Join Hellenic Film Society & NYWIFT as we proudly co-present the opening night screening of Hold Onto Me during New York Greek Film Expo 2026!
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time: 7 PM ET
Location: DGA New York Theater (110 W 57th St)
Cost: $30
Hold Onto Me
Directed and written by: Myrsini Aristidou
2026 / 102 mins / New York Premiere / In Greek with English subtitles
Cast: Maria Petrova, Christos Passalis, Jenny Sallo, Aulona Lupa, Andreas Koutsoftas
A plucky 11-year-old girl in Cyprus stubbornly tries to forge a connection with her long-absent, largely indifferent father. Her refusal to remain overlooked fuels her efforts to make her father fill the space in her life where a parent should be.
Winner, Sundance 2026: Audience Award- World Cinema Dramatic Competition
New York screening followed by audience Q&A with director Myrsini Aristidou and lead actor Christos Passalis.
About the Filmmaker:
Born and raised in Limassol, Cyprus, Myrsini Aristidou is a writer, director, and producer. Her debut feature film, Hold Onto Me (Κράτα Με), premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Aristidou holds an MFA in Film Directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a BFA in Film and Art History from Pratt Institute. Her short film Semele (2015) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen internationally, winning the Special Jury Prize in the Generation Kplus section of the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival. Her follow-up short, Aria (2017), was made with the support of Spike Lee, Canal+ France, and the CNC. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival before screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Aristidou’s work has been developed through some of the world’s leading film institutions and programs, including the Cannes Cinéfondation Residence, the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab, Berlinale Talents, and the TIFF Talent Lab. Alongside her work as a filmmaker, Aristidou is the founder of Cyprus-based production company One Six One Films and co-founder of the Sagapo Children’s Foundation.
The Hellenic Film Society presents its annual New York Greek Film Expo, a Greek film festival for all New Yorkers, October 2-12, 2025. For additional information on all films, theaters, tickets, and showtimes, CLICK HERE.
About the Hellenic Film Society USA
The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization rooted in the belief that Greek cinema should be part of the American cultural landscape. Based in Astoria, NY, the organization promotes feature films, documentaries, and film shorts made by Greek filmmakers and those of Greek descent, as well as films that promote the cultures of Greece and Cyprus.
In addition to presenting its annual film festival, HFS collaborates with the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image on Always on Sunday, a series of monthly Greek film screenings.
(All images courtesy of Hellenic Film Society and participants)
DGA New York Theater
110 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019
programs@nywift.org
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NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
