The Flying Greek

Directed by Mark Vizcarra

Local Film Showcase Selection / USA / 2016 / narrative / 12 mins / English / World Premiere

Still image from film "The Flying Greek." Photo courtesy of Mark Vizcarra.

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Plays In:

Local Film Showcase

UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley at Hazard Center
September 18, 2016 1:00 pm Sold Out

Description

Steve Pisanos, a slender boy always with a “No Fear” look etched onto his face grows up in Greece in 1932. He has lots of friends and does what most rambunctious teenage boys do best; look for trouble, but while walking to school they come across a Gypsy who lures them into having their palms read. Steve’s fortune foretold by the mystifying Gypsy befuddles him but when a bi-plane fighter from the Greek Air Force flies directly overhead, the experience becomes life changing and sets his destiny in motion. He comes from a modest family with a stern patriarch who demands his children study well in school, but Steve now has other ideas. Fast forward to England in 1943 where Steve is now a fighter ace having achieved five aerial victories over the skies of war torn Europe. He finds himself not only fulfilling what the Gypsy prophesied, but grappling to stay alive while achieving a passion he had no idea could be so lethal.

Director's Bio

Mark Vizcarra entered the film industry after 29 years of service to the United States Navy and formed Speed and Angels Productions to create authentic films in the aviation genre using actual flyable warbirds. He spent nearly two decades flying the world’s most sophisticated fighters accumulating over 2500 hours and landing aboard nine different aircraft carriers. Mark Vizcarra produces and directs films using the unique and complex skills he acquired as a career Officer and Navy Fighter Pilot. As a Commander having been assigned on an Admiral Staff, he has been responsible for programs in excess of 100 million dollars and knows the intricate details of successful project management and leadership. As a Topgun graduate and veteran who has attended film school, he brings to the film industry a unique perspective to the aviation genre which will clearly be visible in the film adaptation of the extraordinary book, “The Flying Greek”.

Precedes

Living History: Our Hometown Hero

Jose Roman, Guadalupe Blancas, Victoria Stauffer, Bryson Newsom, Janet Valdovinos, and Damaris Robles. / Local Film Showcase Selection / USA / 2016 / documentary / 5 mins
91-year-old Robert Noble, Commander, USN retired, shares his 31 year career as a Naval Officer & Naval Aviator with a group of middle school students in Vista, CA. He shares his insights into the importance of education, and also shares his love for family & country. Bob is a San Diego native, born and raised in San Diego, CA.
Preceded by: The Flying Greek

Precedes: A Return to the End

Plays in

Local Film Showcase

Local Film Showcase
The Local Film Showcase demonstrates a commitment to San Diego’s local military community. The films featured in the showcase are by filmmakers who serve, or have served in the U.S. military from San Diego or Imperial Counties.
In This Program: Honor Flight: The Ride of a Lifetime, The Flying Greek, Living History: Our Hometown Hero, The Light Once Captured, A Return to the End

Preceded By

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Honor Flight: The Ride of a Lifetime

Travis Weger / Local Film Showcase Selection / USA / 2014 / documentary / 13 mins
Follow 42 WWII and Korean War Veterans on their emotional journey to Washington DC to view the memorials to their service and sacrifice. Created by local U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Travis Weger from San Diego, CA, alum of the University of San Diego and founding president of the USD Student Veterans Organizations.
Precedes: The Flying Greek