Los Angeles, United States. Cypriot director Myrsini Aristidou’s feature film Hold Onto Me won the top fiction prize at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, according to public relations and media strategy manager Phoebe Miltiadous. The film received the Orpheus Award for Best Feature Fiction after its screening at the festival’s closing ceremony at the Egyptian Theatre on May 31.
Festival recognition
The jury described the production as a “tender, deeply human film” that explores longing, connection and the need to be seen and loved.
International festival run
The latest award adds to a year of international recognition for the film. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.
The film has since been screened at several major international festivals, including the Sydney Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival and the Istanbul Film Festival.
Upcoming screening in Shanghai
Its international run will continue this month with a screening at the Belt and Road Film Week of the Shanghai International Film Festival, one of Asia’s leading film events.
The festival, now in its 28th edition, runs from June 12 to 21 and is China’s only FIAPF-recognised A-list competitive film festival.
Film synopsis and additional screenings
Hold Onto Me follows 11-year-old Iris as she tries to understand her place in the world after learning that her estranged father has returned to town.
What begins as an attempt to get to know him develops into a story of family, belonging and reconciliation.
The film has also been shown at Cyprus Film Days, the Sofia International Film Festival and the Guadalajara International Film Festival, among others.
