UPDATE: CIFF44 CANCELLED

While we are saddened that our film loving audience will not have the opportunity to experience CIFF44's amazing films and talented filmmakers, we understand the City's obligation to protect the health and safety of all residents. We regret not having the opportunity to celebrate our three decades at Tower City Center. But we look forward to presenting CIFF45, April 7-18, 2021, at our new and permanent home in Playhouse Square.

While we are saddened that our film loving audience will not have the opportunity to experience CIFF44's amazing films and talented filmmakers, we understand the City's obligation to protect the health and safety of all residents. We regret not having the opportunity to celebrate our three decades at Tower City Center. But we look forward to presenting CIFF45, April 7-18, 2021, at our new and permanent home in Playhouse Square.

While we are saddened that our film loving audience will not have the opportunity to experience CIFF44's amazing films and talented filmmakers, we understand the City's obligation to protect the health and safety of all residents. We regret not having the opportunity to celebrate our three decades at Tower City Center. But we look forward to presenting CIFF45, April 7-18, 2021, at our new and permanent home in Playhouse Square.

While we are saddened that our film loving audience will not have the opportunity to experience CIFF44's amazing films and talented filmmakers, we understand the City's obligation to protect the health and safety of all residents. We regret not having the opportunity to celebrate our three decades at Tower City Center. But we look forward to presenting CIFF45, April 7-18, 2021, at our new and permanent home in Playhouse Square.

While we are saddened that our film loving audience will not have the opportunity to experience CIFF44's amazing films and talented filmmakers, we understand the City's obligation to protect the health and safety of all residents. We regret not having the opportunity to celebrate our three decades at Tower City Center. But we look forward to presenting CIFF45, April 7-18, 2021, at our new and permanent home in Playhouse Square.
Cleveland International Film Festival } March 25 – April 5, 2020 } See Beyond
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AMERIKA SQUARE
(Plateia Amerikis)

 

Year: 2016
Country: GREECE, UNITED KINGDOM, GERMANY
Run Time: 86 minutes

AMERIKA SQUARE
AMERIKA SQUARE
AMERIKA SQUARE
AMERIKA SQUARE

Hatred, which manifests itself in many ways, is often the result of fear. When times are bad, people often look for a scapegoat. This heated and highly topical subject is examined in Yannis Sakaridis’ AMERIKA SQUARE. At 38, Nakos still lives with his parents, unable to find work. His frustration has found an outlet in his obsessive tracking of the immigrants in his apartment complex. As that number grows, Nakos’ racist ideology becomes increasingly dangerous. His tattoo artist neighbor Billy has fallen for an African singer named Tereza. She’s gotten herself mixed up with the mob, and Billy is desperate to help her escape. Meanwhile across town a middle-aged Syrian refugee named Tarek (brilliantly portrayed by Vassilis Kukalani) is trying to find safe passage to Germany for himself and his young daughter. Billy and Tarek both turn to Hassan, an expert at smuggling immigrants. The three stories are lightly intertwined at the beginning. But ultimately they end up tightly wound in a fervent crescendo. This intense film tackles immigration head on; its chilling implications provide a teachable moment as its narrative eerily mirrors our current reality. (In English, Greek, and Arabic with subtitles) —E.F.

CIFF41 Screenings

Tower City Cinemas

Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 12:10 PM

Sunday, April 02, 2017 at 11:00 AM

Monday, April 03, 2017 at 9:25 PM

Sidebar
WORLD TOUR

Director
Yannis Sakaridis

Yannis Sakaridis was born in Skydra, Greece in 1968. He studied at the London College of Printing and the University of Westminster. He's also a veteran film editor and has worked for Warner Brothers and the BBC.

Filmography
"Wild Duck" (2013), AMERIKA SQUARE (2016)

Producers
Yannis Sakaridis, Nikkos J. Frangos, George Th Lemos, Venia Vergou

Screenwriting
Yannis Tsirbas, Vangelis Mourikis, Yannis Sakaridis

Cinematography
Jan Vogel

Editing
Yannis Sakaridis

Principal Cast
Yannis Stankoglou, Makis Papadimitriou, Vassilis Kukalani, Ksenia Dania, Alexandros Logothetis, Rea Pediaditaki, Themis Bazaka, Errikos Litsis

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