Beautiful Short Film Welcoming Us Back to GreekTown on the Danforth BIA

#CreativityForGood team tells the story of why GreekTown on the Danforth BIA is more

than a neighbourhood in a cinematic short film.

Toronto - August 4, 2020 - Today, a creative team part of the #CreativityForGood

initiative released a short cinematic film of small business owners in GreekTown on the

Danforth BIA. The initiative, led by Impossible Studios, is an assembly of creative

volunteers – directors, post-production editors and do-gooders – who have come

together to donate their talents to tell the story of a neighbourhood rich in culture and

hospitality.

The short film is narrated by a few GreekTown BIA business owners and welcomes you

into some of the most loved gems like Akropolis Pastries, Pantheon Restaurant, Mezes,

Ellas Meat Market and Lukumum.

Established in 1981, GreekTown on the Danforth BIA is the largest Greek

neighbourhood in North America. In the early 1980s, the area was home to the second

largest concentration of Hellenic immigrants living outside of Greece. A stroll down their

streets displays colourful and distinctive blue and white signs and street names in both

Greek and English – a celebration of their heritage and Canada’s multiculturalism.

“Danforth Avenue has been, for many years, a vibrant, local, social node and business

district and a regional destination for dining and unique special events, like Taste of the

Danforth,” said Constantine Voidonicolas, Chair of GreekTown on the Danforth BIA.

With Toronto finally entering Stage 3, expanded indoor and outdoor social gatherings

means businesses on the Danforth can welcome back the community. Meanwhile, the

Destination Danforth project has been under way since mid-July – a project that

supports local businesses by providing safe walking and cycling infrastructure and

adequate room for physical distancing by creating additional patios. While visitors will

continue to see these changes for months to come, the neighbourhood’s bustle never

goes away.

In April, Marco D’Angelo, executive producer at Impossible Studios, leveraged his

internal and external network of creatives to launch the initiative offering pro-bono

content creation.

“GreekTown is a community made up of small businesses, most of them decades old.

We witnessed so many shops close as a result of COVID-19 – businesses that have

served the area for generations. We knew we had to do something to help mend the

community, and with the help of our incredible partners and local business owners, we

created this short film to showcase the vibrancy of this beautiful neighbourhood and

remind Toronto that GreekTown is open for business,” said D’Angelo.

“The film captures the spirit, heart and people of GreekTown. With its vibrant patio

culture and beautiful square, GreekTown is a taste of Europe in our own backyard when

travel is limited and borders are closed,” said Voidonicolas.

For more information on Impossible Studios, visit their website and follow them on

Instagram.

Call to Action

GreekTown on the Danforth BIA welcomes you back. Visit the area’s buzzing

restaurants, bakeries and cafés that feature traditional Greek cuisine, along with other

multi-ethnic establishments. They’re also home to a wide array of retail stores and

services, all within easy walking distance.

Credits:

Project: “Welcome Back” GreekTown x #CreativityForGood

Production company: Impossible Studios (@impossiblestudiosinc)

Executive Producer: Marco D'Angelo (@zrkmarco)

Director(s): Marco D’Angelo & Adam Burke

DP: Tomasz Kurek

B-Cam/Gaffer: Jay Mirus

1st AC: Kevin Pereira

Editorial: Married to Giants (@marriedtogiants)

Executive Producer, editorial: Julie Axell

Editor: Scott Edwards

Colour: Studio Feather

Producer, colour: Hannah Graham

Colourist: Luke Bellissimo

Post-audio: Studio Feather

Strategic social good partner: Emily Yau (@theneighbourgood)

Special thanks: Grande Camera Toronto (Dina Maragos), The Neighbourhood Studios

(James Waring) and APM Music

Media Contacts

Executive Producer, Impossible Studios

Marco D’Angelo

marco@notimpossible.ca

Strategic Social Good Partner

Emily Yau

emily@theneighbourgood.com

About Impossible Studios

Impossible Studios is a Toronto-based production company. To date, over 10 projects

have been completed through #CreativityForGood, for brands like HotBlack Coffee,

Habitat for Humanity and Ontario Equestrian. Their executive producer, Marco D’Angelo

spent years working as a director and producer with Rogers Media, developing multiplatform

content for brands like the NHL, Unilever and Walmart Canada. Clients include

Muskoka Brewery, American Express and RioCan.

About the neighbourgood

the neighbourgood is a social good initiative helping small businesses and BIAs in

Toronto. Started by Emily Yau, a marketing and social innovation strategist, it launched

in March to help restaurants, shops and services sell gift cards to bring in much needed

cash flow. Business pivots led the initiative to expand its partnerships with BIAs and help

their members with pro-bono content creation as well as telling small business owner

stories on their Instagram.