Renowned Greek filmmaker Yannis Smaragdis has been elected as a full member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, becoming the first Greek director to receive this honor since the Academy’s founding in 1990, tovima.com, has reported.
The Academy, based in Salzburg, Austria, operates under the patronage of the presidents of 12 European nations. Smaragdis, who hails from Crete, is celebrated for his films Cavafy, El Greco, and Kazantzakis, which have resonated deeply with audiences both in Greece and internationally.
The induction ceremony to welcome Smaragdis into the Academy’s Arts section will take place in Salzburg in March 2025, recognizing his significant cultural contributions and a remarkable career spanning four decades.
According to tovima.com, upon his election, Smaragdis expressed his gratitude.
“It is a great honor to be elected by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts as a member in the field of Arts and Culture,” stated Yannis Smaragdis, further adding that he views this distinction as a duty to honor the Greek film and theatre directors who have left an indelible worldwide mark through successful films and stage productions.
Smaragdis, specifically stated “There are many talented Greeks who merit this recognition in fields such as music, painting, literature, and theater. My duty is to reach out particularly to the filmmakers and television creators, where numerous Greek directors are already gaining international prominence, not to emphasize my own success but to highlight the legacy of great creators of our nation in recent centuries—the fathers of modern Greek culture. They have fused core Greek values with contemporary international movements in a spirit of creative exploration, integrating their works into our national and, simultaneously, European and global tradition.”
Source: tovima.com
