A 2015 award winner at the London Greek Film Festival for Draconian Decision of the German Drachma, Billy Cotsis sought a project to help promote Lesvos, the island of his heritage. It soon evolved into a documentary showcasing the beauty of Lesvos, their humane treatment of refugees, and why people should visit and invest.

“We were fortunate that the Mytilenean Brotherhood of Sydney and NSW were willing to provide financial support to make the film a reality. With their support and belief we delivered a documentary that we are proud of. Please keep supporting our island by visiting or buying Lesvos’ products and services,” Cotsis told Neos Kosmos.

Lesvos: Fall In Love had its world premiere in London last year. Though it was the success of the screening under the auspices of the Greek Film Festival in Sydney in late 2016 that really made the filmmakers smile, as the film sold out two simultaneous cinema sessions at the festival; no documentary has ever achieved that.

With a few more festival showings to come, Adelaide-born Basil was pleased that Barcelona could be a sign of things to come.

“We are hoping that Lesvos will continue to vow audiences and that leads nicely to our next project due out in 2018,” he said.

The pair have collaborated four times, having first worked together on a video campaign in London in 2012 for homelessness in Athens.