New Feature “The Maladjusted” from Director Chris Kiros in Pre- Production

Chris Kiros is an upcoming filmmaker who has worked in all areas of film production. His last film Zombthology had won an award at Louisville Fright Night Film Fest. Now he is preparing to direct a new feature, “The Maladjusted”, a dramatic comedy that revolves around 3 friends indulging in their hedonistic lifestyle.

Tell us about the new movie “The Maladjusted” that you are preparing as a director.

“The Maladjusted” is a comedy I co-wrote with a friend, Elias Dancey.  It’s based on my experiences here in Alexandria, Va with my high school friends.  The premise for the story revolves around 3 guys that have hit their 30’s, but continue to live their lives as if they were still 20 years old. The main character, Robbie Petras, is struggling to find himself and to fulfill his aspirations of becoming a writer.  I guess you could say it’s a dramatic comedy with an emphasis on the comedy.

One of the messages of the movie if I am not mistaken is about the changes we go through and the feeling of growing old. What is your theory on this?

You are right, it is very much about the changes everyone feels they should make at a certain point in life. For some it happens very early and for others it comes much later and much harder.  It’s a time in a person’s life that big decisions are made like, should I get married? Should I give up the childish dreams and go get an office job? What the hell is a 401K?  I think if I had been making this movie back when I was actually going through this change, it would probably be much darker and not a comedy at all.  In retrospect, I can look back on it and laugh.

One of the actors that you will be working with him on the movie is George Katt who is also of Greek Descent. How is it working together with him so far?

I’m very happy to be working with George Katt. We met a few months ago during casting and I immediately cast him in the lead as Robbie.  I felt very much that there wasn’t a lot of explaining I needed to do regarding the character (Robbie is a Greek-American guy like us).  George just understood it. I’m very eager to get on set with him and the rest of the cast. We also cast Tiffany Shepis, who is Greek-American and a superb talent!

What is your relationship with Greece? When was the last time you went for a visit? (and if you have what are the things you like most about Greece)

Both my parents are Greek and we would spend almost every summer in Greece when I was growing up. At 13 we moved to Greece where I spent 1 year in Athens and attended the infamous Varibobi High. Then about 2 years in Ioaninna.  I love going to Greece to see my friends and family, spending the entire day on the beach (psarontoufeko!) and of course the food.  Last time I was there was in 2008 with my wife and child visiting Lefkada, where she is from.

Tell us about the experience you had filming Zombthology, a film that won also an award at Louisville Fright Night Film Fest.

ZOMBthology was a fantastic and fun experience. I got to work with some great filmmakers and actors. This shoot is also where I met my co-producer, Josh Davidson, for The Maladjusted. As sick and twisted as that movie is, it was a great learning experience in the world of feature films and festivals.  I can say that I am done with zombie movies, but I am not done with horror.

How did you decide to become a director?

I can’t really say for sure. I remember as a kid I wanted to be a writer or somehow tell good stories.  I think when I first saw “Stand By Me” in the theater when I was about 10 or 11, it grabbed me in a way that turned me on to movies. I was always into movies, but that one for many reasons, got me thinking about movies and writing in a different way.  Later, when I was 19, I took a summer filmmaking course at NYU where I learned the basics of filmmaking and the intense involvement a director has in the story telling.  The core of it is, I just like telling stories.

Tell us about your hobbies and things you like doing at your free time.

Where do I start? I have more hobbies and interests than I have the time to appease. I’ve had more jobs based on my interests than I care to admit.  However, my favorite thing to do is to hit the mountains, find a nice stream and spend the entire day fly-fishing.

What are your future plans?

I don’t have anything set in stone, but if all goes well with The Maladjusted, I want to jump straight into my next project which is heavily based on Greek characters and culture. The script has been in the works for a while and still has a ways to go. In the meantime I’d like to keep producing some smaller projects and maybe doing a bit more acting.