Yannis Economides (; born 1967) is a

Greek Cypriot Greek Cypriots (, ) are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming almost 99% of the 737,196 Cypri ...

screenwriter and filmmaker, who is considered to be one of the leading creators of modern Greek cinema. His films explore themes of emotional and physical violence, alongside the collapse of petty-bourgeois society and the pathologies of today's families. They are characterized by their extreme use of profanity and depiction of graphic violence. Economides has cited fellow Greek filmmakers like

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, Tonia Marketaki among others, as well as directors from the international scene such as the

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and

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as influences on his work.

Early life

Yannis Economides was born in

Limassol Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...

in 1967, the eldest of three siblings. According to him, even though he was young when the

1974 Cypriot coup d'état Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of President of the United States, United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom ...

took place, this experience has left an impression on him and later influenced his work. After finishing school, he moved to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in 1986 and attended courses at the cinema school of Eugenia Hadjikou. Economides' career began with short films and documentaries. The ''Gradual Improvement of the Weather'' and ''Only Smelling Jasmine'' were honored, in 1992 and 1994 respectively, at the

Drama International Short Film Festival Drama International Short Film Festival is Greece's leading short film festival, and the annual meeting place for filmmakers and industry professionals. Based in Drama, Greece, the festival runs a six-day schedule in September and its main venu ...

Career

After short films and documentaries, he wrote and directed his first feature film ''

Matchbox A matchbox is a container or case for matches, made of paperboard, cardboard, thin wood, or metal, generally in the form of a box with a separate drawer sliding inside the cover. Matchboxes generally measure 5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm, and commonly have ...

'' in 2002. His second feature film, '' Soul Kicking'', premiered in the

International Critics' Week Critics' Week (), until 2008 called International Critics' Week ('), is a parallel section to the Cannes Film Festival organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. History Critics' week was created in 1962, after the French Syndicate of ...

section at

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

in 2006. His third film ''Knifer'', which released in 2010 has won seven awards from the

Hellenic Film Academy The Hellenic Film Academy (HFA) () is an initiative of a group of Greek filmmakers. HFA presents the annual Hellenic Film Academy Awards ceremony, awarding the best films of Greek cinema of the last year. The Hellenic Film Academy was founded in No ...

, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. His fourth feature film, ''Stratos'', premiered in the Competition Programme of the 64th

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

in 2014. Each of his four feature films has been honored with the Greek Film Critics Association Award for Best Greek Feature Film. In October 2016, his first theatrical production premiered at the New Stage of the National Theatre in Athens, with Economides directing his own play ''Sleep, Stella, Sleep''. He performed as a supporting actor in several Greek films. In 2017 he had a part in

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’s latest film, ''In the Fade''.

Filmography

* ''Ballad for a Pierced Heart'' (2020) * '' Stratos'' (2014), Color, 137’ 64th Berlin International Film Festival 2014 – Competition Programme LAGFF 2015: Best Feature Film Award (Orpheus Award) Cyprus Film Days 2014: Best Feature Film Award Hellenic Film Academy Awards: Best Sound, Best Original Music Score, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actress Greek Association of Film Critics Award: Best Greek Film of the Year 2014 Med Film Fest in Rome 2014: Amore e Psiche (Grand Prize) European Film Awards 2014: Pre-nomination * ''

Knifer ''Knifer'' ( ''Macherovgaltis'') is a 2010 Greek-Cypriot drama film directed by Yannis Economides. After his father's death, Nikos moves from Ptolemaida to Athens. His uncle offers him food and shelter while he starts taking care of his dogs. Al ...

'' (2010), Black&White, 108’ LAGFF 2011: Best Feature Film Award (Orpheus Award) Cyprus Film Days 2011: Best Feature Film Award Hellenic Film Academy Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Sound Greek Association of Film Critics Award: Best Greek Film of the Year 2010 PUSAN international Film Festival 2010 11th Kaohsiung Film Festival New York Greek Film Festival 2011 Haifa IFF 2011 Eskisehir IFF 2011 Bildrausch Film Fest Basel 2011 Black Movie Festival 2012 * '' Soul Kicking'' (2006), Color, 117’ Official section of the Cannes International Film Festival 2006, “The International Critics’ Week" Chicago International Film Festival 2006, Pusan International Film Festival 2006, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2006, Cyprus Film Days 2007, Festival Del Cinema Europeo 2007 (Lecce-Italy), Eurocine 27 2007 (Madrid) * ''

'' (2002), Color, 81’ Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2002, Montreal World Film Festival, 2003 Pusan International Film Festival, 2003 International Film Festival of India 2003, New Delhi * ''The Life You Hoped For'' (1995), documentary * ''Smelling the Jasmine'' (1994), documentary * ''Gradual Improvement in the Weather'' (1992), short * ''Welcome, Night'' (1990), documentary * ''Episode'' (1989), short

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Economides, Yannis Cypriot film directors People from Limassol Living people 1967 births