Michalis Malandrakis was born in Chania, Crete, in 1996 and lives in Athens. He is an author, playwright and screenwriter. He studied Film Directing at the Lykourgos Stavrakos Film and Television School and graduated from the Department of Communication, Media and Culture at Panteion University. He also attended the Ignition School of Playwriting at Poreia Theatre.

His debut book, “Patriot” (Polis Publications, 2019), received the Greek State Literary Award for Best Debut Author. His second novel, “Turn Up the Music, Please” (Polis Publications, 2023), was shortlisted for the Greek State Literary Award for Novel. His third book, “I Dream of Rain”, is forthcoming from Metaichmio Publications.

His play Sweet Dreams premiered in Athens in 2024 at Topos Allou Theatre, directed by Maximos Moumouris, and continued for a second season at Poli Theatre – Danis Katranidis. The Distant Lights Dance for Us received both the First Jury Prize and the First Audience Prize at the 2025 D-Athens Dionysia. “VIDEO CLUB FANTASIA”, co-written with director Nikolas Lampakis, was first presented in 2025 at “A Festival in Samothrace” and is presented during the 2026-2027 theatre season at Theatre Stathmos.

Malandrakis also works in screenwriting and story development. His screen adaptation of “Patriot” is in the final stage of financing, with Penny Panayiotopoulou attached as producer and director. He has participated on scholarship in the MFI Script2Film Workshop (2020) and MIDPOINT Writers’ Room (2026).

Since 2021, he has worked in ERT’s Fiction Department as a Project Manager, focusing on script development, creative supervision and television production. He has also served on ERT’s Film Committee. As a columnist, he contributes to TO VIMA, while his writing has also appeared in Kathimerini, K Magazine, LiFO, Efimerida ton Syntakton and other print and digital media.

PLAYS

Video Club Fantasia, 2025

Shining Lobsters, 2025

The Distant Lights Dance for Us, 2023

Sweet Dreams, 2023

Alessandro Out, 2022