As the Greek Film Festival (GFF) drew to a close in Melbourne, so too did the 7th Greek Australian Short Film Festival (GASFF), following the screening of impressive local and international shorts.

Co-curated by Jim Koutsoukos and Katerina Kotsonis, this year the pair included two Melbourne-made productions in the program, including Mrs.Metro, an animation directed by Aggelos Papantoniou and Olympic Nick: A Donutumentary directed by Ian Tran and Rachel Morssink, the latter of which won the title of Best National Film.

The short profiles Nick Tsiligiris and his business, Olympic Doughnuts, which has been an iconic fixture at Melbourne’s Footscray train station since 1979.

Winner of this year’s Best International Film was Dinner for Few, a Greece and United States co-production directed by Nasso Vakalis.

The animation is an allegorical depiction of society and has since travelled across the international film festival circuit and won many awards. During dinner, ‘the system’ feeds the few who foolishly consume all the resources while the rest survive on scraps. The struggle for what remains leads to catastrophic change.

Taking out the Audience Award, was the co-produced Greece and Australia short 3000 directed by Antonis Tsonis.

The winner of Best Screenplay at the LIFF – Lyon International Film Festival in France, the short made its Australian premier at the GASFF. It follows the story of Ari, who shares tragic news about his battle with cancer with his unemployed best friend, Leon, who then turns to crime to pay for his treatments. Against the backdrop of contemporary Athens, Leon’s actions to save Ari have irreversible consequences.

Since being founded by writer, director and actor Ange Arabatzis and actor, Koutsoukos in 2010, the festival has provided a platform for filmmakers of Greek descent and those creating work with a Hellenic connection not only to showcase their work, but to support the industry as a whole by enhancing the audience’s accessibility to their talents.

“The Greek Australian Short Film Festival supports filmmakers from around the world who are Greek or of Greek descent,” says Koutsoukos.

“We’re excited to be partnering with the Greek Film Festival for the third year running and to be able to offer cash prizes for the Best Australian Short and Best International Short films in this year’s program.”

For more information about the three winning films, visit their respective websites:
Olympic Nick: A Donutumentary – olympicnickfilm.com/
Dinner for Few – dinnerforfew.com/
3000 – facebook.com/FicinoFilms3000/