The BigFather by K. Stragalinos: World Premiere in LA, and Best Film Award in Nevada

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Giorgos Giannopoulos, Nikos Pantelidis, Panos Kranidiotis, Kostas Kontaratos, and Dimitri Raft in The BigFather (2023)

Los Angeles, CA. 2023 has entered dynamically for the Greek film The BigFather by Konstantinos Stragalinos, since after the world premiere in Los Angeles – Culver City Film Festival, in one of the most imposing cinemas in the region (Cinemark 18 & XD), the project has already been selected and screened at several international festivals, where it received various nominations and awards.

Recently, in the middle of March, the film was screened in the competition program of the Ely Film Festival, at the historical Nevada cinema, Ely’s Central Theater, where it won the Best Film Award, while causing enthusiasm among members of the Greek diaspora who watched it.

In addition, the film has been nominated for the Israeli Near Nazareth Festival, where it won the Official Finalist Award. Also, in February 2023, it was screened in Venezuela, in the competition section of the FINDECOIN festival, where it stood out, after being in the final three of the best feature films. These distinctions were followed by official selections and awards for the film in Singapore (Best Narrative Feature, World Film Carnival) and Bhutan (Best International Feature, Druk International Film Festival).

Watch Official Trailer for The BigFather directed by Konstantinos Stragalinos


The satisfaction and impatience of the team behind the The BigFather film is great. The film’s international run has just begun and the achievements are already significant.

The Movie:
The BigFather is a social drama which narrates with black humor and plenty of suspense the adventure of a family man, who in his attempt to save his house from the banks, ends up turning his life into a reality show. Writer Director: Konstantinos Stragalinos. Production: Art and Media Zone (Giorgos Kaltsas). Co-production: Stragli Movies, Baby D Productions | Duration: 112′, 2023.

This Greek movie is an independent, collaborative film. The cast and crew are professionals with tons of experience of the Greek cinema, who believed in the vision of Konstantinos Stragalinos and proceeded with their participation in the project, in order to turn the vision into a film.

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The Poster Art for The BigFather

The Plot:
Angelos (Nikos Pantelidis), a movie director by profession, wants to produce his new film, by conceiving a strange idea. He decides to shoot his film in his own house, placing himself, his wife (Elena Tyrea) and his children in the lead roles (Noemi Vasileiadou, Christina Brekou, Christos Zacharof). A corrupt producer (Dimitris Raftopoulos) in collaboration with an up-and-coming corporate company take advantage of Angelos’ financial hardship, with the aim of promoting corporate products and placing them in his project. Children turn into guinea pigs who constantly try out new products, supposedly for the needs of fiction. Angelos begins to film weird scenes that expose him and his family, gradually taking a road of no return…

Director’s Notes
“I was inspired by the economic and social crisis and by various issues that concern our time, such as patriarchy, reality shows, body shaming and domestic violence. At the same time, I wanted to explore the limits of a mentally disturbed man who on the one hand has his back against the wall and on the other hand is determined to make his vision a reality. Thus, he comes into constant rift with his family, breaching the remnants of his moral barriers.

The crisis, as well as the confinement caused by the Covid-19 era, have brought to the surface the madness of many people, who until recently camouflaged their psychological issues carefully behind a façade of normality. It is well known that behind the closed doors of a seemingly peaceful family, dangerous psychopathic behaviors are often hidden.

The film The BigFather records the extreme outburst of a repressed narcissist, who within his narcissistic complex takes his madness as proof of his greatness and superiority.”

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Noemi Vasileiadou and Christos Zaxarof in The BigFather (2023)

Credits
Writer & Director Konstantinos Stragalinos
Producer Giorgos Kaltsas
Co-Producers Konstantinos Stragalinos, Dimitris Raftopoulos
Cast Nikos Pantelidis, Elena Tyrea, Noemi Vasileiadou, Christina Brekou, Christos Zacharof, Dimitris Raftopoulos, Kostis Savvidakis, Giorgos Giannopoulos, Panos Kranidiotis, Kostas Kontaratos, Vasiliki Rousou, Vangelis Doukoutselis, and more
Director of Photography Pavlos Mavrikidis
Set Design Sofia Vaso
Costume Design Sophia Katsoura
Editor and DIT Dimitris Kadis
Music Giannis Karalias
Colorist Rasmus Hedin
Artwork Alira
Sound Recording Christos Tsiouras
Assistant Directors (1st assistant) Orestis Rouskas, (2nd assistant & script) Meropi Laini, (2nd assistant) Kitty Kentezi
Sound Design Audio Mix: Konstantinos Imvriotis
Sound Design Foley: Giannis Katsavounidis
Make Up Kaiti Dendrinou, Marianna Monopoli
Production Manager Giorgos Kaltsas
Assistant Production Managers Ermioni Politidou, Vanessa Broumana
Casting Director Giorgos Kaltsas
1st Camera Assistant Kostas Goulas, Georgia Kapralou
Set Design Assistant Kiki Bellou
Costume Design Assistants (1st assistant) Sylvia Charatsari, (2nd assistant) Eva Kalouda
Post Production Supervisor Konstantinos Stragalinos
Acting Coach Efi Meravoglou
Production Assistants Fotis Bouziotis, Giannis Karalias, Giorgos Stamatopoulos, Giorgos Boulmanos
Backstage Photographers Aristea Anysi, Katerina Paraskeva
Sound Recording Assistants Stefanos Christidis, Stefania Makrialea
Electricians Katerina Paraskeva, Stefanos Christidis
Prop Master Giannis Karalias
VFX Editor Nika Lominatze
Subtitles Dimitris Mentes
Script Reader Nancy Spetsioti
Marketing-Campaign Design (pre-production): Eva Kadianou
– Technical Support: 92 ART, animelody, soundesign.gr, Steficon, Gosh, Rent Photo Video, Antonios Arapostathis, AVproject – Kostas Nomikos
Production Art and Media Zone, Ergotaxion, Stragli Movies, Baby D Productions

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About Michael

I review films for the independent film community