ARMENIAN FILM FESTIVAL POMEGRANATE TO BE HELD IN TORONTO

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.09.2009 01:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Pomegranate Film Festival is poised to make is
fourth year celebrating Armenian cinematography more exciting than
ever, insidetoronto.com reports. There will be a launch party on
Sept. 24, followed by a weekend of Armenian-themed films from around
the world, all taking place at the Armenian Cultural Centre in Toronto.

"There are incredible directors, producers and actors in Europe and
Armenia who are making films about Armenians and not a lot of people
are aware of this, so it’s interesting to bring them to the forefront
of people’s mind," said festival chair Anoush Thorose.

Active in the Armenian cultural scene in her youth, Thorose hadn’t
been as involved in her community as much as she would have liked as
an adult. Educated as a photographer and passionate about the arts,
helping to organize the Pomegranate Film Festival was a natural move
for her during its second season in 2007.

With more and more people sponsoring and attending the films each year,
Thorose is hoping for the best year yet. To help ensure everyone
has a great time, there have been some exciting changes made from
previous years.

"We have tried to include a lot of more exciting films. In the past
our films have been great, but we have had a lot of films with subject
matter a lot more sombre," said Thorose. "This year we have really
tried to up the spirits a little bit with more romantic comedies
and action-thrillers and that sort of thing to make a more exciting
line-up."

If the festival is as popular as its organizers hope, there is even a
chance to make a small profit. Since the Pomegranate Film Festival is a
not-for-profit organization, all the revenue left over after operating
costs will be devoted to growing the Armenian cinema community. Every
year one worthy Armenian-Canadian filmmaker is selected to receive
the Pom Grant, which helps to continue the expression of Armenian
culture through film.

Since all the board members for estival are volunteers, the recipient
of the Pom Grant is the only one to actually get paid in cash.

But for Thorose, money isn’t the only way to be rewarded.

"It’s a lot of fun. There is a lot of hard work leading up to it,
but once the weekend of the festival rolls around, everyone has a
lot of fun," she said. "It’s so much fun we can’t help but do it all
again the next year."