Arpa International Film Festival

As we gear up for our 27th Annual Film Festival, we’re taking an Arpa Rewind to revisit some of our most memorable films.

From our inaugural festival in 1997: PINK ELEPHANT, directed by Ara Madzounian and written by Vahe Berberian. This short film portrays a theatrical company rehearsing a play amid the Lebanese civil war. As bombings intensify, the actors seek refuge in a basement, sparking intense debates about art and reality.

Happy Birthday to the brilliant Atom Egoyan!

From the critically acclaimed drama THE SWEET THEREAFTER (1997) to the introspective journey through identity in CALENDAR (1993) and the thought-provoking exploration of historical trauma in ARARAT (2002), Egoyan’s work continues to inspire and provoke, delving deep into the human experience.

🎥 Pictured: Egoyan with Arsinée Khanjian and Sylvia Minassian at our 6th annual film festival in 2003.

🎥 Our submissions deadline is approaching on August 4th! We’re accepting feature films, shorts, documentaries, animation, and music videos.

To be considered, submit your film before the deadline via the Film Freeway link in our bio. 🎞️

We can’t wait to receive your submissions and look forward to celebrating 27 years of independent, international film at !

Highlights from last year at 💫

As we gear up for our 27th year, we are looking back at last year’s festival remembering the fantastic selection of films and wonderful moments with our team, filmmakers, and friends.

Swipe to the last slide to see some of our favorite Arpa regulars Gloria, Fred, and their 🦎 friend. Yes, he is a dedicated film buff who joins them for all the screenings and we will be back again this year, bling and all.

Stay tuned 🎥

Revisiting the memory of this insightful filmmaking panel at the Montalbán last year at Arpa 2023!

Among our panelists were acclaimed filmmakers, producers, distributors, and writers, including Ara Soudjian, Howard Kazanjian, Mary Apick, Roger Kupelian, Michelle Alexandria and Micky Levy, and moderated by Scott Michael Campbell.

Looking forward to the inspiring conversations to be had this year at our festival this coming Fall! 🎥

27 Years of supporting independent, international film.

Join us for our upcoming festival this fall. Exciting announcements coming soon —— stay tuned! 🎥

Follow the link in bio to submit your film. 🎞️

We are still accepting submissions for our upcoming 27th Annual Arpa International Film Festival! To submit your film, visit the FilmFreeway link in our bio.

Selected films will be featured at our festival this Fall 2024.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!
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Wishing a very happy birthday to the wonderful Amanda Salas! ♥️

Here’s a throwback to when hosted our 25th Anniversary Gala in 2022, alongside 💫

Serj Tankian’s new book “DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A Memoir (Of Sorts)” is an *instant* New York Times Bestseller. The book follows a captivating story in which Serj shares about his life through his own perspective.

“Serj Tankian presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock ‘n’ roll fable. It’s an immigrant’s tale, it’s an activist’s awakening, and it’s a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary life—thanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening.” 

Serj has been a long-time supporter of Arpa and was the recipient of the Career Achievement Award in 2016. We are immensely proud to see his continued success and evolution. Make sure to grab a copy of the book to discover more about Serj Tankian’s remarkable and unlikely story. 

Photos are of a limited edition exclusive version of the book featuring artwork and photo/ journal extracts by .

Congratulations on the first-look film and television deal between Raimi Productions and ZQ Entertainment, Ara Keshishian and Petr Jákl’s development and financing company.

This new deal strengthens the longstanding friendship between the two companies, who recently collaborated on the suspense film “Locked,” directed by David Yarovesky and starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins. They also collaborated on the horror-thriller “Don’t Move,” recently acquired by Netflix.

Ara Keshishian of ZQ Entertainment is an honorary board member and previously a jury member of Arpa Film Festival. Cheers to this fantastic new partnership!

On this Memorial Day, as we honor and remember those who have served, we reflect on memories from Arpa 2019  held at the American Legion’s iconic Hollywood Post 43 Theater. Nestled in the heart of Hollywood, this historic venue has not only hosted legendary screenings but also stands as a tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans. 

American Legion’s Hollywood Post 43 was established in 1919 by World War I veterans employed in the film industry and its members have included notable figures such as Clark Gable, Charlton Heston, Mickey Rooney, Gene Autry, Ronald Reagan, and more. Today, Post 43 counts nearly 1,200 Legion Family members, comprising veterans, Sons, and Auxiliary.

Pictured are guests and filmmakers of the 22nd Annual Arpa Film Festival, which featured 33 films from 13 countries. As we honor Memorial Day, we acknowledge cinema’s profound role in uniting diverse communities, honoring shared experiences, and amplifying voices, including those of our veterans.

Wishing a very happy birthday to filmmaker Bared Maronian, recipient of our Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award in 2016. His impactful work includes previously selected films THE WOMEN OF 1915 (2016) and ORPHANS OF THE GENOCIDE (2013).

Thank you for the profound work you do and for bringing to light such important stories.

We are one of the longest-running international film festivals in Los Angeles, celebrating 27 years this year!

Submissions have been rolling in and we’ve received films from 10 different countries so far. We look forward to receiving more submissions, discovering more stories from around the world to feature this year 🎥

To submit your film, follow the link in bio to FilmFreeway. 🎞️

Today is the early bird submissions deadline! Submit your film today for early bird perks!

FilmFreeway link is in our bio. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

May The 4th Be With You! Producer Howard Kazanjian best known for Star Wars films THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI is pictured here on set.

Kazanjian is also an originating member of Lucasfilm Ltd. the film and TV production company founded by George Lucas with whom he coproduced INDIANA JONES: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

We are honored to have had Howard Kazanjian at our inaugural Arpa Film Festival in 1997 and as an active member of our advisor board over the years.

