Alexander Avranas was born in Larissa, Greece in 1977. He pursued his passion for sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts from 1998 to 2001, subsequently continuing his studies at the Universitat der Kunste Berlin.
Avranas made his mark in the film industry with his debut film "Without", which won seven awards at the 49th Film Festival of Thessaloniki and earned him a nomination for the Best Director Award at the International Film Festival of Milan.
Throughout his works, whether in film or visual arts, Avranas examines social and political issues, often focusing on the modern man as an independent entity or as a member of society. His creations are known to provoke, challenge, and denounce our indifference and passivity.
On September 7th, 2013, Avranas received the prestigious Silver Lion Director at the 70th Venice Film Festival for his film "Miss Violence". This achievement was accompanied by other honors, including the Volpi Cup Best Actor for Themis Panou's outstanding performance in the film. Additionally, Avranas won two parallel awards: the Prize of Critics FEDEORA for the best European-Mediterranean film in the competition section of the Mostra, and the Arca CinemaGiovanni prize conferred by a group of 70 young Italy, France, and Tunisia.
The film "Miss Violence" received widespread acclaim upon its first viewing at the Lido, both for its thought-provoking subject matter and its unique, austere style. The story centers around a Greek family and the devastating consequences of their actions, as social services struggle to understand the motives behind the 11-year-old Angela's tragic accident.
Avranas' achievement marks the second time a Greek director has won the Lion of St. Mark at the Mostra, with Theo Angelopoulos being the first to receive the Gold Lion in 1980 for his film "Alexander the Great".
