Dimitri Vorris

DARK LOVE

2026-02-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

If love feels wrong… it probably is. DARK LOVE 🖤

"DARK LOVE” is a psychological thriller with dark romance and horror elements, available on Amazon and major bookstores.

Hannah Harper enters Saint Mary’s Asylum looking for answers—only to find her sister alive, defiant, and marked by secrets no record dares acknowledge. What begins as a rescue becomes a descent into forbidden research, fractured memories, and a dead father’s shadow that still haunts the halls. Something in the ruins remembers them. Something hungry.

As reality fractures, Hannah must choose what is more dangerous: the truth she uncovers… or the love she refuses to abandon.

"DΑRK LOVE" is a neo-noir psychological thriller exploring obsession, shattered sisterhood, and the terrifying price of inheritance.

ANIMATED TRAILER "HERCULES + HERMES: THE UNTOLD STORY", GRAPHIC NOVEL 1

2025-02-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

">Available worldwide on Amazon, Books-A-Million, Ingram, Kobo Writing Life.

The graphic novel "Hercules + Hermes: The Untold Story" is written, illustrated and based on characters created by Dimitrios Vorris. Don't miss our next trailer with the epic adventures of "Hercules in Manhattan". Read and enjoy the books!

...In ancient Greece, a land where myths waltzed and gods took weekend getaways to savor ambrosia on sun-kissed shores, Hercules, a superhero whose heart matched the breadth of his muscles, strode through life's trials. With a physique rivaling the sculpture of Michelangelo's David, but even brawnier, Hercules faced perils both divine and monstrous. By his side trotted Hermes, a valiant superdog, renowned for his unwavering bravery and insatiable hunger for treats-any treats. Together, this dynamic duo encountered challenges beyond mortal imagination, from serpentine beasts to cunning sorcerers, weaving their own saga into the rich tapestry of Greek mythology.

MEET PERICLES OF HERCULES iN MANHATTAN (HERCULES + HERMES BOOKS TRILOGY)

2025-02-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

Meet Pericles, the Guardian of ancient secrets, the Keeper of Legends, the storyteller of the adventures of Hercules + Hermes.

ANIMATED TRAILER HERCULES IN MANHATTAN GRAPHIC NOVEL 2. ( HERCULES + HERMES BOOKS TRILOGY).

2025-02-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

...In a world where legends rise and fall… Where heroes clash with villains… And ancient forces bend the very fabric of reality… Meet Betty Loop. A skilled pet healer. A part-time yoga instructor. And the kindest soul you’ll ever know. Betty left the sunlit shores of Greece for the concrete jungle of New York City, finding her true calling—caring for abandoned animals, healing their wounds, and weaving her quiet magic into the megacity’s chaotic rhythm. They call her “Mom.” “Màma,” “Mamá,”“Big Betty Mama.” And to one feisty Bronx mutt called Hassle? “...Grrrr…Betty!” But to Hercules, she’ll always say, “...Heracles”

In a city of chaos, Betty is the heart that keeps the beat. ...Leah Smolensky. Her name alone chills the air. Her magic is darker than a Bronx alley at midnight. Her hatred for Hercules? A cursed flame, burning with the power to rewrite history… and Greek mythology itself. She isn’t just powerful. She’s unstoppable. The kind of trouble you sense before you see. When Hercules storms into Manhattan to rescue Hermes, his loyal sidekick, the city becomes the battleground for an epic clash. Magic against might. Light against darkness. The fate of the legends… hangs in the balance.

This is not a fantasy. This is for real!

Step into the Vorrisverse. Read the books. Join the legend!

A Simple Love Story. Avalable now!

2024-07-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

Art, love, and chaos collide with the underworld and

political turmoil.

Can love conquer all when the stakes are this high?

...As the streets of Ecuador, Greece, and New York City bustled with chaos and turmoil, Sophia, a fiercely dedicated artist married to an illegal arms dealer, found herself inexplicably drawn to Paul, a smooth-talking hustler. Amidst the growing political unrest threatening to engulf them, their intense connection became both a refuge and a risk in a violent and corrupt world filled with bloodshed and betrayal. Sophia and Paul soon realized that each moment they shared was like walking on a tightrope, perpetually balancing between ecstasy and peril. But can love truly conquer all when the stakes are this high?

HERCULES + HERMES: THE UNTOLD STORY

2024-06-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Epic New Comic Book "Hercules and Hermes: The Untold Story" Now Available on Amazon and at Independent Booksellers Nationwide

In a spectacular blend of mythology and modern storytelling, the new comic book "Hercules and Hermes: The Untold Story" is set to capture the imaginations of readers young and old. With over 100 vibrant illustrations, this enchanting tale is now available as an eBook and paperback on Amazon, as well as at independent booksellers nationwide.

