First Boston Armenian Film Festival to be held at Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)

May 3rd, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Jane Minasian: 781 643 6164

jane.minasian@verizon.net

BOSTON, MA: The First Boston Armenian Film Festival will be held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on the weekend of May 30 – June 1, 2008. The Boston Armenian Film Festival celebrates Armenian culture and its filmmakers with documentaries, drama and film shorts.

This series is organized and co-presented by the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA),www.armeniandrama.org, whose mission is to present the Armenian voice on a world stage through the arts of theater and film. The series is also co-presented by The Armenia Fund, USA, Inc. www.armeniafundusa.org. Founded in 1992, Armenia Fund USA was one of the first of The Armenia Fund’s 19 international affiliates and serves Armenians in the Eastern US.  The Fund represents all Armenians and has adopted a policy to go “Beyond Bricks and Mortar” to provide sustainability for its projects.

More information about the festival and the films can be found on both the MFA (www.mfa.org) and ADAA (www.armeniandrama.org ) websites.

The MFA hopes to make this an annual event, said ADAA President Bianca Bagatourian, who curated the film selection. Paul Boghosian, ADAA board member and president of HarborSide Film, who facilitated the partnership between the MFA and ADAA, said: “My feature film, Undercurrent, had its premiere at the MFA, and I witnessed first-hand the prestigious, high-exposure showcase that the MFA offers filmmakers.”

The Museum of Fine Arts’ Film Program features contemporary international cinema, restored classics, American independent films (including films by local artists), films showing for the first time in Boston, and retrospectives by international film artists. The MFA Film Program is co-sponsored by Goulston & Storrs. The Media sponsor is The Boston Phoenix.

The Boston Armenian Film Festival schedule is as follows:

May 30 - Friday

7:45pm Opening Night: The Lark Farm by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (2007, 122 min.). $12, $15

All opening night attendees are invited to a complimentary reception in the MFA lobby. This reception is sponsored by The Armenia Fund, Inc. (www.armeniafundusa.org).

May 31 - Saturday

7:45pm: Big Story in a Small City by Gor Kirakosian (2007, 90 min.). $8, $10

9:30pm: Boston Armenian Film Festival Panel discussion on issues facing Armenian filmmakers today. The featured panelists are Carla Garapedian, Michael Goorjian, Gor Kirakossian and Hrag Yedalian. The panel will be moderated by Bianca Bagatourian.

June 1 - Sunday

6:30pm: The People’s Advocate: The Life and Times of Charles R. Garry by Hrag Yedalian (2007, 59 min.), preceded by The War Prayer by Michael Goorjian (2007, 14 min.). $8, $10

8:00: Calendar (1993, 74 min.), preceded by A Portrait of Arshile (1995, 4 min.), both by Atom Egoyan. $8, $10

Tickets to the films are on sale through the MFA website (www.mfa.org) or by calling the MFA box office at 617-369-3306. Seating is limited.

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