15th Arpa International Film Festival to start Nov 29

PanARMENIAN.Net - The 15th Arpa International Film Festival, the event of Arpa Foundation for Film, Music, and Art (AFFMA) will begin November 29 at the historic Egyptian Theatre and will culminate with the Arpa Awards Gala at the Sheraton Universal on December 2, 2012, according to Asbarez.

The Festival will present over 40 films, star-studded receptions, red carpet opening and closing night premieres. Feature narratives, short films, documentaries, music videos and animated films will be showcased from over 25 nations.

“Our committee of board members and devoted volunteers are working hard to stage yet another dazzling festival, says Sylvia Minassian, AFFMA’s Founder. “Our goal is to launch the careers of emerging filmmakers and celebrate the independent film work of our festival’s most gifted filmmakers.

The Festival kicks off with the North American premiere of Lost And Found In Armenia, starring Jamie Kennedy (Bending the Rules) and Angela Sarafyan (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part II).

Closing night will feature the North American premiere of Natalya Belyauskene’s If Only Everyone actor and filmmaker, Michael Poghosian (Symphony of Silence). If Only Everyone is Armenia’s Official Submission for Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards.

The Festival will also present a special panel event to promote social understanding among media and entertainment professionals. GEMAI (Global Event and Media Accessibility Initiative) partners with Arpa this year to stage a panel discussion focusing on GEMAI’s mission to develop initiatives that will enhance the experience of the 30 million deaf or hard of hearing and the 3.4 million blind movie-going audience in America.