A Heroic Journey Like No Other

Step into the sun-drenched lands of ancient Greece, where gods mingled with mortals, and myths danced to life. At the heart of this world strides Hercules, a superhero whose strength is matched only by his immense heart. By his side, Hermes, a superdog of unparalleled bravery and an insatiable appetite for treats, proves that loyalty and courage come in all shapes and sizes. Together, they embark on adventures that stretch the bounds of imagination, facing challenges both divine and monstrous.

An Unforgettable Cast

"Hercules and Hermes" introduces readers to a rich tapestry of characters: Adonis, the gentle bear who combines muscle with affection. Pericles the Professor, a wise Basset Hound and keeper of legends, dispensing wisdom from behind his thick glasses. Phaedra, a snooty New York cat with an air of superiority. Betty Loop, a bubbly witch and part-time yoga instructor who heals with one hand and bakes with the other, adding a whimsical touch to every scene.

A World of Mythical Wonders and Menacing Foes

The heroic duo faces an array of formidable adversaries: The fearsome Lernean Hydra, dragons, and towering giants. The dark witch Leah Smallensky of Manhattan, who plots against them with curses, hexes, and an army of mythical creatures including griffins, harpies, and chimeras. In this epic saga of adventure, friendship, and loyalty, readers are reminded that even in the darkest times, a positive attitude and a faithful companion can turn any journey into an extraordinary adventure.

Sequel Coming Soon!

Fans of "Hercules and Hermes: The Untold Story" will be thrilled to know that the epic sequel, "Hercules in Manhattan," arrives in July 2024, promising even more mythical adventures and heroic feats. Available Now! "Hercules and Hermes: The Untold Story" is now available for purchase in eBook and paperback formats on Amazon, and at independent booksellers across the country.

Dive into a world where myths come alive, and join Hercules and Hermes on their thrilling quests.

Experience the magic and heroism of ancient Greece with Hercules and Hermes today!

DO NOT FORGET ME: THREE JEWISH MOTHERS WRITE LETTERS TO THEIR CHILDREN FROM THE GHETTOS OF SALONICA

2022-08-02T13:52:00.005-07:00

"DO NOT FORGET ME" is a docudrama feature based on Dr. Leon Saltiel's book that chronicles the Jewish pogrom from 1941-1945 in Salonica, Greece.

The project traces the roots and evolution of anti-Jewish pogroms in Thessaloniki, Greece circa WWII through a selection of 25 letters (out of 72 original letters recovered in a 3 year research in personal archives) written by 3 Jewish mothers (portrayed by 3 different actresses) to their children while they anxiously waiting to embark on the train to the mass extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

THE AGONY OF GREEK JEWS feature length documentary

2022-08-02T13:10:00.014-07:00

The Agony of the Greek Jews" produced and directed by Dimitri Vorris is about the unknown Holocaust in Greece based on the works and the research of historian and author Steven B. Bowman. It is about the 57.000 martyrs of the Greek Holocaust and the Jews who joined the resistance and fought against the Nazis.

The Agony of Greek Jews tells the story of modern Greek Jewry as it came under the control of the Kingdom of Greece during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In particular, it deals with the vicissitudes of those Jews who held Greek citizenship during the interwar and wartime periods.

Individual chapters address the participation of Greek and Palestinian Jews in the 1941 fighting with Italy and Germany, the roles of Jews in the Greek Resistance, aid, and rescue attempts, and the problems faced by Jews who returned from the camps and the mountains in the aftermath of the German retreat. Bowman focuses on the fate of one minority group of Greek citizens during the war and explores various aspects of its relations with the conquerors, the conquered, and concerned bystanders.

FINANCIAL CORRUPTION IN THE TUNE OF MILLIONS OF EUROS IN GREEK FILM CENTER ACCORDING TO SILVER-BEAR WINNER COSTAS FERRIS

2021-06-06T01:41:00.003-07:00

FINANCIAL CORRUPTION IN THE TUNE OF MILLIONS OF EUROS IN THE #GFC #GREEKFILMCENTER THE STATE BODY THAT HANDLES TAXPAYERS' MONEY? Silver Bear winner for "Rebetiko" director #CostasFerris, a former member of the board of directors of state body Greek Film Center, thinks so.
Here's an exceprt of his interview to journalists Yiorgos Petropoulos and Dimitri Kanellopoulos of the indie newspaper
www.efsyn.gr

"QUESTION: It was written in electronic media that the relevant findings are kept is in the drawer of the Minister of Culture (Mrs. Lina Mendoni) and must be given to the public prosecutor because criminal responsibilities for previous administrations of the Greek Film Center arise. What exactly is the truth?

