Verve Films director Sotiris Dounoukos finalist in the $25,000 Kit Denton writing fellowship

Verve Films director Sotiris Dounoukos, whose sultry campaign for Target Denim Nation and acclaimed short films have marked him as a rising star in both the advertising and film worlds, has just been announced as a finalist in the $25,000 Kit Denton writing fellowship. Sotiris returns to Australia after 12 months in Europe, where he attended the highly regarded Binger Film Lab in Amsterdam, completing the script for his first feature film, the screen adaptation of Helen Garner’s “Joe Cinque’s Consolation”.

The Kit Denton Fellowship is aprestigious $25,000 fellowship presented by the Australian Writers’Foundation in conjunction with Zapruder’s Other Films. It’s presentedannually to a writer who has shown courage in their work anddemonstrated a willingness to challenge the status quo with theirwriting. Verve Films EP Carolyn Starkey has welcomed Sotiris back to Australia and his return to Verve Films for TVC direction.

“At Verve performance is our forte, and Sotiris fits that mould. He is a compelling storyteller with European art house sensibilities. His immense ability with talent is evident in his TVCs and films,” says Starkey. “As a filmmaker, Sotiris is interested in exploring the inner life of his characters through memorable moments that linger through the detail and power of the performances, and a bold visual style that digs into what is unsaid between the characters. He has undertaken specialist training in performance with dramaturg Nico Lathouris, and his films have connected with audiences across the world, having been awarded and screened extensively internationally.”

Sotiris graduated from the Victorian Film and TV School (VCA) in 2004 winning the Outstanding Post Graduate Student award and the Best Student Production at the Melbourne International Film Festival with his film “Mona Lisa”. This moving and tense art house drama impacts through its stellar performances and strikingly poetic composition. The film has screened at over 150 festivals.

“Paper & Sand”- Sotiris’ 2004 Dendy Awards and AFI-nominated short- is an extraordinary example of his ability to deliver powerful performances with non-actors, including children. This delicately told life drama explores a young Afghan couple’s new life in a new land.

Sotiris’ most recent film “Punch” is an outstanding example of visual storytelling, that’s emotive and entertaining. The film was shot guerrilla-style on the streets of Paris and features beautiful photography that evokes the inherent romanticism of the City of Lights. It again highlights Sotiris’ ability to work across a variety of performance styles and languages.