May 2025
On Opening Night May 28, the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (lagff.org) presents world-acclaimed Greek French filmmaker Costa-Gavras the 2025 Honorary Orpheus Award at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
“We are thrilled and honored to present the lifetime achievement Orpheus Honorary award to Costa-Gavras, the legendary icon of world cinema,” states LAGFF Artistic & Festival Director Aristotle Katopodis.
“His presence highlights LAGFF’s 19 years showcasing Greek cinema’s impact and aspirations worldwide. Culture, social issues, identity, dreams, and personal stories continue to inform the cinematic landscape that Greek and Cypriot filmmakers choose to explore. Strong collaborations with ELMA, UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center, American Cinematheque, Loyola Marymount University, and California State University at Los Angeles underscore our commitment to education in the rich cinematic profile of Southern California.”
The award will be presented by director John Landis and Costume Designer Professor Deborah Nadoolmand Landis. In 2003, John Landis conducted an extraordinary visual history at the DGA with Costa-Gavras, unfolding his life, from his humble beginnings in his village in Arcadia, Greece to becoming a world-renowned filmmaker.
The red-carpet event features a screening of Costa-Gavras’ powerful film “Z”, released in 1969, based on the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos about the real-life 1963 story of the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis. Z won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Film Editing, and the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize and Best Actor Award.
The multi-event tribute will continue with the West Coast premiere of the new Costa-Gavras film LAST BREATH (LE DERNIER SOUFFLE), presented by UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture on May 31.