Costas Ferris: In these findings, persons from the current Greek Film Center administration are involved, and is absolutely certain that the (current) Holevas administration had an obligation by law to deliver them directly to the Public Prosecutor.
This omission is a conscious criminal offense with a possibility of the intentiom of fraud and implies an ex officio intervention by the Public Prosecutor. The forner President of Greek Film Center Panos Loukakos and Vice-President Christina Manolopoulou (after our resignation) sent to the Minister of Culture a memorandum mentioning these (financial) crimes and the (3 different auditors reports), together with many other violations of the law, to the new administration under Mr. Markos Holevas. This memorandum is included in my recent public letter that some journalists omitted (from publication). I do not know whether Mr. Holevas informed the Minister. I know, however, that the Director General of Greek Film Center Pantelis Mitropoulos failed to sign the findings (according to the law that is his legal obligation) and the legal adviser to the GFC Mr. Pericles Polychronidis was fired by Mr Cholevas and the current administration.
What is more than certain is that Mr. Holevas did not forward the findings to the competent prosecutor, as the report of the State's General Accounting Authority and, as the Minister has ordered. Instead, he handed the two legal reports to another lawyer of his own choice, Mr. Alexandros Christidis, to cover up. And, of course, he did not inform the Minister that in lawyer's Asprogeraka-Grivas' report, as in the findings of State Auditors, Certified Accountants and Financial Inspectors Batsouli, Androutsos and Triantafyllou, there's possibly (!) mentioning of his personal involvement and the right thing to do would be to resign immediately immediately in order to assist the pending investigation within the Greek Film Center!

But he had preceded the concealment from the current administration of the Ministry of Culture of the fact that he had an open court dispute with the GFC and therefore should not have accepted his appointment (as President) from the very beginning, as laid down in Article 20 of law 3905/2010. Two acts of unlawfulness (and violations of the Penal code) within one week! These are outrageous things. "

CORRUPTION AND DECADENCE IN GREEK FILM CENTER ACCORDING TO SILVER BEAR WINNER DIRECTOR COSTAS FERRIS (ANTΡΟ ΠΑΡΑΝΟΜΙΑΣ ΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΚΙΝΗΜΑΤΟΓΡΑΦΟΥ)

2021-06-05T03:05:00.004-07:00

- ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ: Γράφτηκε σε ηλεκτρονικά MME ότι το σχετικό πόρισμα βρίσκεται στο συρτάρι της υπουργού Πολιτισμού και πρέπει να δοθεί στον εισαγγελέα γιατί προκύπτουν ποινικές ευθύνες για προηγούμενες διοικήσεις. Τι ακριβώς ισχύει;

- Κ. Φ.: Σ' αυτά τα πορίσματα εμπλέκονται πρόσωπα από τη σημερινή διοίκηση του ΕΚΚ Αυτό που είναι απολύτως βέβαιο είναι πως η διοίκηση Χολέβα είχε εκ του νόμου υποχρέωση να τα παραδώσει άμεσα στον εισαγγελέα. Η παράλειψη αυτή είναι συνειδητό ποινικό αδίκημα με ενδεχόμενο δόλο και συνεπάγεται αυτεπάγγελτη παρέμβαση του εισαγγελέα. Ο πρόεδρος Πάνος Λουκάκος και η αντιπρόεδρος Χριστίνα Μανωλοπούλου (μετά την παραίτησή μας) απέστειλαν την επιστολή υπόμνημα κάνοντας μνεία αυτών των εγκλήσεων και της έκθεσης νομικού ελέγχου, μαζί με πολλές άλλες εκκρεμότητες, στη νέα διοίκηση υπό τον κ. Μάρκο Χολέβα. Η επιστολή αυτή περιλαμβάνεται στην πρόσφατη δημόσια επιστολή μου και κάποιοι δημοσιογράφοι παρέλειψαν (εκ του πονηρού ) την αναδημοσίευσή της. Δεν γνωρίζω αν ο κ. Χολέβας ενημέρωσε την κ. υπουργό. Γνωρίζω πάντως πως ο γενικός διευθυντής Παντελής Μητρόπουλος παρέλειψε να υπογράψει τα πορίσματα ως ώφειλε, ο δε νομικός σύμβουλος του Κέντρου Περικλής Πολυχρονίδης, που επίσης ορίζεται από τις Εκθέσεις ως εκπρόσωπος του Κέντρου στη δικαστική συνέχεια... απελύθη από τον κ. Χολέβα και το διοικητικό συμβούλιο του. Εκείνο που είναι βέβαιο είναι πως ο κ. Χολέβας δεν διαβίβασε τα πορίσματα στον αρμόδιο εισαγγελέα, όπως επιτάσσει η έκθεση του Γενικού Λογιστηρίου του Κράτους και όπως διέταξε η κ. υπουργός. Αντ' αυτού παρέδωσε τις δύο αξιολογικές εκθέσεις σε άλλον δικηγόρο της δικής του επιλογής, τον κ. Αλέξανδρο Χρηστίδη, προς... επαναξιολόγηση. Και φυσικά δεν ενημέρωσε την κ. υπουργό πως στην έγκληση Ασπρογέρακα, όπως άλλωστε στα πορίσματα Μπατσούλη Ανδρούτσου Τριανταφύλλου, ενδεχομένως (!) να περιλαμβάνεται το όνόμά του για πράξεις κακουργηματικού χαρακτήρα και για αυτό όφειλε να παραιτηθεί αμέσως για να διευκολύνει την κάθαρση εντός του ΕΚΚ! Όμως είχε προηγηθεί η απόκρυψη από τον νυν πρόεδρο του γεγονότος πως είχε μια ανοιχτή δικαστική διαμάχη με το ΕΚΚ και ως εκ τούτου δεν έπρεπε να αποδεχτεί τον διορισμό του από την πρώτη στιγμή, όπως ορίζει το άρθρο 20 του 3905 2010. Δύο σκαστές παρανομίες μέσα σε μία βδομάδα! Αυτά είναι εξωφρενικά πράγματα.

- ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ: Τι συνέβη με τις δύο πρόσφατες εγκρίσεις χρηματοδοτήσεων εντός του ΕΚΚ, όπου κατηγορείται η νυν διοίκηση Χολέβα για τοποθέτηση κρινόμενων με σενάρια ή αιτήσεις χρηματοδότησης ταινιών να είναι επίσης κριτές αυτών των προτάσεων; Κατήργησε η νυν διοίκηση Χολέβα τις διατάξεις της διοίκησης Βαφέα περί ασυμβίβαστου στις επιτροπές αξιολόγησης; Στο σημείο που βρίσκεται η κατάσταση τώρα θεωρείτε ότι πρέπει να ακυρωθούν οι δύο πρόσφατες εγκρίσεις του ΕΚΚ (τέλη Μαρτίου και τέλη Απριλίου) για τις χρηματοδοτήσεις του ΕΚΚ;

- Κ. Φ.: Δεν υπάρχει περίπτωση να μην ακυρωθούν αυτές οι εγκρίσεις. Εγώ αν είχα εγκεκριμένη πρότασή μου, θα ντρεπόμουν να κάνω μια ταινία κάτω από την υποψία πως μου χαρίστηκαν και ως εκ τούτου είμαι ηθικός αυτουργός του παραπτώματος. Η παρανομία των Χολέβα και Μητρόπουλου δεν εντοπίζεται μόνο στην ακύρωση των διατάξεων της διοίκησης Βαφέα περί ασυμβίβαστου, την οποία η δική μας διοίκηση με πρόεδρο τον Πάνο Λουκάκο είχε σεβαστεί. Είναι ακόμα παράβαση των διατάξεων του νόμου του κράτους περί ασυμβίβαστου στους επί συμβάσει δημοσίους υπαλλήλους (αξιολογητές) που μας κοινοποίησε η κυβέρνηση Μητσοτάκη τον Δεκέμβριο του 2019. Όπως επίσης στο γεγονός πως ακόμα και αυτές οι αξιολογήσεις των... readers, όπως θέλουν να τους ονομάζουν, πέρασαν από το κόσκινο τριών ανθρώπων (στο χωριό μου το λένε μαγείρεμα), δηλαδή του προέδρου, του νεαρού διευθυντή Ανάπτυξης και Παραγωγής Γιώργου Αγγελόπουλου και (πιθανότατα) του γενικού διευθυντή (υπεύθυνου σύμφωνα με τον νόμο). Οι αξιολογήσεις των readers δεν έχουν κανένα νόημα, αν δεν μας πουν ποια ήσαν τα κριτήρια των επιλογών αυτών των τριών ανθρώπων και κατά πόσο σεβάστηκαν το σκεπτικό ακόμα και αυτών των αξιολογητών που οι ίδιοι επέλεξαν.

