Looking At the Positive Side of the Economic Crisis - Made in Greece by Greek Canadian Stavroula Logothettis

 Stavroula Logothettis

Source: Made in Greece

Stavroula Logothettis is a Greek Canadian journalist and actress who came 'home' along with the Olympics in 2004. You may remember her as the 'perfect' older sister Athena in fellow Greek Canadian Nia Vardalos' big film hit ' My Big Fat Greek Wedding'!

Stavroula came back to Greece after being asked to do a series about Greece in the run-up to Athens'  historic Games by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  The entire Games experience was a life-changing one for Stavroula (as it was for most of the people who were involved) and it made her want to come back to live in the land of her birth.

All went well for a while, she even managed to get a great spot on ERT 's Satellite Programme for Greeks Abroad, ERT World. Today she is unemployed, one of the ever increasing number of victims of Greece's economic crisis but is optimistic, as many of us are, that the economic crisis will serve as a new starting point and provide the reasons for the many changes which need to be made in Greece.

Stavroula has put together a great video on many of the positive movements that have sprung up, like a phoenix from the ashes of this crisis; voluntary groups like SWAP or the Atenistas , a non-political group that takes action to improve Athens.

 

The Atenistas, incidentally, have managed to change a lot in their relatively short life... like cleaning up some derelict lots in central Athens and turning them into parks, cleaning up the beach at Neo Faliro, 'taking back' Omonia Square for the people of Athens to enjoy;an Omonia Square, which, along with all the surrounding streets has been criminally neglected and  been allowed to sink into the quagmire of drug use , drug dealing and prostitution, becoming a battle ground between the various illegal immigrant groups that have taken up 'shop' in the area, instead of the once vibrant, buzzing central square it once was!

Source: Atenistas

Stavroula's video, called Made in Greece, is bright, upbeat and informative and looks at the positive aspects of the financial crisis...

Thanks Stavroula! Thoroughly enjoyed it! :)




Source: www.protagon.gr -  Thanks to Marianna K for referring it!

Global Greece - LAGFF Special Event - Beyond Borders - Greece on the International Film Stage

The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival will present Beyond Borders: Greece on the International Film Stage, a special panel discussion sponsored by Greece's Ministry of Tourism on Saturday, June 27, at the Linwood Dunn Theater. Greece's Minister of Tourism Kostas Markopoulos will attend the event as guest of honor. Panelists include actor Nia Vardalos (MY LIFE IN RUINS), President of Fox International Productions Sanford Panitch, cinematographer/director, Phedon Papamichael (ARCADIA LOST), Director of the Hellenic Film Commission Markos Holevas, Top Cut Founder Stamatis Athanassoulas, to be moderated by producer Terry Dougas (BRIDES).














The panel will discuss recent productions in Greece and how the Greek culture and new infrastructure aided in the telling of their stories. In addition, advantages, challenges as well as future possibilities of foreign film production will be expanded on. "With the recent success of MAMMA MIA! and the recently released MY LIFE IN RUINS, starring Nia Vardalos, the Greek culture is making its way to the mainstream through the art of filmmaking," said Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Festival Co-Founder and Director.

"Greece is experiencing a rise in tourism this summer which is being attributed to the success of last summer's hit MAMMA MIA! Audiences enjoy seeing the images of Greece and the unique personality of the Greek people. The LA Greek Film Festival is delighted to encourage more productions there." MY LIFE IN RUINS director Donald Petrie adds, "Greece was an amazing place to shoot a film from the breathtaking locations, to the warm and welcoming attitude of both the Greek government, and the people."

Over the years, Greece has attracted the interest of various international producers who have taken advantage of the country's old culture, unique light and beautiful landscape. These films include BOY ON A DOLPHIN (1957) starring Sophia Loren and Alan Ladd, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961) with an all-star cast that included Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas, THE LION OF SPARTA (1962) by Rudolph Maté , ZORBA THE GREEK (1964) with Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates, SUMMER LOVERS (1982) starring Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah, BIG BLUE (1988) directed by Luc Besson and starring Jean Reno and Jean Marc-Barr, and the Academy Award-winning Italian film MEDITERRANEO (1992).

