Hollyscoop
Oct 23 2009

Hollyscoop Hosts ARPA Awards Gala and Reception In Hollywood

by: Diana Magpapian

The girls of Hollyscoop Diana Madison , Nora Gasparian and Ani
Esmailian will host the 2009 ARPA International Film Festival closting
gala at the Egyption Theatre this Sunday October 25, 2009.

More than 20 nations including Armenia, Venezuela, Turkey, Brazil,
France, Peru, Canada, Mexico, Malawi, Israel, Spain, China, Bhutan,
India, and Iran are represented among the feature films, shorts,
documentaries, music videos and animations that will screen during the
festival. `Our programming department tracked the global film market
for the last year and singled out the exemplary films relating to
Arpa’s mission ` to present the works of filmmakers exploring such
issues as war, exile, genocide, and environmentalism,’ says Arpa
Festival director Alex Kalognomos.

This year’s recipient of Arpa International Film Festival’s Armin T.
Wegner Award, which is awarded annually to a motion picture that
contributes to the fight for social conscience and human rights, is
`Voices from Inside: Israelis Speak.’ `This feature length documentary
film is based on the stories of 16 Jewish Israeli voices of
conscience, each representing a different facet of the peace movement
inside Israel,’ says Zaven Khatchaturian, Arpa International Film
Festival Curator, who invited the filmmakers, producer/director Lucy
Martens and producer Marjorie Wright, to the festival.

The Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) will receive this year’s
Arpa Foundation Award. Over its 60 year history, AEF has been
committed to youth and the pursuit of higher learning. To that end,
the organization has built and supported the establishment of hundreds
of day schools around the world. A short film, produced by Christina
Hacopian (`Gossip Girl,’ `Bride Wars,’ `Dirty Dancing’) and directed
by Sevag Vrej (award-winning feature film director of N-4 and Serj
Tankian’s MVPA-nominated `Feed Us’ music video) documenting AEF’s
educational endeavors will be screened during the closing night awards
ceremony. `The legacy of AEF will be eternal ` for as long a children
have schools in which to learn and advance,’ says AFFMA Founder Sylvia
Minassian.

The 12th Annual Arpa International Film Festival will present a
star-studded closing night awards. AFFMA was founded in 1995 for the
purpose of enhancing the community’s artistic environment and
supporting artists who seek to bridge the cultural divide. For more
information about contributions, becoming an AFFMA member, or
volunteering for Arpa International Film Festival, please visit
or call 323-663-1882.

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