PRODUCERS IN EUROPE VS. NETFLIX, DISNEY+ FOR QUOTAS OF CONTENT

2020-12-11T08:50:00.005-08:00

https://variety.com/2020/streaming/global/netflix-amazon-disney-plus-europe-1234848797/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_content=243710_12-11-2020_headline&utm_term=171882

(...) France is asking that between 20%-25% of a streamer’s local revenues from subscriptions be invested in European product and 85% spent on French-language content, the bulk of which must be commissioned to independent French producers, who’d be able to get some upside.

“The dialogue is open and constructive. Of course, we don’t agree on everything, but there is a positive dialogue,” says a Netflix spokesperson, who commented only on French negotiations. “We want to continue to invest significantly in France, and we want to be a long-term partner for the entire French creative community and to make a positive impact.”

An Amazon spokesperson said the company has “engaged with producer bodies … to discuss Prime Video’s future investments in France.”

Across Europe, there is also the matter of whether Netflix and other U.S. streamers should be allowed to benefit from the vast reservoir of European soft money that spans from regional funds to national tax rebates.

In Italy, the key negotiator is Giancarlo Leone, who heads Italian TV producers’ association APA and is proposing to set the investment quota for streamers at 20% of revenue, with a lower rate permitted “if the rules of engagement are regulated.”

JOE BIDEN:' “We are not enemies. We are Americans.”

2020-12-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States on Saturday and offered himself to the nation as a leader who “seeks not to divide, but to unify” a country gripped by a historic pandemic and a confluence of economic and social turmoil.

“I sought this office to restore the soul of America,” Biden said in a prime-time victory speech not far from his Delaware home, “and to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.”

Biden crossed the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes with a win in Pennsylvania. His victory came after more than three days of uncertainty as election officials sorted through a surge of mail-in votes that delayed processing.

Trump refused to concede, threatening further legal action on ballot counting. But Biden used his acceptance speech as an olive branch to those who did not vote for him, telling Trump voters that he understood their disappointment but adding, “Let’s give each other a chance.”

“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, to lower the temperature, to see each other again, to listen to each other again, to make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy,” he said. “We are not enemies. We are Americans.”

DECEMBER RIOTS: featuring four music tracks by Moby...

2020-06-01T08:34:00.018-07:00

https://vimeo.com/669752759

Please visit www.decemberriots.com for more info. For Greek subs press CC.

Highlights:

00:52 Murder footage of Alexis G. (Two cops murder in cold blood an unarmed 15 year-old student)

32:03 Autopsy.

45:43 "A gap separates each and every one of us..." Marina and Michael.

48:06 "It's rock'n'roll down there man and the surf guitar is fuckin' broken". "Jimmyboy" and "Driver".

1:11:44 "It's gonna a bloody Christmas...." . Sean and Marina.

1:14:06 Murder 101 in the movie theater's bathroom. "I just wanted to be friends..." Anna and Geraldine.

1:18:07 In the mountains of bloody madness ("There's no future for us, Michael!" Anna)... 1:25:00 Birth of a baby. (Lorena-Sean-Marina).

For English Closed Captions please press CC. To watch the movie in the highest resolution possible for YouTube please choose HD 1080p. The production of this film was financed independently without any EU, or state subsidies.

..The plot of "December Riots" written, produced and directed by Dimitri Vorris, focuses on a group of seven characters, Europeans and Americans, trapped in a subterranean art-house movie theater during the 2008 riots, watching the all time classic masterpiece of Italian master's Luchino Visconti's "Senso"- that deals with love, decadence passion and betrayal, during tumultuous times and real historical events . While the outside cosmos has rioted because of the police killing of 15 year-old student Alexandros Gregoropoulos that sparked riots in over 70 cities worldwide... the filmgoers remain into relative safety, or so they think, to save their skins. The arthouse "theater", its "owner" and "projectionist" become a metaphor for a lost generation (-s)that feared to riot against the current. The film alternates between reality (the harsh, outside world) and fiction (the characters inside). Emotionally moved by the murder of an innocent child in cold-blood, and after seeing a rough cut of the film, multi award-winning internationally renowned composer Moby contributed four, never before published, tracks to the original sountrack of the film: 18, HOMEWARD ANGEL (LONG), BLACKROOM, THE LONELY NIGHT (PHOTEK REMIX). ...Police violence. Interpersonal relationships’ violence. A looted country in despair. Seven characters trapped in an arthouse movie theater. A countdown to extinction... ....Three years before the movement of the “indignados” and OCCUPY WALL STREET there were “December Riots”. «DECEMBER RIOTS», is a feature length film written, produced and directed by Dimitri Vorris, was in post-production, while a new wave of riots swept Greece on June 29th, 2011. The film's epicenter is the cold-blooded execution of 15 year-old student Alexander Gregoropoulos by two policemen in a downtown Athens café on December 6, 2008. ...Based on a real incident -the director himself was trapped on December 8, 2008 in a downtown arthouse movie theater during the 2008 riots-the independently financed, claustrophobic thriller, that was filmed entirely on location in Athens, Greece, focuses on a group of seven characters, Europeans and Americans, trapped in an art-house movie theater during the 2008 riots. 23 year-old newcomer British actress Lucy Lemos (Marina-DJ Lightdust), Duncan Skinner ("Jimmyboy") , Fanis Katechos ("Projectionist"), prolific actor Avraam Papadopoulos ("Theater Owner'), popular comedian/director Nikos Giannikas (Sean) anchor a youthful and talented supporting cast that includes Vivian Ioannou (Anna), Aris Athan ("Driver"), Nasos Pappas (Jeff), Michael Angels (Michael), Louise Rheas (Lorena), Aris Pappas (Informant), Maria Floratou (Geraldine), Kostas Antalopoulos ("Cleaner"), Christina Mani (Riots Chronicle Narrator).