Greece is an integral part of the European Union and has a visual wealth of natural landscapes in regions like Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly , the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese , Crete and the picturesque islands in the Aegean and the Ionian seas. Many of these locations are blessed with historical monuments and traditional architecture. There are no large studios in Greece, but the country now offers a modern infrastructure for handling international film productions, experienced crews and service companies.

The Greek Film Centre, which is supervised by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, has supported the production and promotion of Greek films and fosters the participation of Greek producers in foreign productions. Since 2007, within the framework of the organization, the Hellenic Film Commission Office provides an array of services that make filming in Greece one of the most enticing places for production in Europe. MAMA MIA!, MY LIFE IN RUINS, FOREVER THE MOMENT, WANTED DEAD AND ALIVE, and ARCADIA LOST, as well as, several documentaries and TV programs, are some of the projects the organization has recently served.

The Greek Film Centre provides conditional funding for cinema productions in Greece, which are co-produced by Greek producers. The Greek Ministry of Tourism also conditionally supports foreign productions. A VAT (value added tax) rebate system is currently being implemented in Greece. Citizens from EU countries as well as countries with which Greece has signed double-taxation treaties, qualify to enjoy the benefits of these agreements.
Guest of honor Kostas Markopoulos was recently appointed Minister of Tourism, after an active career in politics and in the medical profession as a thoracic surgeon. He is a member of the Greek Parliament's National Defense and Internal Affairs Committee and Permanent Social Issues Committee.

Panelists include:

Nia Vardalos (writer/actor), who made filmmaking history with the success of her independent film MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002). The movie was nominated for an Academy Award® for best original screenplay. Vardalos' other credits include the television series My Big Fat Greek Life, CONNIE AND CARLA (2004) and the recent release MY LIFE IN RUINS, which was partly filmed in archaeological sites in Greece.

Sanford Panitch, who is currently the President of Fox International Productions, a division of 20th Century Fox that produces and acquires local language films all over the world with strategic focus on markets with rapidly expanding local market share. He previously served as the President of Filmed Entertainment for New Regency Enterprises. He has supervised over 75 feature films such as JUMPER, DAREDEVIL, and the highest grossing movie in New Regency's history MR. AND MRS. SMITH. Prior, Mr. Panitch was Executive Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox where he worked on the highest grossing movie of all time TITANIC.

Phedon Papamichael, who is a top Hollywood cinematographer and director. He has worked with directors such as Oliver Stone, Wim Wenders, Jon Turteltaub, Alexander Payne, Nick Cassavetes, and Diane Keaton. Some of his cinematography credits include W. (2008), 3:10 TO YUMA (2007), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006), WALK THE LINE (2005), THE WEATHER MAN (2005), SIDEWAYS (2005), IDENTITY (2003), MOONLIGHT MILE (2002), PATCH ADAMS (1998), MOUSEHUNT (1997), PHENOMENON (1996), and UNSTRUNG HEROES (1995). Papamichael recently completed his fourth feature as a director, ARCADIA LOST (2009), starring Haley Bennett, Nick Nolte and Carter Jenkins, which was filmed entirely in Greece.

We look forward to the results of this panel discussion. There is a wealth of Greek Something talent in the film industry and we believe that this is a great way forward for Greece to showcase it's most exportable product, the breathtaking beauty of our homeland along with it's unparalleled history and culture. Quality films made in Greece for international audiences, let's call them Global Greek films, can only enhance our image abroad, and we greatly look forward to seeing more such films in future. It goes without saying that in order for this to happen, the investor-repellant bureaucracy and the red tape required must be reduced to a minimum - the minimum that is necessary to ensure that all ancient sites are preserved and not exploited harmfully, either physically or commercially!

My Life in Ruins - Greek Something Nia Vardalos Latest Film Hits the Cinemas on June 5th - Don't Miss It!!! (see below for release dates)

"It was a dream come true to shoot in Greece, It was surreal on the set, to stand by the Acropolis, close my eyes before they say 'Action' and feel the wind blowing through the columns. It doesn't get any better."

Nia Vardalos - USA Today

Born Antonia Eugenia Vardalos, the Greek-Canadian-American writer and star who brought us so many laughs with the antics of her family-that-could-have-been-ours in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is about to do it again!

With special permission from the authorities and filmed against a magnificent and unparalleled backdrop - the Acropolis, Olympia , Delphi and other archaelogical sites of Greece, My Life in Ruins Nia's latest movie is 100% pure Greek! The best thing that could happen to Greek tourism after last year's Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep and Piers Brosnan.

