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- Actress
- Producer
Angela Sarafyan is an Armenian American actress. She has appeared as a guest-star in several television series such as Judging Amy (1999) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
Sarafyan has acted in the feature films: On the Doll (2007), Kabluey (2007), The Informers (2008), A Beautiful Life (2008), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012), A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011), and Lost and Found in Armenia (2012).
In 2016 she starred as Clementine Pennyfeather in HBO's Westworld (2016).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Roman Mitichyan was born in Vanadzor, Armenia and started training at the age 8 in free style wrestling. He then went on to train in the art of Sambo-Judo with Baxshik Saroyan. Roman was a natural at the sport and soon became a Champion in Armenia. In 1997 he and his family moved to the United States and he started training at the Hayastan Judo Club under world renown grapplers Gene Lebell and Gokor Chivichyan.
In 2006 Roman won 1st place in the USJI National Championship. Roman is a world Bronze medalist in Sambo, and an active MMA fighter with a 15-3 record.
Roman's approach to fighting (and life) is grounded in his hard work ethic and relentless attacks. It is this tenacity that has propelled him to the top of his sport.- Actor
- Producer
- Editor
David Sargsyan is an American Armenian actor. He is known for his successful roles in the short films such as Dr. Antonio (2022), Molehill (2017) and Real Heroes Don't Die (2021). For these roles the actor received awards and nominations in many film festivals. Actor is also known for his roles in several popular commercials. In Armenia the actor is popular for his lead roles in TV series Tuxt U Gir (2013) and Dangerous Games (2015), filmed in Los Angeles. David Sargsyan is also a stage actor. He performed in many Armenian-American musicals and theatrical plays for kids in Los Angeles, by embodying characters such as Aladdin, Prince Charming, Prince Florian and many other lead roles.
David Sargsyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia on April 16, 1994. In 2011 he moved to the United States to start his acting career. In Armenia he studied in a dance academy and musical school. He is a skilled dancer, singer and piano player. He also trained martial arts, specifically "Traditional Karate". He is fluent in English, Russian and Armenian languages.
David Sargsyan received several degrees and certificates. He completed a Bachelor's degree at the University of California, Irvine in major "Film and Media" and minor "History". He has Associates in Science degree in "Film, Television and Media Studies" and Associates in Arts degree in "Visual Arts" from Glendale Community College. He also received "Dance Teacher" and "Choreographic Studies and Dance Technique" certificates from the same college.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Olga Chekhova (also Olga Tschechova in German), one of the most popular stars of the silent film era, remained a mysterious person throughout her life and was accused of being a Russian agent in Nazi Germany.
She was born Olga Konstantinovna von Knipper on April 26, 1897, in Aleksandropol, Transcaucasia, Russian Empire (now Gyumri, Armenia). She was the second of 3 children in a bilingual Russian-German family. Her father, Konstantin Leonardovich Knipper, a Lutheran of German descent. He made a military career in Russia as a railroad engineer. Young Olga studied art and literature at an art school in St. Petersburg. Later as an immigrant in Germany she claimed friendship with the family of Tsar Nicholas II--who also was of German origin--and that she had encountered the notorious Russian mystic and monk, Grigory Rasputin. In reality, she was sent from St. Petersburg to Moscow to her aunt, actress Olga Knipper-Chekhova, to study acting at Moscow Art Theatre. In 1914, at age 17, she eloped with Russian-Jewish actor Michael Chekhov, nephew of Anton Chekhov.
Olga adored her husband, Michael Chekhov, a rising star of stage and film. But he met another beauty, Xenia Zimmer, and became involved in extramarital affair while Olga was pregnant with their child. Their daughter, Ada Tschechowa, was born in 1916. Olga separated from Michael Chekhov during the tragic time of the Russian Revolution in 1917. That same year she made her film debut in a Russian silent film, Anya Kraeva (1918).
Olga claimed that she fled Russia disguised as a peasant woman and posed as a mute while carrying a diamond ring in her mouth. In reality she married an officer in the Austro-Hungarian army, Friedrich Jaroshi, and took a train from the Moscow Belorussky station to Vienna, Austria, having travel documents from the Russian Commissar of Culture (and she was also helped by the Russian intelligence agency in exchange for her cooperation). She was later invited to the Soviet Embassy in Berlin for meetings with Soviet officials. In Germany she was introduced to film producer Erich Pommer and renowned director F.W. Murnau, who gave her a leading role in his film, The Haunted Castle (1921). She quickly became a huge star in Europe and played in more than 40 silent films during the decade. Olga was joined by ex-husband Michael Chekhov in several films, including Der Narr seiner Liebe (1929) (aka "The Fool of Love"), which she also directed.