“... Independent production, handmade, and made possible with countless fights on the side of its creator, December Riots, comes to remind us the life we never lived, the fight we never fought and the reasons we got here, with bowed heads and humiliated lives ... " Chrisostomakis Laktaridis, DOCTV.GR

"December Riots is important, timely, and hits it's mark. Acclaimed Greek-born filmmaker Dimitri Vorris has beautifully interwoven fact and fiction, to create a dramatic tale, that is both horrifying and thought-provoking". Christopher Martini, Director-Producer "The Stone Child", "Trooper" #DecemberRiots #indie #feature #comingsoon #December6 #Greeceburns4allofus

#DecemberRiots #indie #feature #comingsoon #December6 #Greeceburns4allofus "Dimitri Vorris's DECEMBER RIOTS arrives like a storm that signals the times are a-changing again and that as a world we're on the cusp between despair and hope." Amos Poe, Filmmaker, Leading figure of the No Wave Cinema Movement, "UNMADE BEDS", "THE FOREIGNER", "SUBWAY RIDERS", "EMPIRE II", "THE GUITARS", "ROCKET GIBRALTAR".

THE SAME PEOPLE WHO SSPEAD THE PANIC, SELL THE PILL!

2020-03-13T03:10:00.000-07:00

Remembering Nick Mirkopoulos, founder of cinespace Studios in Toronto, Chicago

2019-12-07T06:07:00.002-08:00

SIX YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE DEATH FROM CANCER OF MY DEAR FRIEND NICK MIRKOPOULOS, FOUNDER OF CINESPACE STUDIOS IN CHICAGO AND TORONTO...
In 2007, Alex Pissios, a real estate developer and his uncle Nick Mirkopoulos started Cinespace Film Studios in Chicago, which today is the biggest independent movie studio outside of Hollywood.
Nick launched Cinespace Film Studios in Toronto 20 years earlier. The family’s film business was never planned and unexpected for Nick who was an electrician and decided, along with his brothers, after they arrived in Toronto from Greece in the late 1960s to buy and repurpose old commercial and industrial buildings. It was in the mid 1980s when Nick took the opportunity to convert some of those buildings into film studios.

*Founder Nick Mirkopoulos

The Cinespace Film Studios in Toronto are known for hosting many hit TV series and films, including “Chicago,” which won an Oscar for best picture, and “Handmaid’s Tale,” a Hulu series that won a 2018 Golden Globe nomination for best actress. With such a huge success, Nick wanted to expand.
At the same time, his nephew Alex Pissios and his wife Patricia, along with their four children, were in a tough situation with the real estate collapse and were facing bankruptcy and eviction from their family home.
It was at a cousin’s wedding that Alex and Nick, an uncle he barely knew, struck up a conversation that led to a huge change in both their lives. Nick paid off Alex’s 11 million dollar debt and the two struck up a family partnership, launching Cinespace Film Studios in Chicago.
Today, Cinespace Chicago brings Hollywood to Chicago, specialising in the development, management and operation of studio space and support facilities for the film, television, and digital media production industry.
Pissios claims Cinespace has helped create 7,500 film-related jobs since it opened and has contributed billions of dollars in revenue to the local economy.

Cinespace is now home to producer Dick Wolf’s successful “Chicago” franchise — Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, as well as TV shows Empire and Shameless, and productions from Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Several feature films have also been produced here, including “Divergent” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
In 2015, Cinespace Chicago launched an incubator for filmmakers called Stage 18 to provide workspace, programming and event space to help develop the local filmmaking community. Its goal is to keep local talent from leaving for opportunities in Los Angeles and New York City, and also organises events such as script feedback for budding filmmakers, plus the opportunity to pitch projects to investors.