Nia, who co-wrote the screenplay and has based part of it on her own experiences, stars as Georgia, a Greek-American who has moved back to Greece and who has lost her 'kefi' or zest for living. Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece. Just as she has decided that it's not going to work out, the inevitable happens...

Apart from Nia Vardalos, the film stars Academy award winner Richard Dreyfus and Alexis Georgoulis, a Greek actor that she picked out from a magazine and who is perfect in the role of the tour bus driver. (Nia describes him as the George Clooney of Greece in an interview to USA Today. When women on the production team saw his audition tape during a lunch break, "we didn't move, breathe or chew," Nia Vardalos said. "When the scene was finished, everyone jumped up and down and said, 'We've found him!' " )

Greek American Rita Wilson with Richard Dreyfuss in a scene from the movie

Executive producers are Tom Hanks and wife, also Greek-American, Rita Wilson, who has a brief role in the film. This is the fourth time Wilson and her husband have collaborated with Nia. "We don't have a deal with Nia," she says to USA Today. "We just love her. Actually, the script came to us, and it just happened to take place in Greece. We wanted her to rewrite it, and it was just serendipitous."

My Life in Ruins - a hilarious comedy which will leave you with a smile on your face and a let's go-on-holiday feeling - had it's world premiere in Greece in April and has just opened at cinemas all over Greece. It opens in the USA on June 5th!

Don't miss it !!

As Nia says on Twitter 'My Life In Ruins is the small movie vs. 2 biggies. Hey, see all 3. Just please see My Life In Ruins on June 5th. We don't have billboards, we need your mouth!'


Click here to watch Nia speak about the film and other things on Good Morning America just before the American Premiere this week...

Click here to watch Nia and Alexis tell us about the movie...

Click here to watch the official trailer of My Life in Ruins...

Click here to follow Nia on Twitter.

Click here to read more about Nia on Wikipedia.

Nia is heavily involved in the Global Greek Community, promoting and working passionately for causes which are dear to all our hearts. Thanks a million, Nia !!!

She will be at the Gabby Awards on June 19 in Chicago, and as a member of the Advisory Board, at the 3rd Los Angeles Greek Film Festival being held June 25 to 28, in LA, along with other prominent, and not-so-prominent but equally important, Greek-Americans involved in the movie industry.

Release dates for My Life in Ruins by country...some have already been but we are including them to give the total picture.

France 15 May 2008 (Cannes Film Market)

Germany 6 February 2009 (European Film Market)

USA 3 May 2009 (Tribeca Film Festival)

Greece 28 May 2009

USA 5 June 2009

Australia/ New Zealand 16 July 2009

Bulgaria 7 August 2009

Spain 7 August 2009

Netherlands 27 August 2009

Portugal 27 August 2009

Czech Republic 3 September 2009

Germany 3 September 2009

France 9 September 2009

Good Luck Nia! Kali Epityhia! Καλή Επιτυχία!

Greek America's Best and Brightest - Welcome to the Inaugural GABBY Awards!!!

The stunning Chicago Skyline (source: Gabby Awards)

What promises to be a spectacular event of immense interest to the Global Greek Community, and especially to the Greek American Community, will be taking place next month in Chicago - the first ever Gabby Awards!

From all accounts, and as publisher of the Greek America Magazine, Gregory Pappas himself says, "The Gabby Awards in Chicago will be the biggest gathering of Greek American talent and success-ever! HBO President, Eurovision Finalist , Greek Heart-throb, and Legendary Lobbyists have recently been added to the Gabby cast of stars." We presume he is talking about Kary Antholis, Kalomoira, Alexis Georgoulis and of course the father and sons team of Andrew, Mike and Tom Manatos, in that order, who have recently confirmed attendance at this star-studded event according to the Gabby website!



Melina Kanakaredes John Varvatos Olympia Dukakis Nia Vardalos


Honorary Co-Chairs are CSI actress Melina Kanakaredes and designer John Varvatos, who last year opened Greece's Fashion Week.

Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and My Life in Ruins star Nia Vardalos will present the "Performing Arts" Gabby Award.

The show's MC will be Chicago’s own Emmy Award winning television journalist Anna Davlantes.

