Yiannis Smaragdis becomes the first Greek director to become a regular member of the European Academy
October 2024
As a representative of modern Greek culture, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts has unanimously elected the award-winning director Giannis Smaragdis as a regular member. Yiannis Smaragdis becomes the first Greek director to join the European Academy, which was founded in 1990 and is based in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Mozart. The Academy is under the auspices of the presidency of 12 European countries and is connected with many distinguished universities and research centers. Its members include 38 Nobel Prize winners and many others with significant international distinctions.
Yiannis Smaragdis will be officially welcomed as a new academic in the Arts class at a special ceremony at the Academy's headquarters in Salzburg on March 9. This is a prestigious honor and recognition of the Greek director’s deeply Greek influence in his work over 40 years, highlighting major figures and values of global Hellenism, from Homer and the classics to the three great civilizations (Minoan, Ancient, Byzantine), and a series of great scientists from the pre-Socratic philosophers to modern scientists and contemporary poets such as Cavafy, Seferis, Elytis, and the author Kazantzakis.
Director's Statement: "I consider it a great honor to be elected by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts as a member, especially in the field of Arts and Culture. I perceive this distinction as a triple duty: A duty of honor and memory for Greek cinema and theater directors, who made a brilliant history in their field with global successes, with films and theatrical performances. A duty to try within the Academy to enrich it with representatives of modern Greece in the fields of Spirit and Fine Arts. There are significant Greeks who deserve it from the fields of Music, Painting, Literature, Theater. A duty to address especially the creators of Cinema and Television, where several Greek directors are already distinguished with international horizons, to remind not any of my own success and recognition, but the rule that all the great creators of our nation over the last centuries, the Fathers of modern Greek Culture, in all arts fertilized the great Greek values with contemporary international currents and creative pursuits. This combination incorporated their works into our National, European, universal and global tradition. Only this combination, with deep national roots and contemporary quests, has led every creator, of every country, to personal acclaim and recognition of great scope and timeless value."
Biografy
Υannis Smaragdis was born in Crete in 1946. He studied cinema in Greece and Paris, France. He made his first appearance in 1972 with the short film “Two Three Things…”, which received the first prize at the Athens Film Festival, as well as a Special Mention at the Montreal Film Festival. As an award-winning director he has had a long and highly creative career with numerous commercial and artistic successes in cinema and television.
FILMOGRAPHY
2020: THE GOVERNOR (KAPODISTRIAS) – Preparation and filming in progress for the feature film based on the life and work of the great Greek politician, Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia during the reign of the Czar Alexander I’. It is a Greek, Romanian and American co-production.
*Even before principal photography takes place, Yannis Smaragdis recently received the 1st International Award “Ioannis Kapodistrias” from the Academy of Greek Arts Awards.
2017: KAZANTZAKIS - Feature film. Based on the author’s autobiography Report to Greco. The film was released in Greek theatres on 23 November 2017. It reached No1 at the Greek Box Office with 250.000 admissions with international distribution.
*Official Participation at the 51st Houston Worldfest, where the film received four Remi Awards:
*Grand Remi Award for Best Film
*Gold Remi Award for Best Music Score for Minos Matsas
*Gold Remi Award for Best Photography for Ari Stavrou
*Houston Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor for Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos
*2 Gold Remi Award Nominations:
-Best Actress for Marina Kalogirou
-Best Supporting Actor for Thodoris Atheridis
*Award for Best Photography at the Ischia Film Festival in Italy
*Audience award at the New York Greek Film Expo
*Audience award at the Atlanta Greek Film Expo
*Participation at the International Film Festivals in Cairo, India (Goa) and Thessaloniki
*Participation at the European Union Film Festival in Toronto
*Participation at the European Film Festivals in Lebanon and Singapore
*Other screenings include the Greek Film Festival in Montreal, the Francophone Festival in Baku
*Honorary screening at UNESCO in Paris
* Participation at the Houston Greek Film Festival
*Screening at the Museum of the Moving Image in NY by the Hellenic Film Society
*Received the Personality of the Year 2019 Award by the Academy of Greek Arts Awards.
*Screening at Harvard University and Geneva University
*Numerous private screenings were also organized throughout the world (Switzerland, Germany, Poland, etc).
-International distribution by American-based distribution company Montecristo Entertainment.
2012: GOD LOVES CAVIAR - Feature film, international co-production with international distribution in Germany, UK, China, Poland, etc.
*Official participation at the Toronto International Film Festival 2012, the Shanghai International Film Festival 2013.
*Giuseppe Sciacca Award for actress Olga Sutulova
2007: EL GRECO - Feature film, international co-production (Greece, Spain, Hungary). A record 1.200.000 admissions in Greece that has not been surpassed to this day with international distribution in many countries.
*First of the five golden films by CBC at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival.