Cinespace studio Chicago

To give back to the community, Cinespace Chicago also expanded and offers nearby DePaul University space for classes that teach filmmaking to the next generation of artists, as well as establishing the CineCares Foundation, providing Chicago residents with education and job training in TV and film. The family is very charitable and are always willing to support the community.
Pissios looking ahead into the future, says his dream is to create a back lot on Cinespace’s property where building façades can be made to look like New York City brownstones or cities like London and Paris. It would be the only back lot outside of Los Angeles, and he says it would save filmmakers time and money by eliminating the need to shoot on location.
For the moment though, Pissios never loses sight of one of the biggest lessons he learned from his late uncle, who passed away in 2013. “He always told me to do things from my heart,” he says. “Nick was a very stern and smart businessman. He didn’t give handouts; he gave people opportunities. If he believed in you, he gave you a chance, always.” In his office, Pissios keeps a framed copy of his eviction notice, a gift from Uncle Nick. “He wanted me to remember where I came from, and I do,” he points out. “Every day, I come to work with a smile on my face, and I try to find ways to pay this forward.

2019-12-06T12:38:00.005-08:00

“... Independent, handmade, and made possible with countless fights on the side of its creator, December Riots, comes to remind us the life we never lived, the fight we never fought and the reasons we got here, with bowed heads and humiliated lives ..."

Chrisostomakis Laktaridis - doctv.gr

The film, featuring tracks by electronic music superstar Moby, focuses on the murder in cold blood of 15 year-old student Alexandros Gregoropoulos by two policemen on December 6, 2008. The incident sparked riots in over 70 cities worldwide. In the clip MURDER 101 actresses Vivian Ioannou and Maria Floratou and are resolving some differences from the not the so distant past. In the clip Marina/DJ Lightdust (Lucy Lemos) and Michael (Michael Angels) are pondering their next move together. The film follows, in parallel action while the gruesome reality of December riots unfolding, seven different characters trapped in a subterranean arthouse cinema during the riots, a bunch of characters that despise and hate each other to death. And are afraid to go out and stay put. More on decemberriots.com Description Filming of “December Riots" wrapped in Athens, while a second wave of riots swept Greece on December 6th 2010, marking the two-year anniversary of the cold-blooded execution of 15 year-old student Alexander Gregoropoulos by two policemen in a downtown Athens café. "December Riots," a film about the Gregoropoulos killing and the 2008 riots that followed, is produced, and directed by Dimitri Vorris.

The filmmaker acquired exclusive access to many never-before-seen court documents and evidence from the trial that followed Gregoropoulos’s killing. Plot Outline The claustrophobic thriller focuses on a group of Europeans and Americans trapped in an art-house movie theater in downtown Athens during the 2008 riots. 23 year-old British actress Lucy Lemos, prolific actor Abraham Papadopoulos, popular comedian-director Nikos Yannikas anchor a youthful and talented supporting cast that includes Vivian Ioannou, Aris Athan, Nasos Pappas, Michael Angels, Louise Rheas, Aris Papargyropoulos, Maria Floratou, Kostas Antalopoulos.

Anniversary of the "Sonderkommando" revolt

2019-10-07T08:23:00.002-07:00

THE SONDERKOMMANDO REVOLT AT DEATH CAMP AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU WAS ORGANIZED BY SALONICA JEWS: ...One action will stand out alongside the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and that is the Revolt of the Sonderkommando in Auschwitz-Birkenau on October 7, 1944. This was an uprising in which Sephardi and Greeks Jews both helped plan and execute and left a memorable list of heroes and martyrs to posterity. Their victory was dual: it was a psychological victory over the Nazis who now feared the Jews in the camps and hastened their declining confidence in winning or even surviving the war and secondly, they died as free men in the tradition of Greek noble death, an outcome that has become part of western tradition, namely to fight against all odds until the very end and deny the enemy the opportunity to loot and gloat. The world forgets not only that Sephardic Jewry suffered during the Holocaust too, but that Jews were brave enough to revolt and fight under the most hopeless circumstance They are hungry, tortured, abused, sick, ailing, armed only with an ingenious plot and self-made guns and explosives. Against the Empire of the Third Reich. They are performing the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow man and woman.

