Greek movies recommended for top awards

Two Greek fictional films were among the 50 movies recommended this year by the European Film Academy for the European Film Awards 2016.

“Chevalier,” directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, and “Suntan,” a film by Argyris Papadimitropoulos, are expected to be considered for the 2016 awards by the academy’s members.

According to the European academy, over 3,000 of its members are expected to vote for the nominations in the European film, director, actor, actress and screenwriter categories.

The recommended films come from 33 European countries, illustrating the diversity of Europe’s cinema industry, the academy said.

While the nominees are expected to be announced at the Seville European Film Festival in Spain on November 5, the 29th European Film Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Wroclaw, Poland, on December 10.

“Chevalier,” dubbed a battle of male egos on board a luxury yacht sailing in the Aegean Sea, won the top prize at the 59th British Film Institute’s London Film Festival Awards last year. Written by Tsangari and Efthymis Philippou and starring Makis Papadimitriou, Sakis Rouvas and Giorgos Pirpassopoulos, the comedy follows a group of friends competing in a game to determine who is the best in everything with the winner standing to receive a chevalier ring.

Papadimitriou also takes a lead role in “Suntan,” a comedy-drama written by Papadimitropoulos and Syllas Tzoumerkas. The film also stars Elli Tringou and Dimi Hart. The comedydrama follows a lonely 40-year-old man who embarks on an eye-opening, summer journey into the world of love and sex on a Greek island.