Armenian Film Foundation: Documentation & Preservation of Armenian Heritage

Armenian Genocide Centennial Events - 2015-2016

December 16: The Color of Pomegranates (1968, Dir. Sergei Parajanov, 88 min.). In this newly re-mastered version of the classic, Carla Garapedian moderates the Q and A after the screening.

November 19: Hammer Museum: Vodka Lemon. Selected to play at the Toronto Film Festival and in MoMM's New Directors/New Film Festival (2003, Dir. Hiner Saleem, 88 min.) Carla moderates the Q&A after the screening

November 14: Trans-generational Trauma Following the Armenian Genocide: Develpmental Perspective, Catharsis, Healing and Empowerment, Glendale Community College. Carla participates in panel and shows excerpts from the AFF collection

October 21: Hammer Museum: Here (2011, Dir. Braden King, 126 min.). Will Shepard is an American satellite-mapping engineer contracted to render a survey of Armenia. Carla talks to the Director.

October 10: “Singing in the Lion’s Mouth: Music as Resistance to Genocide" - Vision and Voices Symposium at USC. Center for Advanced Genocide Studies, Ray Stark Theater, 6.30 reception; 7.30 screening of Screamers followed by discussion led by Carla Garapedian.

September 22: Hammer Museum: A Story of People in War and Peace.  Documentary by Vardan Hovhannisyan documented a close-range battle of the Karabakh War. A Q&A with Dr. Carla Garapedian and Ara Khachatourian follows the screening. (2007, Dir. Vardan Hovhannisyan)

August 27:  Hammer Museum: The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia (2010, Dirs. I. Sahakyan & A. Yeritsyan, 52 min.) Carla in conversation with Inna Sahakyan from Yerevan.

July 1:  Hammer Museum: Silk Stockings (1957, Dir. R. Mamoulian, 117 min.) Armenian director Rouben Mamoulian’s (1897-1987) musical retelling of the story of Russian femme fatale Ninotchka features Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, and Peter Lorre with songs by Cole Porter. A discussion with David Luhrssen, author of Mamoulian: Life on Stage and Screen, and filmmaker Carla Garapedian follows the screening.

June 23: Hammer Museum: Without Gorky (2011, Dir. C. Spender, 58 min). Documentary by the granddaughter of Gorky. Carla in conversation with Kim Theriault, author of "Rethinking Arshile Gorky."

Spring 2015 Semester: I Survived- The ABGU Vache and Tamar Manoukian High School in Pasadena will be the first school to use the AFF testimonies in a short film competition.   Students will make a film from a sample of AFF testimonies, which will also be officially launched this year at the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive.

Left to right: Michael Amerian, Wulf Gruner, Hayk Demoyan, Carla Garapedian, Stephen Smith, Jerry Papazian and Richard Hovanissian at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding betwen the USC Shoah Foundation and the Armenian Genocide Museum

May 14, Hammer Museum, “The River Ran Red” screening, "I am Armenian" series. 7:30pm.

May 7, 8, 9 Washington DC: National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide- Three-day commemoration, including National Cathedral. Carla shows Armenian Genocide Survivor clips at Marriot Hotel, Saturday, May 9, 3pm

May 6, 7 Beirut, Lebanon: Two-day film festival of Dr. J. Michael Hagopian films shown in Beirut. Premiere of newly re-mastered Witnesses Trilogy. Carla Garapedian and Toni Hagopian attended.

May 1: Wiesbaden, Germany - German Film Institute- Screening of Germany and the Secret Genocide, along with three other films. Journalist Marc Hairapetian curating the film series.

April 26: Times Square, 1:45-4pm – USC Shoah Foundation Director Stephen Smith speaks at Times Square at 100^th Anniversary Commemoration in Times Square. AFF Armenian Genocide Survivor clips shown during program

April 25: Montebello Armenian Genocide Commemoration (Tamar Mashigian and David Essayan represented the AFF). 11:30am to 3:00pm

April 24: Paris – Sobering Galleries– The Witnesses Trilogy shown as part of exhibit, which will also travel to other parts of France.

April 24: Nanjing, China– The River Ran Red and Survivor Clips screened at Nanjing Museum to commemorate the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. The film has been subtitled in Mandarin for these purposes.

April 24: Armenia – Pan-Armenian Media Group– broadcast the Witnesses Trilogy on Armenian TV during commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial in Yerevan.

