Kickstarter

My name is John Samellas. I am a Greek-American filmmaker living in a Greek community in Boston, as well as in Athens amongst my Greek family and friends.

What is happening in Greece economically stinks and we folks here in the states can do very little to help. With your support, I will be able to highlight the images, sounds, smells, and feelings that make Greece the embodiment of “the Mediterranean," and show the world the lure of Greece. As an on-line filmmaker, I have the tools to help you dip into the Mediterranean, smell the Agora, and dance to the bouzouk. 

 In the past 4 months, I have shot over 1,200 video clips from around Greece, and the islands. I shoot on my iPhone, with an OWLE housing/lenses and a mono-pod. I draft in iMovie on my iPad, and I finish editing with Final Cut on my iMac. Yea an Apple type of guy...

Although I have access to these amazing and inexpensive resources, the editing process isn’t cheap and time consuming. Currently, after work, I am creating “travel videos,” which I personally fund with friends and partners, and post on YouTube.

These videos have been viewed over 5 million times, and have inspired many to travel to these destinations. Feeling confident from the success of these videos, I would like to shift my attention towards Greece, as it is the land of my parents, my grandparents - it is my bloodline. I could use a second editor to fill in the hours.

Here is the beginnings of our Greece and the Islands playlist - available for free to any organization, website, blog, or social network to spread the Greek good word. If we show it, they will come...

With your help, the videos will be completed sooner and in time to make a difference, the Greek tourist season is June-September. Funding beyond our requested amount will be used to shoot more video, edit and promote on-line.

We are planning a return trip this August thru December with mind to collaborate with local artisans for a richer storyline. I have had the fortune to work with in creating videos for Chef and Author, Diane Kochilas, and GreekFoodTv. With her vast knowledge of the peoples and villages of Greece, I should be able to find the stories that will make our second playlist even more authentic and inspiring.