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Tribute - Stathis Raftopoulos

Photo - Stathis Raftopoulos in the bio box of The National Theatre Richmond.

In 1949 Stathis Raftopoulos founded the company Dionysus Films, the only company in Australia to import and screen Greek films. In that year he imported the first Greek film to Australia, Voice of the Heart. In 1953 he filmed the documentary, To Get to Know Greece, which was screened extensively in Australia.

In 1960 Stathis Raftopoulos co-founded another company, Cosmopolitan Motion Pictures, which, for the next 20 years, played a vital role in Greek entertainment. He went on to run a chain of theatres, importing films from Greece, France, Yugoslavia, Italy and other countries.

During the early-1960’s Cosmopolitan Motion Pictures purchased The National Theatre Richmond which was to become one of their most successful theatres, screening Greek movies and the occasional Turkish and other language movies.

It continued until 1985, when it was closed and converted to a live music venue known as The Old Greek Theatre. It suffered an inglorious end with a major fire.

Stathis Raftopoulos was also the founding editor of the Greek newspaper, Ulysses, which he edited for twenty years, and he lectured in Greek literature at RMIT University.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -