DR. PATITSAS ATTENDS WORLD PREMIERE OF HIS FIRST FILM

Dr. Timothy Patitsas, Interim Dean of Hellenic College and Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, attended the world premiere of his short documentary, Amphilochios: Saint of Patmos, at the Houston Greek Film Festival in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, November 18, 2023. The film is the first production from Beauty First Films, co-founded by Dr. Patitsas and Thomaida Hudanish, and was an official selection of the festival.

Amphilochios is a thirty-minute documentary exploring the life and spiritual legacy of the beloved twentieth-century saint, filmed over the course of the first celebration of his April feast day in 2019. St.  Amphilochios (1889-1970) was a tireless spiritual father to the Dodecanese, a confessor of bishops and patriarchs, a missionary, and a founder of orphanages and monasteries. Dr. Patitsas came to know about the saint over thirty years ago and was inspired to bring awareness of this holy life to a greater audience. “We had a unique opportunity to film the inaugural feast of the saint at the monastery he founded,” says Dr. Patitsas. “It was important to capture the witness of those who knew the saint while he was alive.” 

As well as conducting many of the interviews, Dr. Patitsas appears in the film. The production crew included Director of Photography Akis Konstantakopoulos, HCHC alumnus Fr. James Kumarelas (MDiv 2020), Christopher Showalter, and Ansley Showalter. The score was composed by Seth Wright and the film was edited by Panos Daoultzis. 

Beauty First Films is a nonprofit, founded in 2019 to produce films that transport the viewer to a place of awe, beauty, and holiness. Learn more about their Calendar of Liturgical Seasons and other film projects at www.beautyfirstfilms.com.