John Landis and Prof. Deborah Nadoolman Landis
to Present the Honorary Orpheus Lifetime Achievement Award to Costa-Gavras

Working alongside each other, John Landis and Professor Deborah Nadoolman Landis directed and costume-designed many classic, iconic films such as ANIMAL HOUSE, THE BLUES BROTHERS, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, TRADING PLACES, THREE AMIGOS! and COMING TO AMERICA; for which Nadoolman Landis was Oscar-nominated. Their groundbreaking music video, MICHAEL JACKSON'S THRILLER, elevated the genre as we had never seen before, and continues to resonate with audiences.

In addition to their respective film and television work, Mr. Landis and Professor Nadoolman Landis have left a mark on separate and distinguished careers; in the Directors Guild of America, the National Film Preservation Foundation, museums, film festival juries, career film retrospectives, academia, books, and the Costume Designers Guild. Professor Nadoolman Landis is the Founding Director of the David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design at UCLA.

LAGFF is honored to have John Landis and Professor Deborah Nadoolman Landis attend our festival’s Opening Night on May 28 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood to present the Honorary Orpheus Lifetime Achievement Award to their longtime friend and collaborator, Costa-Gavras; a kick off for the multi-event Tribute to Costa-Gavras, which includes a screening of his celebrated film, Z.

The Costa-Gavras Tribute is presented by European Languages and Movies in America.

The post-screening reception in the Egyptian Theatre courtyard will be catered exclusively by Petros Restaurant; wines by Petros and Avra; Mastiha Spirit drinks by Kleos. 

American Cinematheque & LAGFF Partnership Screenings

Part of the Costa-Gavras multi-event Tribute, LAGFF is thrilled to collaborate with the American Cinematheque on the director’s soon-to-be announced film screenings on June 2 and 8; with Costa-Gavras and Michèle Ray-Gavras in attendance on June 2!

Academy Award and Palme d’Or-winner, President of the Cinémathèque Française, and a master of both activist and idealist cinema, Costa-Gavras has pushed the filmmaking boundaries since the 1960s; from redefining crime noir, to tackling difficult transnational subjects, to continually engaging audiences by presenting universal themes in a singular way. Producer and journalist, Michèle Ray-Gavras, known for her reporting on Vietnam, Bolivia and Uruguay, has produced several Costa-Gavras films; as well as films for the multi-awarded filmmakers, Mehdi Charef and Tony Gatlif.

The American Cinematheque was born after an inspiring trip to the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, where Filmmaker Sydney Pollack joined forces with Gary Abrahams and Gary Essert to develop a year-round film festival for the city of Los Angeles; where cinephiles and filmmakers could discover, engage with and discuss the seventh art.

LAGFF is extremely proud of this collaboration with the American Cinematheque and the opportunity this partnership has opened in further celebrating one of our greatest filmmakers, Costa-Gavras. Learn more here. 

Platinum/Gold Pass on Sale through April 27

• All theatrical screenings/Q&As at Landmark Theaters Sunset, May 29-31
• Opening Night Gala/Costa Gavras Tribute at the Egyptian Theatre, May 28
• Screening/Extended Live Conversation with Costa-Gavras at UCLA, May 31
• Cyprus film premieres at Saint Sophia’s Gianopulos Family Theater, May 27
• Closing Night Gala/Orpheus Awards at Harmony Gold, West Hollywood, June 1
• Filmmaker Brunch (exclusive) at Landmark Theaters Sunset, May 31
• All panels and industry events, May 29-31
• Discovery Days auditing (exclusive), June 1
• All virtual screenings, June 2-8
• 2 individual tickets to Hollywood Scene & Be Seen Bash, The Godfrey Hotel, May 22 (Platinum only)

BUY PASS

Sponsor Highlight

UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture was established in 2019 by a lead gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and matching funds provided by generous members of the Hellenic and Philhellenic community of Southern California. The Center supports a comprehensive set of academic and public initiatives, both locally, through strategic collaborations with organizations in Southern California, and in Greece and Cyprus, through partnerships with universities and cultural institutions.

We are grateful to UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture for supporting and hosting LAGFF’s Tribute screening of Costa-Gavras’ LAST BREATH and his conversation with filmmaker, novelist and historian Oliver Stone.

The Egyptian Theatre is a classic and beloved movie palace originally built in 1922 during the silent film era. A fixture in Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Egyptian was the site of the world’s very first movie premiere of ROBIN HOOD starring Douglas Fairbanks and remains to this day the ultimate destination for moviegoers. This historic venue has been the home of glamorous red carpet premieres, groundbreaking film festivals and incredible cinematic experiences over the near-century it has been presenting films for audiences in Hollywood, the movie-making capital of the world.

We are grateful to the owners of the Egyptian Theatre for generously hosting our Opening Night festivities… and are thrilled to revisit our old home in its brand new look!

Los Angeles Greek Film Festival | LA, LA, CA 91403