Catch David Dastmalchian in LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL a chilling horror film about a 1977 broadcast gone awry, spreading evil into homes everywhere. Don’t miss it in theaters or on AMC+ and Shudder!

We’re thrilled to see Dastmalchian’s continued success since he received our Rising Star Award in 2015. He’s recently appeared as William Borden in Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER and starred in three of Denis Villeneuve’s films: PRISONERS, BLADE RUNNER 2049, and DUNE.

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Submissions for this year’s festival are open and we are accepting films of the following categories:

FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
SHORT NARRATIVE FILM
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
SHORT DOCUMENTARY
ANIMATION
MUSIC VIDEO

For more info about the awards offered and to submit your film, please visit FilmFreeway linked in our bio.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

As we commemorate the 109th year of the Armenian Genocide, we revisit the films centered on the Armenian genocide.

1915: 1915 is a 2015 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Garin Hovannisian and Alec Mouhibian. It follows a mysterious director staging a play to bring the ghosts of a forgotten tragedy back to life on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

The American Good Samaritans: tells the tale of survivors—extraordinary individuals who prevented the complete annihilation of Christian lives. The specifics of the genocides committed by the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey) against the populations of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks are revealed by American writers, genocide survivors, professors, and other independent researchers.

Lost Birds: is an Anatolian fairytale with themes of family and love amid the 1915 Armenian genocide.

The Hidden Map: Along the way, an American-Armenian who is searching for her family house in Turkey encounters a Scottish explorer. Together, they delve beneath Turkey’s surface today, unearthing forgotten artefacts and suppressed tales of a forbidden past. discovering the hidden map and hidden truths.
#1915

The 27th Annual Arpa International Film Festival is presently accepting submissions scheduled for this Fall 2024. Dates of submission are listed below:

Early Bird Deadline:May 5, 2024
Regular Deadline: August 4, 2024
Date of notification: October 6, 2024

Submit your films on filmfreeway.com or use the link in bio.

Arpa’s 10th Anniversary in 2007 celebrated 115 films from 23 countries, with Armenian cinema at its heart. From Eric Nazarian’s ‘Blue Hour’ to Carla Garapedian’s ‘Screamers,’ the festival ended with a star-studded Gala, honoring legends like Mardik Martin and Shoreh Aghdashloo.

Pictured are Shoreh Aghdashloo, Brent Barrett, Sylvia Minassian, Alex Kalognomos, Ken Davitian, and Mardik Martin.

We are looking forward to celebrating 27 years of Arpa Film Festival this year! Our festival is set to take place in Fall 2024 and submissions are open. To submit your film, follow the link in bio. 🎞️

A Prince jukebox musical is underway, set to be produced by Sev Ohanian and his team at Proximity Media for Universal Pictures. Ohanian, honored as Breakthrough Filmmaker of the Year by Arpa in 2013 and known for his work on ‘Searching’, ‘Creed III’ and ‘Wakanda Forever’, is producing a film celebrating the music of the iconic artist.

Get ready to revisit hits like “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and more as we approach the 40th anniversary of Prince’s legendary ‘Purple Rain.’ A musical experience not to be missed!

Submissions are now open for the 27th Annual Arpa International Film Festival! Set to take place both online and in-theater in Hollywood this upcoming fall. We are now accepting submissions on Film Freeway!

As a platform showcasing global narratives, we’re dedicated to films that inspire, challenge, and connect us. We invite all storytellers and film enthusiasts to join our diverse cinematic journey.

Your story has a place here. Explore submission details and join us by visiting the link in our bio.

Here’s to inspiring more stories together!

This weekend on 4/13 and 4/14, the American Cinematheque will premier their non-fiction and documentary film festival “This Is Not a Fiction.” The inaugural festival will take place at the Los Feliz 3 in addition to our long-time festival home the Egyptian Theatre, and features a special tribute to renowned documentary filmmaker and previous Arpa honoree Joe Berlinger.

The festival will include a special screening of Berlinger’s first two films BROTHER’S KEEPER and PARADISE LOST on rare 35mm archival prints. The Q&A on Saturday will be moderated by award-winning documentary filmmaker Brett Morgen (MOONAGE DAYDREAM, KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK), while Sunday’s Q&A will be moderated by composer, songwriter, activist and longtime friend & fellow former honoree of ours, the inimitable Serj Tankian.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to see Berlinger’s early work, followed by exclusive and insightful conversations.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the American Cinematheque website.

The passing of Albert Kodagolian, a cherished figure in the industry including within ARPA, brings profound sadness. As a gifted screenwriter and filmmaker, his work touched the hearts of many. Beyond his professional achievements, he was known as a loyal friend, devoted son, and loving father.

His presence as a jury member at ARPA and the screening of his films brought inspiration and joy to those around him. His loss leaves a void in the industry and in the hearts of those who knew him.

Celebrating the incredible talent of ARPA IFF jury member Maya J on her latest release, Princess! A multifaceted talent in acting, songwriting, and music, Maya has graced projects from HBO to Freeform/ABC and beyond. Her unique voice in the indie R&B pop scene and contributions to filmmaking and storytelling make her an invaluable part of the ARPA IFF Family as a Jury member.

‘Princess’ by is out now on all streaming platforms.

What do all these films have in common?

Meet the brilliant Steven Zaillian- an Armenian mastermind whose scripts have dazzled Hollywood and beyond. From the depths of his imagination to the glitz of the Oscars, his journey is a testament to the power of storytelling. Here’s to hoping his genius brings more exciting and inspiring stories to the silver screen! 🎬