Giorgos Lanthimos

Yorgos Lanthimos, also known as Giorgos Lanthimos, is a renowned Greek filmmaker whose directorial style has made a major impact on the international movie landscape. He began his career in the mid-90s, initially working in experimental theater before transitioning to film with his debut directorial venture My Best Friend in 2001. His star truly began to rise after directing the psychological drama Dogtooth in 2009, a film that was not only successful at Cannes Film Festival, but it also earned a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Lanthimos is also known for making English-language films like the black comedy The Lobster and the psychological thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer. His collaborations with Emma Stone in the period black comedies The Favourite and Poor Things have also earned him significant acclaim and nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture. He won the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival for Poor Things.

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Lanthimos pursued business administration before being attracted to the world of film and television directing. He was also known for his sports background, following in his father's footsteps to play basketball. However, after a short-lived sports career, he transitioned to cinema, studying at the Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos in Athens. His versatility is evident as he has worked on TV commercials, short films, experimental theater plays and music videos, and was a part of the creative team that designed the openings and closings for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. His unconventional style, often using absurdist dark comedy intertwined with violent and sexually explicit content, has made him a noteworthy figure in Greek Weird Wave, a postmodern film movement.