Stelana Kliris


Stelana Kliris is a South African-born Greek Cypriot filmmaker. She is best known for writing, directing, and producing the romantic comedy film Find Me Falling, which was set and filmed in Cyprus and became the first Cypriot film to premiere on Netflix.

Early life

Kliris was born in South Africa, the daughter of Greek Cypriot parents from Louvaras and Rizokarpaso. Her parents ran a grocery shop. She grew up in South Africa and studied journalism at Rhodes University in Makhanda, then spent time living in Athens and London before moving to Cyprus in 2010.

Career

Kliris directed two short documentaries, Flame of Peace about the Olympic Truce and Unmasking Mavis about LGBT subcultures in South Africa. Her short film The Fiddler was inspired by her grandfather's story of his desire to own a violin. Her feature film directorial debut came with the English-language romantic comedy Committed about a man pressured to propose who meets a runaway bride. In 2016, she established the production company Meraki Films. Her next film, the English-language romantic comedy Find Me Falling, was set and filmed in Cyprus; starring Harry Connick Jr. as an American rock star who buys a seaside home in Cyprus without knowing it is near a suicide hotspot, the film became the first Cypriot film to premiere on Netflix, subsequently being translated into more than 30 languages and hitting the top spot on Netflix shortly after its release.

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerEditorNotes
2002Flame of PeaceDocumentary
2002Unmasking MavisDocumentary
2010The FiddlerShort film
2010HopeShort film
2014Committed
2018Pause
2018To the Moon and BackShort film
2019Watch Over MeShort film
2020ProdosiaShort film
2024Find Me Falling
In production