Future Nazi leader Adolf Hitler reportedly fell for Olga upon seeing her cold and beautiful face in several films in the 1920s. She was famous for her movie image as a baroness and was courted in the 1930s by Luftwaffe boss Hermann Göring and by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. Some wives of high-ranking Nazi officials were jealous of and hated the beautiful Olga. Goebbels was known to have visited her home on several occasions when he wanted to be away from his Nazi "activities". He invited Olga to several Nazi receptions and introduced her to Adolf Hitler in April 1933. Olga became a personal friend of Hitler and was photographed sitting next to "Der Fuhrer" at official events of the Nazi Party. She also received valuable Christmas gifts from Hitler, and regular birthday presents and other tokens of his attention.
In 1936 Olga was honored with the title of "State Actress" of the Third Reich and was made a German citizen. She married a wealthy Belgian businessman, Marcel Robyns. One day prior to the wedding she had a private reception with Hitler, who gave her permission to retain her German citizenship. Two years later she divorced Robyns and returned to her high-society life in Berlin. Her famous 1939 photo-op with Hitler was thoroughly analyzed in Moscow.
She was invited by Soviet officials to join Hermann Göring and Joachim von Ribbentrop at the meeting with Vyacheslav Molotov and Gen. V. N. Merkulov at the Soviet Embassy in Berlin in 1940. At that time Olga was associated with her agent-brother Lev Knipper, who was sent from Moscow to Germany on a secret mission to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The plan was to use one of Olga's visits with Hitler for a suicide attack on the Fuhrer. Olga was kept oblivious of the plan, which was aborted by an order from Joseph Stalin, who became paranoid about the possibility of Germany's alliance with Britain if Hitler was killed. Interestingly, Stalin and Hitler were both amateur film directors in the 1920s, but as dictators they now directed the course of history.
Olga was invited by Josef Goebbels to the official reception in Berlin in July of 1941, only a month after the Nazis invaded Russia and Luftwaffe bombings caused massive devastation to Russian cities. Goebbels announced the planned occupation of Moscow.
She was being investigated by the SS on orders from SS leader Heinrich Himmler. She was constantly under surveillance by both Nazi and Soviet agents in her Berlin home. As the war progressed and conditions got progressively worse for the Nazi regime, party bosses became increasingly paranoid. Himmler was planning to arrest her in January of 1945. One early morning she was informed of Himmler's move. She immediately called him directly with a request for a favor--to let her finish her morning cup of coffee comfortably. When SS commandos surrounded her home Himmler opened her door and was met by an angry Adolf Hitler, who in no uncertain terms informed Himmler that he had made a mistake.
Olga was a beautiful pawn in a dangerous game between the two most destructive powers in the Second World War. She survived through acting, cheating, lying and disguise. She protected her daughter Ada from Nazi anti-Semitism by hiding the fact that her ex-husband, Michael Chekhov, was Jewish. Her brother Lev Knipper was held in a Nazi concentration camp and managed to survive because of his perfect German (and probably with her help). During the savage battle for Berlin just before the war's end, Olga hid in a bomb shelter and was eventually taken prisoner by the Red Army. She was flown to Moscow in April of 1945, for debriefing at the offices of Soviet secret police officials Viktor Abakumov and Lavrenti Beria. She discreetly attended the Moscow Art Theatre performance of "The Cherry Orchard" starring her aunt Olga Knipper-Chekhova in May of 1945. They were not allowed to talk and her aunt Olga fainted backstage.
After two months of interrogations in Moscow, on June 26, 1945, Olga was flown back to Berlin, where she was assisted by the Soviet Army. She was given money and moved in to a Soviet-supervised house on Spree Strasse in the Soviet sector of East Berlin. Several articles in the French and British presses stated that she was a clandestine agent and secretly decorated by the Soviet government. She praised the Russian victory over the Nazis in a private letter to her aunt Olga Knipper-Chekhova. Meanwhile, the film she made in Hollywood turned out to be a flop in the US market, mainly because of her heavy Russian accent.
She continued a film career in Europe and ran her own film production company, Venus-Film Olga Tschechowa. In 1950 she moved to Munich and starred in several films. In 1955 she used her star power to launch a successful cosmetics company, "Olga Tscheschowa Kosmetik Geselschaft." Her remarkable acting career, spanning almost 60 years, ended in 1978, with a small film role as a grandmother.