*8 State awards for 2007: Best feature, Best director, Best photography (Ari Stavrou), Set design (Damianos Zarifis), Music (Vangelis), Editing (Giannis Tsitsopoulos), Sound (Marinos Athanasopoulos), Make up (Argyro Kouroupou)
*Audience Award for Best Feature Film during the 48th International Film Festival in Thessaloniki
*Awarded for Best Feature Film from the Greek Union of Film Television and Audiovisual Technicians.
*First Prize for actor Juan Diego Botto at the 2008 Cairo International Film Festival.
*GOYA award in 2009 (Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain) for costume designer Lala Huete.
*Wisdom Award (Vraveion Sophiis) from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens for his film EL GRECO, in Delphi, Greece 2008.
*Official selection at the International Film Festivals of: Toronto 2008, Sao Paolo 2008, European Film Festival 2008 of the American Film Institute in Washington, Cairo 2008, Guadalajara International Festival 2009, Pantalla Pinamar in Argentina, and more other.
* Screening at the Centre Culturel Hellenique in Paris (2019)
* Screenings in Greece, Spain and Hungary
2004: SPYROS LOUIS – Docudrama, a tribute to the first Greek modern Olympic Winner, Marathon runner Spyros Louis (60' minutes).
*First International Award "Guirlande d' Honneur 2004" at SPORTS MOVIES Festival in Milan, Italy.
1996: CAVAFY - Feature film (90' minutes). It reached No1 in the Greek Box Office and was screened for 12 consecutive years at the cinema Accattone in Paris. A record never accomplished by any other Greek film.
*5 State awards: Best feature, Best director, Best photography (Nikos Smaragdis), Best supporting actress (Maya Limberopoulou), Make up (Argyro Kouroupou)
*Two international awards for the score of Vangelis at the film festivals of Ghent, Belgium and Valencia, Spain.
*Nominated for a Grand Prix at the Flanders International Film Festival. *Nominated for a Golden Astor at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival.
*Official participation at the International Film Festivals: Toronto, Berlin, London, Sao Paolo, Mar del Plata, Brisbane, Flanders, Jerusalem, Stockholm, as well as 50 more International Film Festivals.
*Greek nomination for the 1997 European Film Awards.
1983: HOMECOMING SONG - Feature film
*State award for Best Feature.
*Nominated for a Golden Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.
1982: ALALOUM - Feature film. Box office record.
1981: GOOD NIGHT TO YOU, MR. ALEXANDRE - A tribute to the life and work of Greek author Alexandros Papadiamandis. Screened on TV and numerous institutions abroad, such as Harvard University, MIT, Centre Pompidou etc. On Greek television it has been broadcast over 50 times.
1975: ZERO CELL - Feature film.
*Honorable Mention at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
*Nominated for Best Director at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
1972: TWO THREE THINGS... Short film. *First prize at the Athens Film Festival, as well as a Special Mention at the Montreal Film Festival.
SCRIPTS FOR FEATURE FILMS
2019: THE GOVERNOR - Feature film
2014: KAZANTZAKIS - Feature film
2012: GOD LOVES CAVIAR - Feature film
2007: EL GRECO – Feature film
2004: SPYROS LOUIS – Docudrama
1996: CAVAFY – Feature film
1983: HOMECOMING SONG - Feature film
1981: GOOD NIGHT TO YOU, MR. ALEXANDRE… - TV film
1975: ZERO CELL - Feature film
1972: 1972: TWO THREE THINGS... Short film
Yannis Smaragdis has written scripts for his various documentaries as well as several scripts for his TV series.
T.V. S E R I E S
2001: LES ENFANTS GATES - TV series. Eighteen episodes (32' minutes each) for the Greek Television ET1.
*TV Award for Best Actor (Sotiris Moustakas).
1988: HUSH… OUR COUNTRY IS SLEEPING - Television series. Thirteen episodes (45' minutes each). Highly acclaimed, it is considered the best TV series since the beginning of television broadcasting in Greece.
*Nominated for best director at the Prague TV Festival 1989.
*Record ratings for Greek television.
1987: AVE TASO KARATASSO - TV series. Thirteen episodes (45' minutes each).
*TV Award for Best Director.
*Record ratings for Greek television.
1985: HADJIMANUEL - TV series. Five episodes (60').
*Record ratings for Greek television (60-70%).
*Broadcast on TVs in numerous countries.
D O C U M E N T A R I E S
2022: THEODOROS KOLOKOTRONIS - (60’) on the life and struggles of the great Greek captain Theodros Kolokotronis to liberate Greece.
2021: REPORT TO IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS - (60’) on the life of renowned Greek politician Ioannis Kapodistrias.
*World premiere in Geneva, followed by second one in Athens. Both screenings were very successful.
