“Here’s Yianni!,” starring Joe Cortese, Julia Ormond, Kevin Pollak, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Roberts, Colleen Camp and Sofia Vassilieva will open the Arpa International Film Festival on Oct. 25 in Hollywood. First-generation Greek American filmmaker Christina Eliopoulos writes and directs the story of a couple that owns a Greek family diner, where Yianni (Cortese) is a welcoming host until he begins to suffer from dementia.
The Arpa screening will take place at Harmony Gold at 8:30 p.m.
“A gladness, an affirmation fills the heart watching Joe and Julia portray this devoted couple,” said director Eliopoulos of her intimate family story. “Their performances are simply breathtaking, creating a portrait of a life-long love and the depths of a sorrowful reckoning. Joe and Julia, as Yianni and Plousia, inspire us to embrace every moment, love every moment, and remember every moment.”
Producers of “Here’s Yianni!” are Valerie McCaffrey, Joe Cortese, Colleen Camp, Jason Ross Jallet, Doug Murray and Productivity Media’s William G. Santor, John Hills and Andrew Chang-Sang serve as executive producers. The film’s music includes “Remember to Remember,” penned by Diane Warren and sung by Train, and Greek musicians Lefteris Bournias and the Apollo Orchestras contributed to the score composed by Forrest Gray.
“Here’s Yianni!” will go on to screen at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival on Nov. 9, the Coronado Film Festival on Nov. 10 and will have its international premiere at Italy’s Torino Film Festival on Nov. 26.
Watch the trailer below:
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Plans New Film Center at Former Fiesta Five Location
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled plans to open a new film center in Downtown Santa Barbara at the former location of the Fiesta Five theater. SBIFF expects the center to open Nov. 14.
“This is one of the most important chapters in the history of SBIFF and just as we’re celebrating 40 years of its existence. This is a huge leap forward for the organization while simultaneously helping with the revitalization of the downtown corridor of Santa Barbara,” said SBIFF executive director Roger Durling. “We’ve successfully run a year-round art house, the Riviera Theatre, for the past eight years. Now we will have five more screens to mindfully curate, and we will redefine people’s idea of what a sophisticated moviegoing experience is all about. At SBIFF, our mission has always extended beyond film; we’ve used cinema as an educational tool. Now, with this expanded canvas, we can inspire and educate on an even grander scale!”
The film center will operate year-round, screening foreign films, indies, documentaries, retrospectives of classic cinema and important filmmakers, family movies and free educational programming. After SBIFF, which takes place Feb. 4-15, the center will close for full renovations and re-open at a later date.
Reproductive Rights Documentary ‘Zurawski v. Texas’ Set to Host Additional Screenings Nationwide
The critically-acclaimed reproductive rights documentary “Zurawski v. Texas,” executive produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence, continues to gain traction following its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in August. The documentary, which has been in the conversation as an Oscar contender, is set to receive additional screenings around the country.
The story focuses on the consequences of abortion bans in women’s health by shedding light on the stories of women like Amanda Zurawski, who nearly died after being denied an emergency abortion. It also captures the legal fight for reproductive rights, led by attorney Molly Duane, as they seek to regain control over healthcare access in Texas and beyond.
“We felt it was critical to launch a series of impact screenings across Texas in honor the plaintiffs in ‘Zurawski v Texas’ and bring awareness to the laws that continue to exist in Texas and many other states where abortion is banned,” stated director Maisie Crow. Previous screenings in cities like Austin, San Antonio, and Washington, D.C., were nearly sold out.
More impact screenings will be held this month in states that have abortion access initiatives on the ballot this November, in cities including Phoenix, Miami, St. Louis, Charlotte, N.C. and Las Vegas.
The documentary, directed by Emmy winner Crow (“Jackson,” “At the Ready”) and Abbie Perrault (“At the Ready”), will also screen at 17 film festivals in October, including the Hamptons, Mill Valley, Heartland International Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Montclair and Chicago.
The film is produced by HiddenLight Productions, Story Force Entertainment, Out of Nowhere. It is also produced in association with Excellent Cadaver and Bumble Inc.