Her personal file was temporarily available for viewing at the KGB archives in Moscow. One report on her was prepared and signed by the notoriously brutal KGB chief Viktor S. Abakumov. On that report a handwritten question was left by a reader in Kremlin: "What do you suggest to be done with Ms. Chekhova?", the handwriting was by Joseph Stalin. Stalin was quoted as having said, "The actress Olga Chekhova will be very useful in the post-war years", and she probably was. One of her films was titled Der Mann, der zweimal leben wollte (1950), or "The Man Who Wanted to Live Two Lives"--and that was exactly what she did.
In 1955, Olga was saddened by the death of Michael Chekhov. In 1966, Olga suffered from another tragedy: her only daughter Ada died in an airplane crash. Devastated by the painful loss, Olga suffered from bouts of depression and turned to alcohol, but she survived thanks to her strong will and lust for life. She lived for another fifteen years, played a few more roles in the movies, and saw her great-grandchildren grow. Moments before she died, sensing the end was near, she ordered a glass of champagne from her granddaughter Vera Tschechowa. That was March 9, 1980, in Munich, Germany.
Her last words were, "Life is beautiful!"- Producer
- Executive
Arthur Sarkissian was born on 11 May 1960 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Gyumri, Armenia]. He is a producer and executive, known for Rush Hour (1998), Last Man Standing (1996) and The Foreigner (2017).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, by the age of 29, Sarik Andreasyan became a top-3 highest grossing Russian directors according to Variety Russia.
Directing a successful remake of the Russian cult classic "Office Romance" at the age of 23 puts him on the map and the widely beloved box office hit "Moms" cements his positions as one of the most talented and profitable directors in his country. The sequel to "Moms" - "Happy New Year, Moms!" sees Sarik working with the ensemble cast studded with the legend himself - monsieur Alan Delon.
In 2013 the American chapter of Sarik's career begins. In the summer of the same year his creative collaboration with the incredible talents of Adrien Brody and Hayden Christensen results in highly-anticipated dramatic action "American Heist".
In 2014 Sarik produces and directs a highly anticipated sci-fi thriller "Mafia" based on an international hit social game. Employing the top Russian talent and sensational CGI the film proved to be the biggest opening upon its release.
2016 sees Sarik take on one of the most dreadful and tragic natural disasters that has ever occurred to the humanity - Spitak earthquake - in a form of an epic drama "Earthquake" filmed on location. Passionate approach, unique style and immense desire to depict honest human suffering has earned Sarik's film to be selected by the National Armenian Film Committee to represent his country of birth in seeking an Academy Awards nomination.
Later that year Sarik breaks the boundaries with the most ambitious project from that part of the world to date - The Guardians (2017), described by a Rotten Tomatoes critic as "The plot is bone-headed and the quality of the visual effects is terrible, but there is a pure, unironic sense of purpose in this film that is utterly charming and, at times, unintentionally hilarious." - first of its kind superhero film that, according to The Hollywood Reported, The Guardian and many more, proves to become the most anticipated international release of 2017.
With four more projects in development as of the end of 2017 (among which are sci-fi thriller "Coma" and post-apocalyptic epic "Station 88"), Sarik Andreasyan is set to establish himself among the hottest directors chased by Hollywood producers and a cinematographic visionary of our time.- He studied in Leninakan Art College and Theatre Studio, then finished at the Acting Department of Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre. Since 1953 he has performed in the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. He also directed many successful productions, best of them Maxim Gorky's "The Lower Depths". His cinema career began in 1955. His famous roles in Aybolit-66 (1967), Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967), Mimino (1977) earned him the reputation of one of the leading comedy actors in the Soviet Union. But that reputation sometimes overshadowed his real talent and emotional deepness which he put in such classics of Armenian cinema as Yerankyuni (1967),_Menq enq, mer sarere (1970)_, Hayrik (1973), Life Triumphs (1977), Hin oreri yerge (1982), Tango of Our Childhood (1985). Certainly he was the most famous and internationally recognized Armenian artist of the 2nd half of 20th century.
- Svetlana Svetlichnaya was born on 15 May 1940 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Gyumri, Armenia]. She is an actress, known for The Diamond Arm (1969), The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979) and Day of Wrath (1985).
