In late December, the shortlists for the 2024 Oscars were announced, marking the initial phase and the Academy’s first filter for nominations across ten categories. Among these categories are International Films, Short Films, Documentaries, Music, Song, Sound, and Visual Effects.
As expected, Georgios Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” is included in several of these categories. Additionally, another Greek director’s short film has made its mark on these lists. “The One Note Man,” directed by Georgios Siougas, stands among the shortlisted contenders for this year’s Oscars, having previously garnered acclaim and awards globally.
“The One Note Man” tells the tale of a musician torn between staying within his comfort zone and stepping out to transform his life forever, set during the Christmas period.
The film features music by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (known for “Shakespeare In Love” and “Billy Elliot”), who masterfully creates a third character in the movie, drawing the audience in and conveying the transformation of the One Note Man into a person who opens his heart to the world.
Starring in the film are Jason Watkins as the One Note Man (known for “The Crown”), along with Louisa Clein (from “Emmerdale”), Crystal Yu (“Dr Who”), Paul Barber (“The Full Monty”), and the voice of Ian McKellen (“Lord of the Rings”).
Georgios Siougas moved to the United Kingdom from Athens to study at the London Film School, where he directed five short films that competed in over 50 international festivals. His works earned five Grand Prix awards and four Best Director accolades.
Two of these short films have since been utilized as “high-quality examples” in the film school’s curriculum.
His first film, “Galá,” completed in 2012, was nominated for 11 awards by the Greek Film Academy that year, including Best Director. It won awards for Best Actor and Best Actress and was selected to close the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival in 2012.
In 2012, Siougas and his family moved to Cyprus, where he directed several high-quality television dramas, and in 2015 they settled in the United Kingdom where he has become a sought-after director for British television.
An episode of the British medical series “Casualty,” directed by Siougas, was among the four episodes nominated for a BAFTA in 2022. He was also a nominee for a BAFTA Craft award the same year.
In 2023, Siougas wrote and directed the short film “The One Note Man,” which recently won the Grand Prize and Best Live Action Short at the Rhode Island Short Film Festival.
The Greek director is also working on a feature film, “Carnival,” a heist movie set during Notting Hill’s carnival.
