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The Flying Greek

Steve Pisanos, a slender boy always with a "No Fear" look etched onto his face grows up in Greece in 1932. He has lots of friends and does what most rambunctious teenage boys do best; look for trouble, but while walking to school they come across a Gypsy who lures them into having their palms read. Steve’s fortune foretold by the mystifying Gypsy befuddles him but when a bi-plane fighter from the Greek Air Force flies directly overhead, the experience becomes life changing and sets his destiny in motion. He comes from a modest family with a stern patriarch who demands his children study well in school, but Steve now has other ideas.
Fast forward to England in 1943 where Steve is now a fighter ace having achieved over five aerial victories over the skies of war torn Europe. He finds himself not only fulfilling what the Gypsy prophesied, but grappling to stay alive while achieving a passion he had no idea could be so lethal.

  • Mark Vizcarra
    Director
  • Mark Vizcarra
    Writer
  • Steve Pisanos
    Writer
    The Flying Greek the novel
  • Larry Poole
    Producer
    Dance of Life, Man from Death, Traded
  • Mark Vizcarra
    Producer
  • Racine Poole
    Producer
  • Vic Vizcarra
    Producer
    Spring High
  • Scott Andrew Lieberman
    Key Cast
    Straight Outta Compton, Love Is All You Need, Luke
  • Nicholas Sandoval
    Key Cast
  • Jake Sharp
    Key Cast
    Team Red, All My Children, Sprinter
  • Tandy Delisle (Vizcarra)
    Key Cast
    The Hardest Thing
  • Lolly Borloff
    Key Cast
    Blue Thunder, Plan B
  • Jor-el Vaasborg
    Key Cast
    Billy the Kid: New Evidence
  • Robert Meginley
    Key Cast
    The Hunter's Moon
  • Les Delos Santos
    Sound
  • Chris Delos Santos
    Sound
  • Steven L. Schuneman
    Sound
  • Alexander Vizcarra
    Sound
  • Michael Vizcarra
    Sound
  • Nicholas Vizcarra
    Sound
  • Austin Winnie
    Sound
  • Myles Elsing
    Stunts
  • Chuck Hall
    Stunts
  • Andy Harris
    Stunts
  • Phoenix Web
    Make Up Artist
  • Chris Swede
    Film Editor
    Demons
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    History, Drama, Action
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 10, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital Video
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • GI Film Festival San Diego
    San Diego
    United States
    September 18, 2016
    World Premiere
    Nominated for Best Narrative Short
  • San Diego Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    October 2, 2016
Director Biography - Mark Vizcarra

Mark Vizcarra entered the film industry after 29 years of service to the United States Navy and formed Speed & Angels Productions to create authentic films in the aviation genre using actual flyable warbirds. He spent nearly two decades flying the world’s most sophisticated fighters accumulating over 2500 hours and landing aboard nine different aircraft carriers. Mark Vizcarra produces and directs films using the unique and complex skills he acquired as a career Officer and Navy Fighter Pilot. As a Commander having been assigned on an Admiral Staff, he has been responsible for programs in excess of 100 million dollars and knows the intricate details of successful project management and leadership. As a Topgun graduate and veteran who has attended film school, he brings to the film industry a unique perspective to the aviation genre which will clearly be visible in the film adaptation of the extraordinary book, “The Flying Greek”.

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Director Statement

I believe film is an art that stimulates the sensory experience and a lot of our decisions are driven by the introspection of those five senses. I am living proof that artistic elements in film literally do have the power to change one’s life. Think about it, all one has to do is reflect on a favorite movie and your mind will suddenly be filled with unforgettable scenes or an indelible dialogue performance from that film. For me, I was mesmerized by the visual artistry of the opening scene of the 1966 World War I film “The Blue Max”. The camera angles and sounds of the engines with its unique propeller-synchronized machine-gunfire along with the haunting musical score as two bi-planed fighters commenced their lethal aerial ballet was all it took for me to make my decision to be a career military fighter pilot at the ripe age of six. When I read Steve Pisanos’ book, The Flying Greek I felt that same hypnotic feeling and I knew right then and there I had to take his incredible memoir and turn it into a feature film. My friend Steve’s amazing life story is so unique, even the most creative Hollywood writers couldn’t have devised such a compelling story. His odyssey represents the desire in each and everyone one of us to seek our passion and dreams. This true saga is America's story of a young immigrant from Greece. Unable to speak English, he sailed across the Atlantic with only 8 dollars to his name for the freedom to follow his dream. I feel honored to have the film rights to his fascinating book, “The Flying Greek” which captivates everyone who reads it. I’m dedicated to honoring this American hero and bring his extraordinary memoir to the screen and hold true to his astonishing book.