Corporate leaders like Jim Gianopulos (Fox Films) and Dennis Malamatinas (Marfin Investment Group) will also be on hand to serve as award presenters.

Two of the nation's top celebrity chefs, who are also nominees in the "Arts & Culture" category will be attending the event: Iron Chef Cat Cora and Michael Psilakis of Manhattan's Kefi Restaurant.

Several other nominees and prominent Greek Americans have also confirmed their attendance at the Inaugural Gabby Awards to be held in Chicago, at the Merle Reskin Theatre, on June 19th, 2009.

The Gabby Awards were founded to celebrate excellence amongst Greek Americans and to reward those who embody it, bringing together people from all over America who have excelled in their field and who have one very significant factor in common - their Greek Heritage.

Created and hosted by Greek America Magazine, the nation’s most widely-circulated periodical for Greek Americans, the "Gabbys" are the brainchild of it's founder Gregory C Pappas, the word itself referring to Greek America’s Best and Brightest Stars.

The Gabby Awards' eight categories are Entertainment & Performing Arts, Arts & Culture, Athletics, Education/Academia, Philanthropy/Public Service, Business/Entrepreneurism, Politics/Government and Promotion of Hellenism.

There are 5 to 6 nominees in each category, and these include such Global Greek notables as Rita Wison, George Stephanopoulos, Ted Leonsis, Chris Tomaras, Father Nicholas Triantafillou, Pete Sampras, Peter Peterson, John Catsimatidis, Arianna Huffington, Harry Mark Petrakis, Alexi Giannoulias, Jennifer Aniston, and organisations such as the Onassis Foundation and the American Hellenic Institute.

The winners will receive a unique statuette designed for the occasion by well-known Greek jewelry designer Konstantino. The Awards Ceremony will be followed by an After Party to be held at the Chicago Hilton and Towers , and promises to be an unforgettable evening of celebration, food and dancing to the music of Glykeria and Kostas Karafotis.

It is interesting to note that the Gabby Academy which has identified and nominated the individuals who have excelled, includes many prominent Greek Americans from all over America who are involved professionally in the Greek American community, either as writers, journalists, and directors of various organizations. Others are opinion-makers, public relations professionals and people involved in various communications-related fields as well as other leaders in business, arts and culture, academia and other fields. Apart from Gregory Pappas, these include people like Nick Larigakis, Andrew Kaffes, John Metaxas, Paul Glastris, Yiannis Valsamas and Alexia Haidos.

We don't know if it was overlooked or left out deliberately, but we think that it would be great if at least one more category could be added, that of Science/Medicine, as there are many prominent Greek Americans who have excelled in this particular category. Hopefully next year!

We congratulate the creators of the Gabby Awards for taking high-profile initiatives like this and wish them every possible success!

To watch the promo video click here

To read more about the nominees click here.

For a full list of nominees and to cast your vote click here .

To read more about the Gabbys click here

To buy tickets to the Gabbys and the After Show click here

Note: Greek America Magazine is America's most widely circulated periodical for Greek Americans. With a national readership of over a quarter of a million readers, Greek America is the nation’s periodical for all things Greek.

Its affiliate Greek America Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization founded by Greek America Magazine’s publisher Gregory Pappas serves as a medium for a host of nationwide cultural events focusing on the promotion, preservation and perpetuation of the Greek history, heritage and culture in America.

All contributions to The Gabby Awards are tax deductible as allowed by the Internal Revenue Service code for contributions to charities.

All proceeds from the Gabby Awards will go to the special endowment fund established by the Greek America Foundation called The Hellenic Legacy Fund, which will offer scholarships to students for study abroad programs in Greece.

IT's LAGFF Time!!! 3rd Los Angeles Greek Film Festival - 25 to 28 June 2009

Another annual event of great interest to those of us in the Global Greek World is soon to begin...

The 3rd Los Angeles Greek Film Festival has announced its third annual run scheduled for June 25-28, 2009 at the legendary Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood, at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, minutes away from the Hollywood & Highland entertainment complex and the Renaissance Hotel.

The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting Greek cinema, bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood and highlighting Greek contributions to the American film industry. Naturally, it has a number of prominent and award-winning Greek American Hollywood notables on it's advisory board, including Jim Gianopulos, Olympia Dukakis, Alexander Payne, Nia Vardalos, Kary Antholis, Sid Ganis and Phedon Papamichael.


