The stop motion film, The Maker has taken out the top prize in the 4th Greek Australian Short Film Festival.
Directed by Christopher Kezelos, the movie was chosen by judges Emmanuel Perdis, Maria Mercedes, George Donikian and Blake Borcich thanks to the beautiful and unique look of the characters interacting in a very detailed world and the execution in such a time consuming medium. The score was also mentioned as the crux of the decision, written by one of Australia’s most innovative composers of classical music, Paul Halley.
At the sold out screening on Thursday night for the Greek Film Festival, The Maker was a crowd favourite, with many overheard commenting how cute the characters where and how much they liked the romantic story. The filmmaker husband and wife duo, Christopher and Christine Kezelos are currently in Hollywood pitching their movie to other audiences but sent a message of thanks. The quality of all nine films surprised many at the screening, with such thought provoking and touching moments portrayed in a local setting.
The film You know what? I love you by Natalie Cunningham telling the story of her Greek grandmother was also a crowd favourite, with 94-year-old Giannoula in attendance and stealing the show. Comedy Dave’s Dead got the most laughs, while Father’s Day was the most touching and intriguing.
The Greek Short Film Festival creators, Ange Arabatzis and Jim Koutsoukos have expanded the content and shown a very mature program that rivals the Melbourne International Short Film Festival. This is the first year the festival has teamed up with the Antipodes Greek Film Festival, and the relationship is set to continue.