2009: LOOKING FOR IOANNIS VARVAKIS - (45') Documentary about Greek-Russian benefactor Ioannis Varvakis for Greek National TV.
*Official Participation at the 12th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2010.
*Official Participation at the Jihlava Documentary Film Festival 2010. For the Greek National TV
2004: CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS - a documentary about the Christian Monuments of Greece (50' minutes). For the Greek National TV
1998: "I'VE BROUGHT TO ART." - Forty episodes (5'minutes each) segments of cultural content for the Greek National TV.
1996: TRADITIONAL TANNERIES OF AMFISSA (30')
1990-1993: THUS SPAKE THE CITY - Thirteen film essays (30'). Poets and Cities. For the Greek National TV
(POROS-SEFERIS, ANDROS-EMPIRIKOS, ALEXANDRIA-CAVAFY, LESVOS-ELYTIS, HERAKLIO-KAZANTZAKIS, NAFPLIO-KONTOGLOU, DELPHI-SEFERIS, ELEUSIS-ENGONOPOULOS, ATHENS-DIMOULA, PATMOS-PAPADITSAS, SAMOS-RITSOS, MANI-VRETTAKOS, CHIOS/HOMER-MATHAIOS MOUNTES, and more.
*TV award Best Photography (Nikos Smaragdis)
Broadcast on many foreign TV channels and purchased by various universities such as Harvard and Boston College. Also screened in many museums around the world.
1984: SMILING ON THE WAY - Eight documentaries, 30 minutes each. For the Greek National TV
(THE BAND CROSSES THE CITY, ACCORDEON IN THE NIGHT, ELVES OF THE CITY, THE LAST ORGAN-GRINDER, THE BEAR WARDEN WITH THE TAMBOURINE, and others.
1984: THE AEGEAN: FROM HOMER TO ELYTIS - A documentary on the space and discourse of Greece.
1981: THE PEOPLE UNDER THE WALLS - For the Greek National TV
1981: CYCLOPS’ CAVE – For the Greek National TV
1980: A WEDDNING AT VELVENDO - For the Greek National TV
1980: BUILDERS AND PELIKANS - For the Greek National TV
1979: CHRISTMAS AT VOIO – For the Greek National TV
1978: VERGINA 1978 AD - For the Greek National TV
O P E R A
1997: OPERA OF THE SHADOWS - opera, directed by Yannis Smaragdis. Performed at the Athens Opera House.
HONORABLE AWARDS
*In October 2024 he was elected as Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
*In Septbember 2023 the Euro-American Women’s Council (EAWC) honoured him with the ARTEMIS Award.
*In June 2022 he was awarded the 1st International “Ioannis Kapodistrias” Award by the Academy of Greek Arts Awards.
*Tribute to director’s work at Harvard University in USA with screening his three films: CAVAFY, EL GRECO and KAZANTZAKIS.
*Was voted on the Greek web the most popular artist in Greece for the year 2012
*Honored by the students of the 1st Vocational High School in Argos, who inaugurated their new studio "Image and Sound Studio YANNIS SMARAGDIS" in 2013.
*Excellence Award from the European Council for Youth Mobility in Research and Technology during the event "Excellence Awards, Greeks who are Role Models for the New Generation" in 2010
**International Award "GIUSEPPE SCIACCA 2008" for Best Director in Europe - Rome – Italy. Honorary Member of the Giuseppe Sciacca International Awards Committee 2012. He was later appointed Director of Cinema and Theatre and Head of all scientific research of the relative department by the Istituto di Studi Giuridici Economici e Sociali Internazionali I.S.G.E.S.I. 2013
*The Euro - American Women's Council's Award in Santa Barbara, California 2008
*Artemis International Award by the European - American Women Council 2008
*Honorary Award at the Maremetraggio Film Festival in Trieste, Italy 2008
*Voted Director of the Year in STATUS Magazine in 2008
*Yannis Smaragdis is an honorary member of the Directors' Guild of America.
*Donated 14 recreated paintings of artist Domenicos Theotokopoulos that were used in his film EL GRECO to the Orthodox Academy of Crete.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2018 ARMOS Publications released the book by film critic and cinema theoretician Mimis Tsakoniatis titled Yannis Smaragdis: The Architect of the Soul – Good Night to You, Mr. Alexander. In 2020 the second book of the series was released, titled Kavafy – Yannis Smaragdis: The Architect of the Soul my Armos Publications by Mimis Tsakoniatis and was followed in June 2022 by the book El Greco – Yannis Smaragdis: The Architect of the Soul.
Yannis Smaragdis has taught Mass Media courses at the Panteion University of Athens, as well as film direction and screenwriting at various film schools in Greece. He has published 2 books: «Poetic Geography», 1995 and «CAVAFY», 1997 - a literary form of the script of «Cavafy», the film.