NEW YORK, NY — [Photos by NY Greek Film Expo]
The New York Greek Film Expo 2026, presented by the Hellenic Film Society, will have its New York Premiere Thursday, October 8, with “Hold Onto Me (Κράτα Με)”, the winner of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic Competition and Cyprus’ first official submission to the Oscars for consideration in the Best Foreign Film category.
The filmfollows 11-year-old Iris, who is determined to reconnect with her estranged father after he returns to Cyprus for his own father’s funeral. Her efforts to bring him back into her life slowly develop into a fragile bond.
The cast includes Maria Petrova, Christos Passalis, Jenny Sallo, Aulona Lupa and Andreas Koutsoftas.
The Opening Night screening begins at 7:00 p.m. at the DGA New York Theater, 110 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. The film is in Greek with English subtitles and will be followed by an audience Q&A with Myrsini Aristidou, writer and director, and Christos Passalis, lead actor.
Katia Goulioni will serve as host of the 2026 New York Greek Film Expo.
“The Hellenic Film Society tries to bring the best of Greek cinema to its audiences every year. This year, I think we have a very special lineup of twelve films to take center stage at the New York Greek Film Expo”, said Maria C. Miles, President of the Hellenic Film Society. “Kicking off the Expo is Myrsini Aristidou’s debut feature film, Hold Onto Me.It is a masterfully written and directed film with magnetic performances by Christos Passalis and Maria Petrova. It mesmerized Sundance audiences and I’m certain our New York audience will be equally besotted”, she added.
The New York Greek Film Expo runs October 8–18, 2026, presenting the latest in Greek cinema along with special events, filmmaker appearances and audience discussions at venues throughout New York City and New Jersey.
This year’s Expo will feature 12 films, showcasing a diverse range of genres and stories from Greece.
Screenings will take place at Village East by Angelika in Manhattan, beginning with Broken Vein (Yannis Economides) on October 9. On October 10, audiences can watch Life in a Beat (Amerissa Basta) and Patty is Such a Girly Name (Giorgos Georgopoulos). The October 11 programme includes Rooster (Tassos Gerakinis), Last Call (Sherif Francis) and Receptions (Filippos Tsitos).
The Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, will host a screening of Hold Onto Me (Myrsini Aristidou) on October 13. Meanwhile, Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City, Queens, will host a special event on October 14 featuring a screening of Cavo Paradiso Mykonos: 30 Years of History (Adonis Theocharis Kioukas), followed by an after-party.
The festival will then move to the Museum of the Moving Image from October 16 to 18 for a tribute to acclaimed filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis, featuring screenings of Girl in Black, Zorba the Greek, Windfall in Athens and Stella.
For more information and the complete Expo schedule, visit HellenicFilmSociety.org.
