Meet Sofia Terpou | Film Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sofia Terpou and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sofia, why did you pursue a creative career?
I was always a fan of art whether that be films, music, literature or any other creative form. I feel there is always a presence of duality that exists inside every artist: the immense – almost selfish – need to express what they have in their mind and the insecurity of how that will be perceived from the outside world. And that creates an absurd but, in a way, natural balance. To me, art means being vulnerable and “naked” in front of the world and when done authentically, the potential to touch people you have never met is something that I cherish as one of the most valuable things in life. I chose film to satisfy my own need of telling stories and help other people share their own.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It hasn’t been easy. I come from Greece where unfortunately the film industry isn’t well developed (although that has changed a lot the past few years). I left my marketing job, I packed and came to Los Angeles to study film being a stranger among strangers. I felt so unoriginal here! In all seriousness, I’m lucky enough to have a strong supporting system – my family and friends – so that definitely helps. A big challenge I faced was that it took me a while to figure out what I like, what I’m good at and where I want to be. I was trying myself in writing, directing, but then realized that producing is my call! It started with the short film “Infodemic” that also became my first experience with the festival world – those first screenings and awards encouraged me to proceed with my producer’s journey. So, I continued networking and producing short films such as “Dictionary”, “Sunday in America”, “Wild Speed”, then I tried myself in the web-series “Gynarchy”. I’m proud of the works I’ve produced and been a part of – my latest short film I’m super proud of, our proof of concept, the short film “Intern” directed by Elena Viklova. We are very honored to have it premiere at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, a festival that has premiered Oscar and Golden Globe winners and nominees such as “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood”, “The Lighthouse”, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and many others. For those who want to learn more about my work – please don’t hesitate to come and support us there!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is such an interesting city – people who have never visited might be surprised. After the must-see Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Sign for a nice hike, Universal studios, the Getty Center, I’d take them to my personal favorite: Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema. Probably watch “True Romance”. I’d also take time to attend with them one of the many film festivals, take part in screenings and Q/A’ s with their favorite producers, directors and actors.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and friends. My father who has been nothing but supportive in this very challenging journey, my mother who despite her concerns trusts my choices, my sister who’s been killing it in her professional sports career and who taught me a lot about discipline. My friends back home who supported my dream even if that meant that I’d be away from them and last but definitely not least, my partner in crime, a film director with whom we worked on many projects together, Elena Viklova. More and more films to come!

Instagram: @sofiaterpou

Other: http://imdb.me/sofiaterpou

Image Credits
Alexandre Casanova Siddhesh Pandey Mikaela Pappa