Quentin Tarantino: How to Write and Direct Movies

2019-10-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

When Quentin Tarantino debuted in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs, and even more so when he followed it up with the cinematic phenomenon that was Pulp Fiction, the viewers most dubious about the young auteur's cultural staying power dismissed his movies as elevations of style over substance. Whether or not Tarantino has converted all his early critics over the past 27 years, he's certainly demonstrated that style can constitute a substance of its own.
Even many who didn't care for his latest picture, this year's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nevertheless expressed gratitude at the release of a lavish, large-scale film packed full of ideas, references, set pieces, and jokes — an increasingly rare achievement, or even aspiration, among non-Tarantino filmmakers. How does he do it? The Director's Chair profile video above, and the accompanying Studio Binder essay by Matt Vasiliauskas, identifies the essential elements that constitute the Tarantinian style and Tarantinian substance.
http://www.openculture.com/2019/10/quentin-tarantino-explains-how-to-write-direct-movies.html

Scorcese filming "The Irishman" in New York with Robert De Niro (VIDEO)

2019-10-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Martin Scorsese filming The Irishman with Robert De Niro in Ridgewood, New York The Irishman is an American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. The film stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Romano. The film is tentatively set to be released by Netflix in 2019.

Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. is an American actor, producer, and director who holds both American and Italian citizenship. De Niro was cast as the young Vito Corleone in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His longtime collaboration with director Martin Scorsese earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film Raging Bull. He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2010, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2016.

Martin Charles Scorsese is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and film historian, whose career spans more than 50 years. Part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinematic history. He is a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema, and has won an Academy Award, a Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award, Silver Lion, Grammy Award, Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and DGA Awards.

Martin Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino: Two storytellers in the same interview.

2019-10-02T05:54:00.001-07:00

Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino are born storytellers, not just in their movies—which bear each director's unmistakable stamp—but in their deep-seated appreciation for the medium. While they hail from different generations—Scorsese was among the first wave of film school grads in the mid '60s, and Tarantino's rise coincided with the indie film revolution of the early '90s—their passion and knowledge of cinema place them on equal footing. No genre escapes their grasp, whether it's prestige studio releases or B-movie potboilers, splashy musicals or noirish thrillers, art-house fare or spaghetti Westerns. They've been dining on this grand buffet all their lives, and it shows in their own work, in the characters they've created, and the lens through which they view the world. This is a particularly conspicuous year for both filmmakers: Tarantino's Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood has galvanized critics and audiences alike since its debut at Cannes, while anticipation runs high for Scorsese's The Irishman, for which the director has spent considerable time in post dealing with digitally de-aging his leads. The two sat down for the DGA Quarterly to talk directors, influences and violence as catharsis, among other topics. This is an edited version of their conversation. –Steve Chagollan

WGA: The Start Button Application And How To Use It To Make Money

2019-06-15T02:29:00.001-07:00

...Writers Guild of America has rolled out several new tools to help members better represent themselves without agents, including the Staffing Submission System, the WGA Weekly Feature Memo, and the Find A Writer directory.

For screenwriters working on assignment – and TV writers working on pilots – an existing WGAW tool can be especially helpful in confronting the twin problems of free work and late pay.

The Start Button is a simple way to record when you begin working on a draft and when you hand it in. It helps the Guild protect writers from abusive requests for unpaid rewrites and delayed checks.
I made a little video to walk writers through how the Start Button works, and why members should make it standard practice when beginning an assignment.

READ MORE HERE
https://johnaugust.com/2019/getting-started-with-the-start-button

Great Greta: Classic Hollywood Portraits

2019-06-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

.. The great Hollywood portrait photographs are like close-ups that never end. Cinema is an art of faces, and the chance to gaze at them, to get lost in them, may be the deepest thrill movies offer. In the darkness of the theater these faces are vast, glowing, isolated, but fugitive; still photographs extend these moments, make them permanent. Hollywood grasped this value early on, in the days when after their runs in theaters films would often vanish forever...
READ MORE:
https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6365-shooting-stars

WGA: Agencies confilcts of interest explained in video

2019-06-01T03:23:00.002-07:00

It can be hard to understand exactly how agency packaging fees and producing impacts writers’ salaries. This short explainer video does a great job visualizing the issues, and looking at why the WGA is in negotiations to address agency conflicts of interest.

Hollywood talent agencies have a business model rife with conflicts of interest. This means they do what’s best for them, even if it’s not best for their clients. These conflicts hurt writers. The situation is bad, and it’s getting worse. To find out what the WGA is doing about it, go to WGA.org.

Brian De Palma in 6 minutes (mashup trailer)

2019-05-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Edited by Romain Lehnhoff.
Le Movie Geek

Tupac Shakur on Life and Death | Blank on Blank

2019-05-29T06:15:00.002-07:00

"If I was white I would have been like John Wayne... I feel like a tragic hero in a Shakespeare play" - Tupac Shakur Interview by Benjamin Svetkey March 1994. Microcassette recorder. Related profile appeared in Entertainment Weekly.