Armenian Film Festival Pomegranate to be held in Toronto

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Pomegranate Film Festival is poised to make is fourth year celebrating Armenian cinematography more exciting than ever, insidetoronto.com reports. There will be a launch party on Sept. 24, followed by a weekend of Armenian-themed films from around the world, all taking place at the Armenian Cultural Centre in Toronto.



"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.



"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."