Biography

Though born in New York, bilingual Niko Volonakis grew up in Greece, divides his time between Athens (which he considers home), and California, where he studied film at City College of San Francisco. Niko's work behind-the-scenes includes writing, directing, producing, camera, composing, and even, when needs must, acting. Dubbed "the Frankenstein of indies" by his colleagues, Niko's skilled hand at editing has bolstered many worthy low-budget projects. By scrutinizing all available footage, stitching it together (frame-by-frame, if necessary), he ensures every performance is elevated, every scene is enhanced, and every available production dollar is maximized. He brings that same philosophy to his directing.

Early in his career, Volonakis met Egyptian filmmaker, Taher Medhat. When Medhat returned to Cairo, the two stayed in contact during the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Shortly thereafter, Greece had its own upheaval, and the duo decided to 'guerilla-film' both rebellions, using them as backdrops for a short, Cairo Year Zero, and a feature, Hate Your City. Volonakis self-financed CYZ by producing a variety of vids for other artists and living on the cheap. Reminiscent of De Sica's Bicycle Thief, CYZ'S distinctive perspective on Egypt during that historic period garnered festival accolades, including Best Short at Reel Independent Film Extravaganza.

When Covid slammed production to a halt on Hate Your City, Niko left Athens for California to be with family, and was approached to direct Lyvia's House, a thriller with Greek tragedy undertones. Keen to complete HYC, he turned it down, but when border restrictions prolonged his exile, he decided to take it on. Lyvia's House also became a festival winner, earning Niko awards for Best Music Score, Best Editing, Honorable Distinction in Directing, and a Femmy Nomination for Best Feature Film at the Nevada Women's Film Festival.

In development for Niko as director is Tamawo, to be shot in the Philippines with BrandCinema. He's also slated to co-direct with Joshua Malekos, Isle of Boar, a creature feature to star Z Nation's Russell Hodgkinson.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jane Hunter, publicist