POMEGRANATE FILM FESTIVAL SET FOR ARMENIAN CULTURAL CENTRE
insideTORONTO.com
Sept 16 2009
Canada
The Pomegranate Film Festival is poised to make is fourth year
celebrating Armenian cinematography more exciting than ever.
There will be a launch party on Friday, Sept. 24, followed by a
weekend of Armenian-themed films from around the world, all taking
place at the Armenian Cultural Centre on 45 Hallcrown Place, near
Victoria Park Avenue and Hwy. 401.
"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.
The festival officially starts one day earlier, featuring a launch
party where guests can meet and greet some of the directors and stars
of featured films as well as get reacquainted with other Armenian
film buffs. After that, screenings will begin, followed each night
by question periods with people involved in making the films.
"It’s a very casual meet-and-greet," said Thorose. "It’s a chance
for the audience to talk to the directors and talk to us and make
the whole thing a little more social."
Additions like the launch party took a great deal of work and
organization, but Thorose and the other committee members made
sure to keep their focus on the films being served up for public
consumption. Striving to reach a broader audience, this year’s
selections are going to take a different direction.
"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 the Pomegranate Film Festival 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."
All foreign language films will have English subtitles. For
a full schedule of screening and ticket information, visit
.