About the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival

The third annual LAGFF showcases new films from Greek filmmakers worldwide to promote and nurture Greek Cinema while bridging the gap between Greek filmmakers and Hollywood. The Festival also offers screenings of film masterworks, seminars on important contemporary film issues, and tributes to significant filmmakers and performers of Greek origin.

Orpheus Awards are given to the most outstanding new films in the dramatic, documentary and short film categories.

The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival is greatly supported by Greece’s General Secretary of Information Panos Leivadas, who continues the ongoing effort to promote Greece at its best with the "Wonderful Greece" campaign. Festival sponsors include the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), the Greek Film Centre, Boo Productions, Top Cut and more;

The Consul General of Greece, Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras and Press Counselor, Helen Vrynioti have stood by the festival team since its inception.

Additional key supporters of the Festival are the American Hellenic Council, the Hellenic University Club of Loyola Marymount University, and other individual members of the Los Angeles Greek Community.

2009 marks the 3rd year of the Festival, which takes place at The Egyptian Theatre from June 25 through June 28, and will feature 7 feature films, 7 documentaries and 8 shorts, with 15 films enjoying their U.S. premieres.

The four-day festival highlights include:

• Opening Night Ceremonies
• a tribute to director Penelope Spheeris with a special screening of her 1984 feature SUBURBIA and 1998 short NO USE WALKIN’ WHEN YOU CAN STROLL
• "Beyond Borders: Greece on the International Film Stage", a special panel discussion sponsored by Greece's Ministry of Tourism Development with slated panelists Nia Vardalos (MY LIFE IN RUINS) and Phedon Papamichael (ARCADIA LOST) who recently shot films in Greece
• a newly established one-on-one Industry/filmmaker program
• Closing Night Ceremonies with the Orpheus Awards honoring the filmmakers and films for Best Dramatic Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Special Jury Award, and Audience Choice.

SMALL CRIME will screen as the LAGFF Opening Night Gala presentation on Thursday, June 25, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Directed by Christos Georgiou and starring Aris Servetalis and Viki Papadopoulou, the charming comedy is about a frustrated young policeman who has just been assigned duty on a beautiful but ragged Greek island in the Aegean.

There he discovers murder, mystery and love...

GUINNESS will screen as the LAGFF Closing Night Gala presentation on Sunday, June 28 at the Egyptian Theatre. Alexis Kardaras directs Yorgos Pyrpassopoulos, Marcella Giannatou, Stelios Mainas, and Antonis Kafetzopoulos, in this amusing action adventure about a young luckless gambler who tries to escape the “lethal spell” of an unhappy wife and ends up running off with a case of her husband’s gold.

“The primary focus of the LA Greek Film Festival is to discover talented Greek filmmakers and to share their movies with cinema lovers that would not have an opportunity to see these films otherwise,” said Ersi Danou, Festival Co-Founder and Director of Programming. “We are proud of this year’s line-up, which not only represents the evolution of our Festival, but of Greek cinema as well."

“As the LA Greek Film Festival celebrates its third year, we now know there is an audience in Los Angeles who is not only receptive, but eager to see films made in Greece and/or by Greek Filmmakers.

"For four days the Festival is akin to a ‘platia’ (village square)", comments Ambassador Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras, Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles. “In addition to the screenings, this year we are proud to announce a special panel discussion, sponsored by Greece's Ministry of Tourism Development, on the benefits of making movies in Greece.”

"With the recent success of MAMMA MIA! and the soon-to-be-released MY LIFE IN RUINS starring Nia Vardalos, the Greek culture is making its way to the mainstream through the art of filmmaking," said Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Festival Co-Founder and Director. "We are gradually experiencing a bridging of the gap between Greece and Hollywood, and we are very excited about this!"

Volunteers Wanted!!!

If you are interested in volunteering, LAGFF is looking for volunteers to help with all aspects of preparation and on site organization leading up to and during this year's festival, June 25-28 in Hollywood.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to experience first hand how a film festival comes together and to interact with a dynamic group.

Join LAGFF and learn what it takes to organize a film festival!


