Call him Yanni. It’s complicated.

He is a Greek-born, LA-based writer-director and editor whose emotionally charged stories play with the nature of reality–questioning it, toying with it, and molding it in surprising ways to explore identity, longing, and self-reinvention. Through bold storytelling and genre disruption, his work centers outsiders, underdogs and the beautifully flawed–those who long to be seen in a world trained to look away. His directing spans narrative, documentary, branded, reality, and music video, and often plays with unreliable narrators and surreal or supernatural tension.

Yannis' award-winning shorts, DON'T FRIGHTEN THE HORSES, about queer affection in unsafe spaces, and DICHOTOMY, about performative femininity, have screened internationally and stream on RevryTV.

He also segment-directed the zombie horror feature DAWNING OF THE DEAD, streaming on Apple TV. 

His debut feature NAMAS DEI: THE TUCKER J. JAMES STORY is a satirical comedy told entirely through a precision-crafted vlog structure. Featuring five cameras, 35 actors, and 44 locations, it follows a fame-hungry East Coast transplant whose viral infamy forces him to confront his sexuality in a world where self-worth is algorithmic. It explores digital fame, performative masculinity, and queer self-erasure in the influencer age, using formal chaos to mirror internal collapse, melding humour and heartbreak in equal measure. The award-winning film earned a 9/10 from FILM THREAT.

After completing his military service, Yannis built a directing career in Greek television and film, on tightly scheduled shoots with large cast ensembles. He worked with the Ministry of Education, BBC, National Geographic, History Channel, and the 2004 Olympics & Paralympics. He joined the Greek Directors Guild, and immigrated to Los Angeles following the Greek financial crisis, where he founded FLYING PENGUIN PRODUCTIONS in 2014.

He holds a BA in Advertising Management and an MA in TV & Video Production (Bournemouth University), as well as a Certificate in Cinematography (UCLA Extension). 

Yannis has directed children (ages 3-10), Thai monkeys (all ages), and has a thing for penguins (strictly platonic).