About the Festival

An initiative of the Greek Orthodox Community of St George, Brisbane.

History / Background

Greek cinema played an important social role in the lives of post-war migrants, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. As well as offering entertainment, cinema provided a forum in which Greek migrants could meet. However, the late 1970s heralded the demise of Greek cinema in Melbourne. The last venue to screen Greek films closed its doors in 1984. As a result, Greek cinema ceased to be promoted in a coherent manner, with a random selection of Greek films being screened at various evenings organised by tertiary Greek societies and other cultural events.

In the early 1990s, a group of Greek-Australian university graduates and post-graduates met informally with the aim of discussing issues pertaining to the local Greek community. One of the outcomes of these discussions was the concept and feasibility of promoting Greek culture via cinema. Acknowledging the ability of film to transcend cultural borders, cinema was considered a social vehicle that could win mass appeal. Simultaneously, Greek cinema would be provided with an appropriate forum for its promotion and debate. Members of the group decided to become involved with the Antipodes Festival, with a view to extending its realm of activity to include a film festival. In order to coordinate their efforts, they also collaborated with their respective counterparts in Sydney.

In 1993, the State Film Centre hosted the inaugural Greek Film Festival. It drew an attendance of over two thousand, thereby laying the foundations for future growth. After eight continuous years at the State Film Centre, the Festival organisers were approached by Palace Cinemas, who suggested moving to a more prominent venue. As a result, the 9th Greek Film Festival secured a new location, Palace Cinema Como, and subsequently a broader audience. The Festival now had the support of an established entity which enthusiastically promoted ethnospecific film festivals. The partnership with Palace has proven an unqualified success, with annual increases in attendances of 20%. At the same time, Greek film has gained a profile not previously enjoyed.

In 2003, the Greek Film Festival became a national event, with four more Australian cities participating in the festival circuit. Last year, close to eight thousand people attended the Greek Film Festival in Melbourne alone, with a total national attendance of over twenty thousand.

In 2002 Brisbane joined the Greek Film Festival. This year the Greek Orthodox Community of Saint George will host the 4th Annual Greek Film Festival at Palace Centro Cinemas. The festival in Brisbane has continued to grow over the past four years with more than four hundred people attended the opening night film in 2004 and it is anticipated that this year numbers will increase as the festival gains popularity.

The Greek Orthodox Community of St George, Brisbane, is proud to be able to host this important cultural event and with the support of the Greek and wider community and of course our festival sponsors. We are committed to ensuring that the art of Greek filmmaking will receive broader recognition within the Australian Film Festival circuit.