Stelana Kliris
Stelana Kliris Στελάνα Κληρή | |
|---|---|
| Born | South Africa |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Website | meraki-films.com |
Stelana Kliris (Greek: Στελάνα Κληρή) is a South African-born Greek Cypriot filmmaker. She is best known for writing, directing, and producing the English-language romantic comedy film Find Me Falling (2024), which was set and filmed in Cyprus and became the first Cypriot film to premiere on Netflix.
Early life
[edit]Kliris was born in South Africa, the daughter of Greek Cypriot parents from Louvaras and Rizokarpaso.[1] Her parents ran a grocery shop.[2] She grew up in South Africa and studied journalism at Rhodes University in Makhanda, then spent time living in Athens and London before moving to Cyprus in 2010.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Kliris directed two short documentaries, Flame of Peace (2002) about the Olympic Truce and Unmasking Mavis (2002) about LGBT subcultures in South Africa. Her short film The Fiddler (2010) was inspired by her grandfather's story of his desire to own a violin.[5] Her feature film directorial debut came with the English-language romantic comedy Committed (2014) about a man pressured to propose who meets a runaway bride.[6] In 2016, she established the production company Meraki Films.[7] Her next film, the English-language romantic comedy Find Me Falling (2024), was set and filmed in Cyprus; starring Harry Connick Jr. as an American rock star who buys a seaside home in Cyprus without knowing it is near a suicide hotspot, the film became the first Cypriot film to premiere on Netflix, subsequently being translated into more than 30 languages and hitting the top spot on Netflix shortly after its release.[3][8]
Filmography
[edit]| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Flame of Peace | Yes | No | No | No | Documentary |
| 2002 | Unmasking Mavis | Yes | No | No | No | Documentary |
| 2010 | The Fiddler | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| 2010 | Hope | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 2014 | Committed | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Pause | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | To the Moon and Back | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| 2019 | Watch Over Me | No | No | Co-producer | No | Short film |
| 2020 | Prodosia | No | No | Yes | No | Short film |
| 2024 | Find Me Falling | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| TBA | Apart from Her † | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | In production |
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.cbn.com.cy/article/2024/7/30/788814/stelana-kliris-overwhelmed-humbled-and-just-very-very-happy/
- ^ https://imdb.com/name/nm3957989/bio/
- ^ a b Carlson, Erin (2024-07-19). "The Story Behind 'Find Me Falling'". You've Got Mail. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ^ "A low budget story - Ι LOVE STYLE". ilovestyle.com. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ^ "Grandfather's story inspires Cypriot director | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ^ Philly, Cosmos (2013-11-07). "Committed, a road trip movie set in Cyprus ⋆ Cosmos Philly". Cosmos Philly. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ^ https://www.meraki-films.com/new-page
- ^ Sakellis, Eleni (July 26, 2024). "'Find Me Falling' Director Stelana Kliris Discusses Her Film, Now #1 on Netflix". The National Herald.