- Jaklin Baghdasaryan was born in 1997 in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia. She is an actress, known for Ladaniva: Jako (2024) and Eurovision Song Contest Malmö 2024 (2024).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was awarded the Armenian Republican State Prize in 1975 for "Triangle" and again in 1979 for "Snow in Mourning." He was named People's Artist of the Soviet Union in 1985. Dzhigarkhanyan began his acting career in 1955 at the Russian Stanislavsky Theatre in Yerevan, and in 1967 moved to the Lenkom Theatre in Moscow. In 1969 he joined the Mayakovsky Academic Theatre. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, Dzhigarkhanyan worked as assistant cameraman at Armenfilm studios in 1953-1954.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Serine Sianosian was born on 16 August 1996 in Armenia. She is an actress, known for Checkout (2023), Odesskiy podkidysh (2017) and KuraTory (2018).- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Creator of the "distance montage," Artavazd Peleshian, one of the key Soviet documentary makers, removed the boundaries of feature and documentary films, editing both sequences as a real poetical unity. His "distance montage" was a new step in the development of film editing.
Even his student works [The Earth of the People (1966) and the Beginning (1967)] shot at VGIK, the oldest film school in Moscow, were awarded numerous prizes and he gained recognition among filmmakers. In 1975, he petitioned the Soviet authorities to allow the blacklisted cinematographer Mikhail Vartanov to film his ambitious next project and together they created the masterpiece Four Seasons (1975). It was Pelechian's first film without any archive footage, thanks to Vartanov's exquisite black and white cinematography.
Alongside his very successful solo career, Peleshian was invited to direct archive footage by such masters as Lev Kulidzhanov for Zvyozdnaya minuta (1973) and Andrey Konchalovskiy for Siberiade (1979). Mikhail Vartanov directed Osennyaya pastoral (1971) from Peleshian's screenplay.
Artavazd Peleshian is the author of a range of theoretical works, including his 1988 book "Moyo kino" ("My Cinema"). Some of the most important works of Armenia's documentary cinema include Sergei Parajanov's Hakob Hovnatanyan (1967), Mikhail Vartanov's Parajanov: The Last Spring (1992) and Artavazd Peleshian's Four Seasons (1975).- Actor
- Director
- Composer
Shavo was born in Armenia in 1974. He has been in System of a Down, since the early 90s. He plays the bass. He made his film debut in Zoolander (2001). He and System of a Down have been touring on Ozzfest more than twice and recorded hugely innovative and platinum selling records "Toxicity" in 2001 and "Mezmerize" in 2005- Laura Vartanyan was born on 21 October 1942 in Garin, Armenia, USSR. She was an actress, known for The First Swallow (1975), Baghdasare bazhanvum e knojits (1977) and Mardn Olimposits (1976). She died on 7 December 1994 in New York, USA.
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Aik Karapetian was born on 10 July 1983 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Gyumri, Armenia]. He is a director and writer, known for The Man in the Orange Jacket (2014), Bezkaunigie (2023) and Riebums (2007).- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Born in Armenia and raised in Los Angeles, Eric Nazarian is a graduate of the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Cinematic Arts where he earned a B.A. in Film Production.
"The Blue Hour," his first feature film as writer-director, is composed of four stories about working-class lives near the Los Angeles River, starring Alyssa Milano, Clarence Williams III, and Emily Rios. The film's World Premiere took place at the 55th San Sebastian International Film Festival and was nominated for the Altadis-New Director's Award. "The Blue Hour" went to screen at the 25th Torino Film Festival in the Official Selection and was named "Film of the Day" by the European Network of Young Cinema. The film premiered in the U.S. at the 10th Arpa International Film Festival where Nazarian was presented with the Best Director award. At the 5th Golden Apricot International Film Festival, "The Blue Hour" received the Golden Apricot for Best Film in the Armenian Panorama, the Ecumenical Jury Award and the Prime Minister's Award.
