, military bases or to film aerial shots or shots requiring the closing of public places. The most common of these special permits are the permits for historical sites. In order to get this permit, producers have to go through the Ministry of Culture. These permits allow supervised shooting in archaeological locations.

Once permits are bought, producers can focus on the production itself. The Hellenic Film Commission Office is a great resource for producers. They can assist with telling you how to get permits as well as locate other resources for production. On their website alone, they have contacts for Greek production companies, television studios, unions and even a network of other state-funded institutions, such as the Greek Film Centre and the Mediterranean Film Institution. These other institutions are great resources, both for Greek and foreign filmmakers.

Filming in Greece can add beauty and history to a film, so it is not difficult to imagine why filmmakers choose Greece. To find out more information, check out the following websites:

CL Productions: http://guide.clproductions.gr/en/

Film Greece: http://www.filmgreece.com/

Greek Ministry of Press and Mass Media: http://www.minpress.gr/minpress/en/index.htm

Hellenic Film Commission Office: http://www.hfco.gr/

Greek Film Centre: http://www.gfc.gr/

By Lia Karidas

As a Greek living abroad, it is always satisfying to see visions of Greece’s natural beauty displayed on the silver screen. The islands, in particular, are a force to be reckoned with in terms of Greek settings represented in Hollywood films. But which island does Hollywood love the most? Follow down the list as GHR recaps the Hollywood films that take place in the Greek Islands…. This, is Island Idol.

Boy On a Dolphin (1957)- starring Alan Ladd, Clifton Webb & Sophia Loren

Starting with an oldie, this 20th Century Fox film took place amongst the islands of the Aegean, but was filmed predominantly on the Greek island of Hydra.

Zorba The Greek (1964)- starring Anthony Quinn

Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba The Greek tells the story of an English writer who meets a free-spirited peasant on the island of Crete.

For Your Eyes Only (1982)- starring Roger Moore

The twelfth film of the James Bond franchise was partly set (and filmed) in Corfu, another island beauty of Greece. The film entails James Bond kicking butt, as always, but this time, the antagonist is a deceptive Greek businessman.

Summer Lovers (1982)- starring Peter Gallagher, Darryl Hannah, and Valerie Quennessen

While the film was critically snubbed, there is no doubt about the beauty of it’s settings. Taking place in Santorini, Crete, Delos, and Mykonos, the tag line, “this is one summer you’ll never forget”, is quite fitting.

High Season (1987)- starring Jacqueline Bisset

An English photographer, living on the island of Rhodes, deals with the unexpected appearance of her ex-husband, an old friend, and unresolved issues from the past.

Pascali’s Island (1988)- starring Ben Kingsley, Charles Dance, and Helen Mirren

The film, set in 1908 on an island under Ottoman occupation, chronicles the experience of an Ottoman spy who reports on the actions of the local people. This film was shot on location in Rhodes and Smyrna.

Shirley Valentine (1989)- starring Pauline Collins

When her best friend wins a trip for two to Greece, Shirley Valentine sees a perfect opportunity to escape her redundant life and take some time for herself. She finds romance and a new sense of self on the Greek island of Mykonos, where the movie was also filmed.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)- starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz

An Italian invasion of the Greek island of Cephalonia brings together an italian soldier, Captain Antonio Corelli, and a Greek peasant woman, Pelagia.

The Bourne Identity (2002)- starring Matt Damon

While the film only lands us in Greece at the very end, we still have to give a point to Mykonos for making a blockbuster appearance.

Swept Away (2002)- starring Madonna

While a commercial and critical failure, this modern-day remake of the 1972 Italian film, features a planned trip from an unnamed Greek island to Italy, that takes an unexpected turn when the passengers end up shipwrecked on another Greek island.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)- starring Angelina Jolie

This sequel to the 2001 film, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, takes place in several Greek locations including the island of Santorini.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005)- starring Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, Blake Lively, and America Ferrera

This feel-good tale of love and friendship takes place (a quarter of the time) on the Greek island of Santorini. The sequel, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 (2008), is due for release this summer and will also feature footage taken on this island.

Mamma Mia! (2008)- starring Meryl Streep

The film based on the world famous musical is set to be released next month, and also takes place on an unnamed Greek island. While the name of the island is never mentioned in the play, the film was shot in Skopelos, and Skiathos, two of Greece’s lesser known islands.

Now, for the results. Tied for first place, with three films each, are Santorini and Mykonos! But in all honesty, the beauty and history of all of these settings are too great for competition. In fact, the real winners here are probably the viewers of the films!