ByBus Summer 2014

C
hristina
Marouda
“Greece is my country,
India is my second home and
New York the place of my residence„
Christina Marouda, is a Greek woman who shines abroad and we feel proud of her
Cretan origin and the international recognition of her action. We got in touch with her
to tell us for her global action and she charmed us as she travelled us across three
continents.
She was born and raised in Heraklion of Crete. She studied International Relations at
the Economics School of Athens University and began her career in Heraklion, in the
family business.
Being a restless spirit and a lover of theater and entertainment she moves to Los Angeles
where she continued her studies and got a MBA from California State University in
Long Beach. She begins to work and make her dream true in the entertainment section
in New Media and Marketing of Lions Gate Entertainment, and then as Director of the
Office of Filmmakers, in the American Film Institute for the world famous international
film Festival AFI FEST.
During the cooperation, she figures out that a substantial market, this of the Indian film
industry, is overlooked by the American entertainment industry and the International
Film Festivals in U.S.A. So, she decided to establish the Indian Film Festival of Los
Angeles by 2002, which is currently the largest and best Indian film festival in the world
and one of the most famous festivals. As the Chairman of the Board of Directors and
the founder of the Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles, she managed to turn the six-day
festival in a most creative and business gateway between the Indian and the American
entertainment industry and to present 35 premieres annually attracting over 10,000
people. So, she managed Indian movies to be drawn attention in their own country.
Since 2011, she lives in New York and cooperates with the Film Society of Lincoln
Center, which organizes the prestigious New York Film Festival and she is also in charge
for finding sponsors for the Film Festivals of Film Society. While since the late of 2012,
she cooperates with the Museum of the Moving Image as Development Director.
All these years, Christina on the other side of the planet follows a remarkable “route”
and develops important relationships with governmental, enterprising and philanthropic
organizations, with executives from all the major movie and television studios,
distinguished Indian filmmakers and top international film festivals.
Her life now splits into three continents; in Greece, New York and India. As she says
“My experiences from different cultures are sacred. I met a new whole world, with different
cultures but with common points between them and I began to see the world from a
different aspect. Greece is my country, India is my second home and New York the place of
my residence. These three countries is a nice patchwork that will accompany me for the rest
of my life“.
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