The cinema of Greece has a long and rich history. Though hampered at times by war or political instability, the Greek film industry dominates the domestic market and has experienced international success. Characteristics of Greek cinema include a dynamic plot, strong character development and erotic themes. Two Greek films, Missing (1982) and Eternity and a Day (1998), have won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Five Greek films have received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Rembetiko is a 1983 film directed by Costas Ferris and written by Costas Ferris and Sotiria Leonardou, with original music by Stavros Xarchakos. The film is based on the life of rebetiko singer Marika Ninou and gained cult status in Greece.
Dogtooth is a 2009 Greek absurdist psychological drama film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Written by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, the film is about a husband and wife who keep their children ignorant of the world outside their property well into adulthood.
Yorgos Lanthimos is a Greek filmmaker. He is known for directing psychological thrillers, black comedies and horror films. He has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
The Hellenic Film Academy (HFA) is an initiative of a group of Greek filmmakers. HFA presents the annual Hellenic Film Academy Awards ceremony, awarding the best films of Greek cinema of the last year.
Alps is a 2011 Greek psychological drama film produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari and Yorgos Lanthimos and directed by Lanthimos. It stars Angeliki Papoulia, Ariane Labed and Aris Servetalis, and was co-written by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou. It premiered in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival where it won Osella for Best Screenplay, and also won the Official Competition Prize for New Directions in Cinema at the Sydney Film Festival in 2012.
Backdoor is a 2000 Greek coming of age film
Athina Rachel Tsangari is a Greek filmmaker. Some of her most notable works include her feature films, The Slow Business of Going (2000), Attenberg (2010) and Chevalier (2015) as well as the co-production of Yorgos Lanthimos' films Kinetta (2005), Dogtooth (2009), and Alps (2011). In her versatile work for cinema, she has also founded and been director of the Cinematexas International Short Film Festival. In 2014–2015, she was invited to Harvard University's Visual and Environmental Studies department as a visiting lecturer on art, film, and visual studies.
Unfair World is a 2011 Greek drama film directed by Filippos Tsitos.
Chevalier is a 2015 Greek comedy film directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari and co-written by Tsangari and Efthymis Filippou. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It was selected as the Greek entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a 2017 psychological horror thriller film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp. The screenplay by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou was inspired by the ancient Greek tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides, and follows a cardiac surgeon who introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill.
Efthimis Filippou is a Greek screenwriter, known for his collaborations with Yorgos Lanthimos. He was the winner of the Golden Osella Award for Best Screenplay at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011, which he shared with Yorgos Lanthimos. In 2016, he received an invitation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to become a member.
A Blast, is a 2014 film directed by Syllas Tzoumerkas about a woman's disillusionment and revolt in the frame of the Greek financial crisis. The film stars Angeliki Papoulia, Vassilis Doganis, Maria Filini, Themis Bazaka, Makis Papadimitriou and Yorgos Biniaris.
Thimios Bakatakis is a Greek cinematographer. He has served as a cinematographer for various feature films, short films, music videos, and commercials, often collaborating with director Yorgos Lanthimos on his projects.
Pity is a 2018 Greek drama film about self-pity directed by Babis Makridis. It was screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
The 47th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival took place from 29 June to 7 July 2012. The Crystal Globe was won by The Almost Man, a Norwegian comedy film directed by Martin Lund. The second prize, the Special Jury Prize was won by Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy, an Italian drama film directed by Marco Tullio Giordana.
The Greek pavilion houses Greece's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
Man of God is a 2021 English-language Greek biographical drama film written and directed by Yelena Popovic and starring Aris Servetalis as Nectarios of Aegina and also starring Mickey Rourke and Alexander Petrov.