Our Mission
We create new media, cinema, and theater that shatter gender and LGBTQ stereotypes. We do no tell LGBT stories; we tell human stories. It is our moral obligation to advocate for the voiceless, to sing where music is forbidden, and to share our truth lovingly and openly to the world, one audience member at a time.
““I believe if we have something we love to do, that can save our lives;
that can get us through.””
David Beck - Founder & Artistic Director
David Beck founded The Great Griffon as a response to the lack of authentic LGBTQ characters in mainstream entertainment. He is an actor, writer, and composer. His award-winning short film "For Francis" (produced by Starr Films and directed by Angelique Letizia) played in film festivals worldwide and has been used to teach its themes of diversity and acceptance in Chicago public schools and universities in Indiana. Additional producing credits include the satiric short film "The Exalted", directed by Viktor Luna; and the New York revival of the critically acclaimed play "Animals out of Paper" by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Merri Milwe. As an actor, he has won several distinctions and appeared in dozens of plays and independent films, roles ranging from Shakespeare to Brecht to Albert Innaurato.
Natalia Bougadellis - Executive Director
Natalia Bougadellis is a young Director and Cinematographer from Athens, Greece. She has studied Film and Television at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently based in New York City, yet her directorial debut is “The Owls,” a short film shot in her hometown, Athens. Natalia is invested in queer film narratives and to the promotion of gender equality in film, and she has received several distinctions and awards for her work. She has served as one of the Co-directors of Fusion Film Festival, a festival that promotes women in film and is part of the Sundance Initiative for Women. Natalia has also worked on numerous short films as a Director of Photography in Dublin, Athens, Abu Dhabi, and New York.
Brian Cox - Chief Advisor
Brian Cox is an Olivier and Emmy Award winning actor and a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. A staunch supporter of individual freedom and human rights, Mr. Cox has appeared in numerous blockbuster movies such as Bourne Supremacy, Troy, Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation, Braveheart, and X2-XMen. He was the original Hannibal Lecter in the 1986 film Manhunter. In addition, he starred in the independent film and cult classic L.I.E., as well as the BBC film series The Lost Language of the Cranes. Both these films are notable for their frank and revolutionary reflection of sexuality. We are both ecstatic and humbled to welcome this artist of the highest caliber to the Great Griffon family.