The 29th Greek Film Festival, running from October 15 to 27, will feature the Australian premiere of ‘Brando with a Glass Eye’, a film by acclaimed Greek Australian director Antonis Tsonis.
Tsonis’s feature film has already garnered international attention, receiving six festival nominations, including recognition at the Slamdance Film Festival and the prestigious Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Tsonis, born in Greece and raised in Australia, is a renowned director and writer with a background in law, history, and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from the University of Melbourne, Tsonis draws inspiration from Italian neorealism, French poetic realism, and the American new wave movement of the 1970s. His work focuses on characters struggling on the fringes of society, with stories that transcend language and location.
Tsonis has achieved notable success in international film festivals, especially in Italy and the U.S. His short films, such as The Firebird (2013) and 3000 (2016), have garnered numerous accolades, including Best Dramatic Short at the Manhattan Film Festival and multiple awards across over 70 international festivals.
‘Brando with a Glass Eye’ is produced by Tia Spanos Tsonis and Blake Northfield and distributed in Australia by Screen Inc.
The cast of Brando with a Glass Eye includes acclaimed Greek actors Yiannis Niarros, Kostas Nikouli, Alexandros Chrysanthopoulos, Xenia Dania, Chara Mata Giannatou, Maria Kallimani, Giannis Tsortekis, Alkistis Giraud, Ioli Charalampopoulou, Panos Zygouros, and Panagiotis Exarheas.
The film tells the gripping story of Luca, a talented young method actor working as a mechanic in Athens. After a heist gone wrong, Luca forms an unlikely bond with the critically injured victim while grappling with guilt and the weight of his past, all as he prepares for a once-in-a-lifetime audition in New York City.
Luca’s journey, set against the backdrop of a troubled Athens, explores themes of family, guilt, and the pursuit of artistic integrity.
Living in a rundown apartment with his younger brother Aleko, Luca is haunted by their mother’s tragic death, a result of domestic violence inflicted by their imprisoned father.
While Aleko focuses on building a future outside of poverty by planning to open a Cognac bar, Luca struggles to channel his pain into meaningful artistic expression, fearing that without it, he may lose himself entirely.
When & where:
Sydney: October 23, 8.30pm
Melbourne:
- 21 October 7pm at Palace Balwyn Cinema (followed by a Q+A Session)
- 24 October 7pm at Pentridge Cinema