Stephen Smith of the USC Shoah Foundation speaking in
Times Square on April 24, 2015. Armenian Genocide Survivor Interviews from the AFF collection were shown during the program

USC Shoah Foundation and Armenian Film Foundation representatives in Yerevan on April 24, 2015

April 24: Straw Dolls,a film about the Armenian Genocide- starring AFF board member Mary Apick

April 22: U.S. Congress: Armenian Genocide Commemoration– AFF video part of presentation.

April 21: Detroit PBS, newly re-mastered "Voices from the Lake" broadcast

April 20-25: Yerevan Commemoration at Genocide Memorial Museum,with director Hayk Demoyan. Carla Garapedian, representing AFF, with USC Shoah representatives Stephen Smith, Karen Jungblut, Wolf Gruner and Professor Richard Hovannisian partnering with Michael Amerian and the George Ignatius Foundation.

April 22: London. Amnesty International with Dr. James Smith, Aegis Trust and Carla Garapedian, showing AFF collection clips.

April 20: California State Capitol Genocide Commemorationand Reception – Sacramento (showing excerpts from AFF collection). Carla to speak at reception. 12 noon. California State Museum – Armenian Journey – also includes AFF excerpts in a new exhibition on Armenians in California.

April 16: Museo Memoria, Mexico City: debut of Armenian Genocide exhibition at Museo Memoria, featuring AFF collection clips. 7pm

April 14: Special Ecumenical Service at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese – The Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels,7:30pm – AFF has provided images of survivors for use in the Cathedral.

April 14: Hammer Museum, "Aghet"screening, with Carla and Harut Sassounian, "I am Armenian" film series. 7:30pm.

April 10: Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between at USC Shoah Foundation and teh Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute (Hayk Demoyan, director). USC Shoah Foundation.

April 2: World Affairs Council of Orange County – “100th Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide--Our Identity." Pacific Club, Newport Beach, 6-9pm. Carla shows excerpts of the AFF/Shoah testimonies.

Images from the AFF Survivor Interview collection used at the Special Ecumenical Service at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese

Carla Garapedian representing the Armenian Film Foundation at an Amnesty International symposium in London

April 2015: UACLA Genocide Packets – sent to all colleges and university Armenian student groups in the area (100) – AFF provided the excerpts of Armenian Genocide Survivors

March 30-April 30: USC Shoah Foundation– beginning of release of one Survivor interview clip per day with commentary for 30 days on USC Shoah Foundation website. US Holocaust Museum also links to USC Shoah website to display three of the survivor clips

March 25: Hammer Museum, "Ravished Armenia"with Anthony Slide (film historian). Part of the "I am Armenian" film series at the Hammer, throughout the year, moderated by Carla Garapedian representing the AFF. Carla screens Aurora Mardiganian interview clips from AFF collection. 7:30pm

March 22: American Jewish Committee/Western Diocese of the Armenian Church– 100 Years Later: The Shared Reflections of Two Communities – USC Shoah Foundation Dr. Stephen Smith and Dr. Richard Hovannisian - Kalaydjian Hall, Western Diocese of the Armenian Church – 6pm

March 15: Celebration of Life – 1915-2015: Genocide and Survival – Honoring the Centenarian and Survivors at the Ararat Home– Keynote Speaker - USC Shoah Foundation Executive Director, Stephen Smith; Master of Ceremonies – Jerry Papazian, Chairman, AFF. Honoring 12 Centenarians (including Yervant Babayan, Silvia Karayan’s father), and including two Armenian Genocide Survivors Yevnige Salibian and Rose Garjian.

Feb 21: Knights of Vartan banquet at St. Gregory church in Pasadena, 6pm reception; 7pm dinner, honoring those, "who have advanced Armenian Genocide awareness": Dr. Peter Cowe, Maggie Mangassarian-Goschin, Dr. Donald E. Miller, Lorna Touryan Miller, Dr. Garabet Moumdjian, Dr. Carla Garapedian, Arda Melkonian, Doris Melkonian, Dr. Kay Mouradian and Dr. Rubina Peroomian.

Feb 20: Performance and fund-raiser: Kronos Quartet. The AFF has contributed genocide testimonies for the Silent Cranes project. Kronos Quartet performs an acoustic house concert in Pasadena on Feb 20th in support of this project.

February 4: Lark Farm (2007, Dir. P. & V. Taviani, 122 min.) This Italian film by brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani is adapted from the best-selling novel by Antonia Arslan. A Q&A with Dr. Carla Garapedian of the Armenian Film Foundation and professor Siobhan Nash Marshall follows the screening.

January 28: Calendar (1993, Dir. A. Egoyan, 74 min). Carla in conversation with Robert Lantos (producer of Ararat).