OFFICIAL SELECTION – GREECE – 2018 ACADEMY AWARDS

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

PRODUCTION

Directed by:Yannis Sakaridis
Written by:Yannis Tsirbas, Vangelis Mourikis, Yannis Sakaridis, Based partly on Yannis Tsirbas novel “Victoria doesn’t exist”, Published by NEFELI
Producers:Yannis Sakaridis, Nikkos J. Frangos, George Th. Lemos, Venia Vergou
Director of Photography:Jan Vogel
Production Designer:Alexia Theodoraki
Editor:Yannis Sakaridis
Sound:Spyros Aravositas
Original Music:Minos Matsas
Production:Athens Filmmakers’ Co-Operative, Marblemen Productions
Co-Producers:Marblemen Productions, Athens Filmmakers’ Coop, Pola Bousiou, Arctos Films, Scripta Manent Tattoo Studio, Antonios Vallindras, Dimitris Sakaridis, True Motion Pictures, Vassilis Konstantilieris, Rea Pediaditaki
With the support of:Greek Film Center

CAST

Billy:Yannis Stankoglou
Nakos:Makis Papadimitriou
Tarek:Vassilis Koukalani
Tereza:Ksenia Dania
Manolis:Alexandros Logothetis
Nandia:Rea Pediaditaki
Georgia:Themis Bazaka
Stavros:Errikos Litsis
Mike:Kostas Kourt
Tolis:Nikkos J. Frangos
Video Thumbnail

SYNOPSIS

Athens 2016. The complexities of immigration are exposed when four lives collide within the backdrop of Amerika square.
Two Greek friends, along with a Syrian ex-Military doctor, an African singer and a human trafficker each navigate the refugees crisis in Athens. When one of their actions becomes the unthinkable, the others are forced to work together to escape the consequences. Mixing a kinetic visual style with ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling, Amerika Square is an unflinching look at the mass migration economy—where “borders are business.”

DIRECTOR’S ΝΟΤΕ

Greece seen today as a melting-pot, where all the scum rises to the top when you bring the refugee crisis to the boil. A fast pace character driven triptych, revealing the opposing forces of today’s humanitarian challenges.
 
Two friends, Billy, a “tattoo” artist, and Nakos, a “banal” Greek racist, come head to head in central Athens because of the survival journey of Tarek, a Syrian refugee. The area is one of the liveliest areas in Athens. It has an increasing number of refugees and a global cultural mix. Once, the “Via Veneto” of Athens, the favorite place of artists, film makers. Wannabes, such as Maria Callas, used to parade America Square day and night back in the 1950’s.
 
After living for 18 years in London, I find fascinating the different cultural references in America Square. I will try to stay fresh with the hectic, hot, colorful Athenian cityscape, which unveils a passionate, fragile world living on the edge of society. I always wanted to make a political film about a current issue with protagonists who speak an everyday language, who are not wearing suits and who are not part of the establishment.
 
The three main actors have made their roles by believing in it, by adding something of them to it and by playing it personally. The film’s aim is to draw credible characters in a recognizable setting without losing sight of the big social picture.

– Why this tattoo? – Because I am going by the sea. I need a reminder, a lifebelt. Also, it is the only thing I can carry that I will never lose.

ACHIEVMENTS

World premiere in BUSAN International Film Festival, Flash Forward section (2016)

American premiere in Chicago IFF, New Directors Competition

Audience Award in Beijing IFF at Forward Future section, Audience Award in Burgas IFF, FIPRESCI Award, Best Greek Film, Thessaloniki IFF, Special Youth Jury Award, Thessaloniki IFF, Special Mention to the actor VASSILIS KOUKALANI, Thessaloniki IFF, Erasmus Youth Jury Award, TRIESTE IFF, Best Feature Film Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Best Editing Hellenic Film Academy, Best Film in Open Frontiers Contest, Distribution: Greece (Feelgood), USA (Corinth films), Spain (CADA), Turkey (FABULA), HBO Europe

MEDIA

Screenshots

η ελληνική πρόταση για τα φετινά Όσκαρ
Greek crises brought to screen at BIFF
παγκόσμια πρεμιέρα
Πλατεία Αμερικής
Chicago International Film Festival
Oscars
Amerika Square - Film Review - Kolkata 2016

CONTACT

Producers
Yannis Sakaridis
T: +30 6945206744
E: ysakaridis@gmail.com

Marblemen Productions
One Redcliff Street
Bristol BS1 6TP, UK
T: +44 207 602 1247
F: +44 207 603 9267
E: george.lemos@marblemen.net

Greek Film Center
7 Dionysiou Areopagitou str.
117 42 Athens | Greece
T: +30 2103678506
F: +30 2103614336
E: iliana.zakopoulou@gfc.gr
www.gfc.gr

World Sales: Patra Spanou
Film Marketing & Consulting
Yorck Strasse 22, 40476 Dϋsseldorf, Germany
T: +49 15201987294
E: patra.spanou@yahoo.com

Publicist for Oscar campaign
Manos PR/ Kallista PR
Melinda Manos
melinda@manospr.com
Beve Regas
b.regas@kallistapr.com

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YANNIS SAKARIDIS

Yannis SakaridisYannis Sakaridis’ debut film Wild duck was world premiered in Toronto IFF 2013 and was official competition in festivals such as Busan, Chicago, Sao Paulo, Beijing and Thessaloniki.

His second film AMERIKA SQUARE (2016) a UK-GREEK-GERMAN co-production was world premiered in Busan IFF and won many international awards: Audience Award in Beijing IFF and in Burgas IFF, FIPRESCI Award, Special Youth Jury Award, Special Mention to the actor VASSILIS KOUKALANI in Thessaloniki IFF, Erasmus Youth Jury Award in TRIESTE IFF, Best Feature Film in Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Best Editing in Hellenic Film Academy Awards, Best Film in Open Frontiers Contest. The film got distribution in many countries and still has a line of festivals and screenings.

At the age of 19, he moved to London to study Photography and History of Art at the London College of Printing and Film, at the University of Westminster wher he wrote his thesis on Edgar Reitz’ s Heimat and became member of the legendary London Film Makers Co-Op where he started directing experimental short films. A veteran film editor has worked mainly in London, on seventeen award winning feature films and on many documentaries for British TV.

After eighteen years in London, came back to Athens where he wrote and directed the award-winning short film TRUTH (2006).

He is based in Athens now where he also co produces shorts, documentaries and features along with developing his next film.

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