Six Short Films by Armenian Filmmakers to Screen at Fresno State
The Armenian Studies Program, the AGBU Greater Fresno Chapter, AGBU Arts, and CineCulture present “Armenians in Film: Six Short Films by Armenian Filmmakers.” The event will be held on Friday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the Leon S. and Pete Peters Educational Center Auditorium (west end of the SaveMart Center), located at 5010 N. Woodrow Ave., on the Fresno State campus. Following the screening the audience will have the opportunity to virtually discuss the films with the directors.
Established in 2015, AGBU Arts’ “Armenians in Film” Film Series is an annual, international event that unites talented Armenian filmmakers from all over the globe. In the past ten years, over fifty short films have been screened by filmmakers from the United States, Canada, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, China, Bulgaria, Armenia, and more.
The artists featured are graduates of prestigious film schools, such as the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Columbia University, and UCLA, and have screened their films at legendary festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and the Sunset Film Festival.
The following films will be screened at the event:
- “All I Need” by Katia Spivakova: A woman who returns to her ancestral land and confronts her family’s history during the Armenian genocide. Weaving between past and present, the film explores the legacy of one’s resilience across generations. As Tania goes through her abandoned childhood home, she remembers the story of her great grandfather and how he survives the massacre of Shushi when a friend hides him in a trunk. In a time of worldly turmoil, “All I Need” is an invocation of peace. RT: 15:04 English, Turkish, Armenian, with English subtitles;
- “Romeo” by Marina Arzumanova: Where does visual artist Romeo Melikyan find his colors and shapes? Romeo lives in Berd: a countryside city near the border. Being surrounded by the serene nature, he finds himself making art using the complete opposite sources of inspiration. Old, abandoned factories surround him, making rusty and misshaped metals Romeo’s current sources of inspiration for his paintings and sculptures. The artist is afraid of war: the only time he has no desire to create anything. RT:15:24 Armenian, with English subtitles;
- “The Ticket” by Kevork Aslanyan: A boy travels through the whole city using one ticket. RT: 10:59 English;
- “It Takes a Village” by Ophelia Harutyunyan: Mariam lives in an Armenian village where there are no men. On her birthday, her hopes of a reunited family are shattered, but she must put aside her own crushed dreams and help her friend Anush as she embarks into motherhood. RT: 23:00, Armenian, with English subtitles;
- “The Egg” by Vahan Grigoryan: A failed actor now entertaining kids and seeks his fate through endless castings and auditions. Continuous setbacks pushed him into motivational media. All of a sudden he accomplished a “feat. RT: 11:30 Armenian, with English subtitles;
- “Areg and Manushak” by Ruben Van Leer featuring Tigran Hamasyan: In this musically emotional short documentary, Armenian composer and pianist Tigran Hamasyan visits Dr. Arusyak Tamrazyan at the renowned manuscript archive in Yerevan, the Matenadaran. Immersed in the rich tapestry of Armenia’s history, Tigran uncovers the deep connection between music and storytelling through ancient hymns and the spiritual image of the bird, depicted on papyrus by monks over the centuries. Inspired by the anthropomorphic bird’s narrative and illustrations, Tigran composes new music. RT: 7:00 English;
Admission for the film screening and discussion is free and free parking is available in Lot P2 or Lot P3, near the west entrance of the SaveMart Center. A parking permit is not required after 4PM for the Friday evening screening.
