Greek Box Office Hit STELIOS To Premiere In Australia At Greek Festival Of Sydney

The Greek box office hit “Stelios”  a masterpiece biopic about the music icon Stelios Kazantzidis by Yorgos Tsemberopoulos which had record breaking run in Greece  becoming a cultural phenomenon amassing over 920,000 admissions  to rank as the country’s fourth highest-grossing domestic film of all time will premiere in Australia on 23 April as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney.

The film traces Kazantzidis’ extraordinary journey from his childhood as a Pontus refugee to his rise as Greece’s most beloved musical icon. Famed for blending rebetiko and laïko traditions, his emotionally charged songs about love, migration, and working-class struggles earned him the title “the voice of the people.” Such was his international appeal that Frank Sinatra once remarked: “If Stelios Kazantzidis had been in the United States, he would have had a bigger career than me.”

Christos Mastoras, lead singer of the band Melisses, takes on the role of the iconic singer, lending authenticity to the portrayal. This connection to Kazantzidis’ spirit has propelled Stelios to impressive box-office numbers. In January, the film surpassed 800,000 admissions in Greece, marking a significant milestone that speaks to the enduring popularity of the music legend and the deep cultural ties that Greek audiences maintain with their artistic icons.

“In Tsemberopoulos  film, the career of Stelios Kazantzidis comes back to life on the big screen, bringing to light a turbulent personal life full of loves, struggles, and artistic anxieties that shaped Kazantzidis into the iconic artist we knew and loved. From his childhood, his first appearances in taverns, and the beginning of his musical career, to his immense success and the years of his absence from the recording industry, Tsemberopoulos’ cinematic tribute to Kazantzidis is a comprehensive guided tour through the visible and hidden aspects of the great and beloved folk singer, bringing the audience a little closer to a timeless idol, whom many have heard of but few know the greatness of his work, the innovation, and the revolutionary spirit he brought to the music industry of that time.” writes Evrydiki Vali Sarafoglou