Thanos Tokakis will host the New York Greek Film Expo
Director and Award-winning Actor Thanos Tokakis is headed to New York City, where he’ll host the New York Greek Film Expo, presented by Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS). The Expo will take place October 3-13, in theaters in the NY Metro area. In addition to the latest Greek films, there will be meet & greets and Q&As with visiting directors, and more. All films are in Greek with English subtitles. Two of Tokakis’ films are part of the lineup.
“The two roles that Thanos Tokakis depicts in Little Things that Went Wrong and The Rhapsodist could not be more different yet both performances are master classes in acting,” said HFS President Maria C. Miles. “I hope our audiences will enjoy having the chance to get to experience Tokakis’ extraordinary talent for themselves during the New York Greek Film Expo.”
Meet Thanos Tokakis
Born in 1980 and raised in Athens to parents from Piraeus and Thermo, Aitoloarkanania; Tokakis has appeared on TV, in feature films, and in the theater. He is also a screenwriter and director. He’s married to fellow actor Vicky Papadopoulou.
Actor, Screenwriter, Director
Following his graduation from the National Theater of Greece Drama School, he began his career on the stage. But his big break came in 2005 when he was cast in one of the lead roles on the Mega Channel sitcom ‘50/50’. He’s also appeared in other Greek series, such as ‘Angelina’s Treasure,’ ‘10th Commandment’, ‘Cartes Postales’, and more.
He made his cinematic debut in 2009, in the film The Bad: In the Age of Heroes. Since then, he’s acted in several films, including Eftihia and Adults in the Room. He also stars in Little Things that Went Wrong and The Rhapsodist, both of which will be shown at the upcoming New York Greek Film Expo.
He’s won multiple awards for his work. In 2011, Tokakis received the “Dimitris Horn Award” for his performance of Sir Andrew in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. In 2020, he took home two Best Supporting Actor awards for his portrayal of Loukas in Eftihia, from the Hellenic Film Academy and the Iris Awards.
As a screenwriter, he wrote the script for a film called Cowboy, in which he starred. He made his directorial debut in 2022 with Tokakis or What’s My Name, a short he also wrote and appeared in. The film received the Best Fiction Film (National) Award at the Drama Film Festival in 2022 and Best Short Film at Buzz IFF in 2023.
Q&A with Thanos Tokakis
I had the pleasure to chat with Tokakis as he’s gearing up to head to New York. He spoke about his influences, his Greek heritage, coming to the States, and more.
Maria A. Karamitsos: Who are some of your influences?
Thanos Tokakis: Roy Anderson, Matteo Garrone, Ruben Ostlund, Paul Thomas Anderson, among others.
MAK: Does your Greek heritage, life, or Greece influence your work in any way?
TT: Absolutely. The Greek way of life, social upheavals, traditions, and modern Greek culture are things that inspire me. And this is the foundation of my personal artistic expression.
MAK: When did you know you wanted to make movies?
TT: When I realized that acting couldn’t accommodate what I wanted to express. I had a need to create my own worlds, acting at first and then in screenwriting, wasn’t enough.
MAK: What’s something most don’t know about you?
TT: I am a graduate of the Department of Electronics at the University of West Attica.
MAK: You’re a screenwriter, actor’s coach, director. How do these experiences inform your work in each category? Do you have a preferred “job”?
TT: Everything I do, I want to do with passion and conviction. I got involved in all these fields because I wanted to enrich my experience, not just to be a performer but to become a co-creator. However, my profession is acting, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. Acting ‘wins’ because it has this immediate form of expression.
MAK: You’ve won several awards.
TT: The artist’s goal is not about themselves but about how they attempt to contribute to society. Awards are a form of recognition for an overall presence in the field. However, they are not a true measure of success, as they often involve luck, and they can easily distract one from their true purpose. Therefore, more important than the award itself is how you perceive being awarded.
MAK: What are you trying to say in your work?
TT: In recent years, I have felt the need to explore existential issues and how the modern person responds to a society, especially when that society is the harsh Greek reality. All this through the lens of dark comedy.
MAK: How did you get involved with Hellenic Film Society/New York Greek Film Expo?
TT: I met the wonderful Maria Miles at the Thessaloniki Film Festival two years ago, through whom I got to know James DeMetro online. The following year, he saw my work in films directed by Haris Vafeiadis (Little Things That Went Wrong) and Nikolai Hamel (The Rhapsodist), Later, I received the invitation.
MAK: You’re this year’s host.
TT: It is a great honor for me, and to be honest, I didn’t expect it!
MAK: Will this be your first time in the US?
TT: Yes, and I am very excited. I’ll be in New York, and then head to the South Florida Greek Film Festival.
MAK: What’s next for you?
TT: My new short film, called The Rooster’s Gospel.
MAK: Anything else you’d like people to know?
TT: I am a huge dog lover.
Hellenic Film Society USA
The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization rooted in the belief that Greek cinema can—and should—be part of the American cultural landscape. They promote feature films, documentaries, and film shorts made by Greek filmmakers and those of Greek descent, as well as films that promote the cultures of Greece and Cyprus. In addition to the annual New York Greek Film Expo, HFS partners with the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image to present ‘Always on Sunday’, a series of monthly Greek film screenings. HFS also collaborates with other groups to produce film festivals in the US, including the Chicago Film Expo, the South Florida Greek Film Festival, and the Atlanta Greek Film Expo.
For tickets, schedules, and more information about New York Greek Film Expo 2024, visit www.HellenicFilmUSA.org.
Read more:
Hellenic Film Society USA presents New York Greek Film Expo 2024, October 3-13