Ticket Sales

Tickets are on sale since May 15. For more information click here

Previous Festivals

The 2008 LAGFF kicked off with a first-time screening of a newly restored print of ZORBA THE GREEK directed by Michael Cacoyannis, courtesy of 20th Century Fox. Other highlights included panel discussions moderated by Peter Bogdonavich, a screening of the feature film ALTER EGO, starring Greece's well-known pop star and prized Eurovision finalist Sakis Rouvas in his debut performance as an actor, a Tribute Night Gala honouring Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes and the US premiere of the Closing Night film LITTLE GREEK GODFATHER which is based on a short story written by Nicholas Papandreou, son of Andreas Papandreou, Greece's former Prime Minister, and directed by Olga Malea.

"It was a natural fit to have the restored version of ZORBA THE GREEK make its debut at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival " commented Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment and Advisory Board Member of the LAGFF. " We are enormously proud of this classic film, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards® and won three, and the meticulously restored print brilliantly displays its award-winning cinematography."

ZORBA THE GREEK, originally released in 1964, is based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. Anthony Quinn starred as Alexis Zorbas, an open-hearted peasant whose character single-handedly became a symbol of the Mediterranean passion. His encounter with a young and pent-up English writer (Alan Bates) leads to unforgettable lessons in love of life. The film was shot on the island of Crete, and the musical theme, “Sirtaki”, by Mikis Theodorakis became identified with traditional Greek music and dance even though it was composed specifically for the film. ZORBA THE GREEK won three Academy Awards: Lila Kedrova won for Best Supporting Actress, Vassilis Fotopoulos won for Art Direction (Black-and-White) and Walter Lassally won for Cinematography. Anthony Quinn received a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Michael Cacoyannis received three nominations for Best Picture, Director and Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium).

For a report on the 2008 2nd LAGFF, click here

Watch and listen to Greek Consul General Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras talk about Greek Culture and the accomplishments of the 2nd Annual Greek Film Festival in Los Angeles - Click here

'My Life in Ruins' - Greek-Something Nia Vardalos' Latest Movie Premieres in Athens

"It was a dream come true to shoot in Greece, It was surreal on the set, to stand by the Acropolis, close my eyes before they say 'Action' and feel the wind blowing through the columns. It doesn't get any better."

Nia Vardalos - USA Today

Nia Vardalos is one of our Global Greeks!

Born Antonia Eugenia Vardalos, the Greek-Canadian-American writer and star who brought us so many laughs with the antics of her family-that-could-have-been-ours in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is about to do it again! At the Megaron Mousikis (The Athens Concert Hall) on Friday April 3, Nia wowed everybody present with her latest movie My Life in Ruins.

With special permission from the authorities and filmed against a magnificent and unparalleled backdrop - the Acropolis, Olympia , Delphi and other archaelogical sites of Greece, Nia's latest movie is 100% pure Greek! The best thing that could happen to Greek tourism after last year's Mama Mia with Meryl Streep and Piers Brosnan.

Nia stars as Georgia, a Greek-American who has moved back to Greece and who has lost her 'kefi' or zest for living. Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece.

Apart from Nia Vardalos, the film stars Academy award winner Richard Dreyfus and Alexis Georgoulis, a Greek actor that she picked out from a magazine and who is perfect in the role of the tour bus driver. (Nia describes him as the George Clooney of Greece in an interview to USA Today. When women on the production team saw his audition tape during a lunch break, "we didn't move, breathe or chew," Nia Vardalos said. "When the scene was finished, everyone jumped up and down and said, 'We've found him!' " )

Executive producers are Tom Hanks and wife, also Greek-American, Rita Wilson, who has a brief role in the film. This is the fourth time Wilson and her husband have collaborated with her fellow Greek. "We don't have a deal with Nia," she says to USA Today. "We just love her. Actually, the script came to us, and it just happened to take place in Greece. We wanted her to rewrite it, and it was just serendipitous."

Due to hit the cinemas in May this year, the film is a hilarious comedy which will leave you with a smile on your face and a let's go-on-holiday feeling.

What better advertisement for Greece?

Click here to watch Nia speak about the film on Good Morning America just before the American Premiere this week.

Click here to watch the official trailer of My Life in Ruins.

Read more about Nia on Wikipedia.

You may like to note that Nia is also on the Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival , being held from 25 to 28 June 2009, along with several other prominent Greek-Americans involved in the movie industry. We look forward to featuring these Greek-Somethings on our pages in the very near future.