Today I am simply putting up the press release about our film, which has been nominated in The 10th London Greek Film Festival. Journalists and interested parties can copy it from here or email me for a copy. By the way, I have also learned that the screenplay I co-wrote has been nominated in the Best Screenplay category. I am now, officially, an awards nominated screenplay writer. Gosh. (Back with Symi photos tomorrow, promise.)
News Release Date: Immediate
Symi horror film is selected for prestigious London festival
A film written by a Symi resident and filmed on the island with the help of a number of other local people has been selected for the London Greek Film Festival1 to be held in the UK next month. The festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, only showcases films made by Greeks or films which were shot in Greece.
The 13th was written by author James Collins who has lived in Symi since he emigrated from the UK 15 years ago. The story, which is also the basis of his novel The Judas Inheritance,2 is inspired by the ruins of Horio, a semi-derelict village on the hillside above the harbour. The ruined 19th century houses were once the homes of wealthy merchants before the collapse of the island’s ship building and sponge diving industries.
Symi is also one of the islands that continues the tradition of the Judas Burning in Holy Week and this too has inspired one of the film’s most memorable scenes.
The story utilises the myth that Judas, a demon sent by the devil as the antithesis of Jesus to disrupt God’s plan of salvation,3 having failed, was unable to return to Hell and remained a cursed spirit trapped on earth, blighting the lives of those on the island whenever the coins came to light.
The film takes up the story when “Chris”, played by Kurtis Stacey, is forced to visit the island following the death of his biological father, “Frank”, played by Richard Syms (Iron Lady, Gangs of New York), a man he has not seen since early childhood, to sort out his affairs. He meets a mysterious island woman, “Stavroula”, played by Rebecca Grant, who tells him his father was obsessed with researching some ancient artifact and that the locals blamed him for a surge of suicides and other ills. He also discovers that his mother, “Maria”, played by Lorna Doyle, who had died when he was very young, had been born on the island, committed suicide and was buried there. “Chris” is helped by “Helen”, a German psychiatrist living on the island, played by Wookie Mayer (Heimat, Rosamunde Pilcher) to discover that the secret to what is happening lies buried deep inside him and within his own childhood.
A number of adults and young people from Symi had parts as extras in the film which was entirely shot on the island. A number of other local people made up the crew, assisting the professional filmmakers. The makers hope the film will also encourage more tourism to the island.
James Collins said: “The festival is an extremely important event which promotes Greece and its culture to London, a major cultural metropolis of Europe. I am delighted that Symi is going to feature prominently this year.”4
The Greek Embassy in London said: “Definitely consists one of the most important initiatives of cultural diplomacy in the British capital.”
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Notes for Editors
- londongreekfilmfestival.com
- amazon.co.uk/Judas-Inheritance-James-Collins/dp/1499657382/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493217531&sr=1-1&keywords=the+judas+inheritance
- The so-called Gospel of Judas, an early Gnostic text recently rediscovered
- The London Greek Festival runs from 14-20 May.
Contact
Nigel Edwards, producer 1066 Productions Ltd
EdwardsNigelR@Gmail.com
