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Lifelong underdog Stergos Mikkios looking to defy the odds once again at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON

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Stergos Mikkios Stergos “The Greek Dynamite” Mikkios is no stranger to adversity as long before he first laced a pair of Muay Thai gloves however, Mikkios was already battling the odds. At the age of six, Mikkios was sent to an orphanage in Greece after his parents split up. At 11 years old, he was forced to move back to his birthplace of the United States and live with his grandparents after the orphanage he was living in closed down. Even before all of that, an accident involving boiling hot soup left Mikkios scalded and scarred. It was those scars that provided mean-spirited children the ammunition that they needed to torment Mikkios growing up. “I was bullied a lot growing up. I had to learn to stand up for myself,” Mikkios shared in an interview with ONE Championship’s official website ( ONEFC.com ). “I was made fun of through my entire school years with those scars.” Mikkios bared that it was that oppression that ultimately taught him how to fend f
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For Serbian Muay Thai star Ognjen Topic, going against his parents’ wishes turned out to be the best move

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Ognjen Topic Had Serbian-American kickboxer Ognjen Topic followed his parents’ wishes, it is more than likely that he would not be where he is today. Regarded as one of the best Muay Thai competitors to come out of the United States, he began as an avid follower of combat sports early in life, but it came with much hesitation from his mother and father. Coming to the United States from Serbia at the tender age of nine, Topic grew up in New Jersey and found himself becoming an ardent viewer of boxing matches. With the “Sweet Science” piquing his interest, Topic wanted to take up the sport, but his request would be shut down by his parents. Eventually, persistence paid off for Topic as he earned his parents’ blessing to take up the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do. Topic began at 14 years old and was a black belt by at the age of 17. As impressive a feat that is, Topic wanted more. Eventually, he stumbled upon Muay Thai, which sparked his desire even more. “I
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Oleg Sentsov: 3 Months Without Food

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North of the Arctic Circle, in Russia’s Prison Colony No.8 in Labytnangi, a man is starving because politics fail. The Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was involved in supporting the Euro Maidan protests in Kiev and who has opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia, has been on hunger strike for over 90 days.  His lawyer Dmitry Dinze reports that during his hunger strike, which he started on 14 May, Oleg Sentsov has lost 30 kilograms, that he is suffering from anaemia and that he has a slow heartbeat.  Sentsov’s cousin Natalya Kaplan says "Things aren't just bad, they're catastrophically bad."  Three months of protests from the international cultural world against the treatment of Oleg Sentsov have passed without any results. Three months of numerous appeals on all levels to president Putin and the Russian authorities to release Oleg Sentsov remain without response. The voices of thousands of people on the streets in over 30 countries remain unheard.  Wha
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European Audiovisual Observatory announces St. Petersburg conference this autumn!

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What’s new in the fifth biggest cinema market in Europe? Russia has been a major economic player in film production and exploitation for several years now. Admissions rose year on year by a massive 10% between last year and 2016, gross box office rose by around 9.5% over the same period and Russian national films hold a very respectable market share of around 24%. This September the European Audiovisual Observatory is taking the pulse of the current Russian cinema industry and looking at the challenges and chances offered by this dynamic film market. Our conference takes place on Wednesday 19 September from 14.30 – 17.00. This event takes place within the KINO EXPO and St. Petersburg International Content Forum events in St. Petersburg. Entry is free and registration to KINO EXPO is not necessary. All media professionals, journalists, and academics are welcome to attend –  so register free of charge here . Conference languages are English and Russian with translation. The
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