Nazarian received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for his screenplay, "Giants." In 2010, Nazarian made "Bolis," a short film about a descendant of a Genocide survivor in Istanbul as part of the European Union's Capital of Culture Program. Nazarian adapted Chris Bohjalian's New York Times bestselling, critically acclaimed novel, "The Sandcastle Girls" that he is also attached to produce and direct. "Three Christs," his adaptation of Milton Rokeach's "The Three Christs of Ypsilanti" with director Jon Avnet premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), starring Richard Gere, Peter Dinklage, Julianna Margulies and Walton Goggins.- He has graduated from the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute in 1954. From 1954 he performed at the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. In 1992 he established and headed "Hamazgain" Theatre. Since 1997 he is the rector of Yerevan Institute of Theatre and Cinema. Besides Armenian films has starred in a number of Russian films, most notable of which is Solaris (1972), directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Serge Avedikian was born on 1 December 1955 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He is an actor and director, known for Paradzhanov (2013), Lost in Armenia (2016) and Barking Island (2010).- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Tereza Hakobyan-Lolli was born on 4 June 1987 in Armenia. She is a producer and writer, known for The Super Lollis (2023), From Fat Lolli to Six Pack Lolli: The Ultimate Transformation Story (2020) and 6 Degrees of Hell (2012).- Writer
- Director
- Actress
Milena Aboyan was born in 1992 in Armenia. She is a writer and director, known for Elaha (2023), Der Greteltrick (2018) and Das letzte Geschenk (2014).- Actor
- Producer
Hrant Tokhatyan was born on 10 January 1958 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He is an actor and producer, known for Our Yard 3 (2006), 3 Weeks in Yerevan (2016) and Our Yard (1996).- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Samvel Tadevossian was born on 6 June 1993 in Yerevan, Armenia. He is an actor and director.
In 2014, he successfully completed his studies at the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinematography, focusing on acting and theatrical arts.
Throughout his career, Samvel Tadevossian has made remarkable contributions to the world of Armenian contemporary theater. He also showcased his directorial talents in the ballet performance "Memos of a Suicide" at the National Academic Theater of Ballet and Opera, in the solo play "Egoist," demonstrating his skills both as an actor and director. In 2018, Samvel directed an experimental performance "Motherland".
In 2015, he was honored with the prestigious Artavazd Theater Award for his exceptional talent as a young actor. This was followed by the Anahit Award from the Armenian State Film Academy in 2016, recognizing his outstanding acting skills. In 2017, he received the Special Award at the esteemed Golden Apricot Film Festival, further highlighting his remarkable contributions.- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Karen Oganesyan was born on 27 June 1978 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He is a director and producer, known for I'm Staying (2007), Klim (2016) and Domovoy (2008).- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Art Department
Ruben Mkrtchyan was born on 21 March 1940 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Lernayin ltchi gaghtniqe (1954), Hin oreri yerge (1982) and Mor sirte (1958).- Anna Vanessa Kachikyan was born in Armenia in 1985 and moved to California at the age of 10. Anna's interest in media led her to a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism. She then went on to work for CNBC, NBC, and later KABC in Los Angeles. Shortly after, "TMZ" came calling and Anna jumped on board. Aside from appearing daily on the snarky pop phenomenon show, "TMZ," she is an active fashion contributor on TooFab.com. Anna recently made a guest appearance on the reputable soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," where she played a make-up artist from TooFab.com.
Anna is best recognized for being "the girl with glasses" on "TMZ." - Producer
- Director
- Writer
Art Sevada is a bona fide Renaissance man, recognized for his many talents and pioneering endeavors. Today, as the CEO of Konstruct Logistics and President of Sevada conglomerate of companies, both based in Los Angeles, he continues to build on a diverse body of work, as an award-winning artist and entrepreneur.
Art Sevada was born in 1972 into a family of renowned artists, in the city of Abovyan, Kotayk Region, Armenia. Inspiration was all around him as he grew up in a household steeped in creativity. By the time he graduated from high school, Art had already mastered several musical instruments, and cultivated a profound appreciation for visual arts and aesthetics.
After he and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1990, Art studied music composition and visual arts at California State University, Northridge. His formal training would propel him into a flurry of creative work in the ensuing years.
Between 1995 and 2000, Art released three albums of original music, including "Palpitation of Soul," "Years of Solitude," and "Disconnected." Apart from composing the lush, melodically-driven material, he had also played all of the instruments and arranged the music. All three recordings have garnered critical praise.
In the late 1990s, Art established Sevada Productions, a firm specializing in a broad range of creative work, from graphic and web design to television commercials and software development. Sevada Conglomerate continues to grow, and is widely recognized for landmark projects that push the envelope in terms of content and design alike.
Throughout the 2000s, Art also pursued his passion for filmmaking, by writing, directing, and producing a series of intensely personal films that are also noted for their universal appeal. His credits include his trilogy, comprising "As a Beginning," "Mikosh," and "The Rope," as well as "Three Colors in Black and White" - all of which have received critical acclaim in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere.
In 2015, Art founded Konstruct Logistics, a consortium of entertainment and consumer-product companies, with the goal of developing and marketing a diverse range of inventions. Today, cutting-edge products being made or developed by various Konstruct enterprises range from eyewear, modern gadgets, and electric cars to next-generation apps and devices including SFNX, the world's first AI psychologist.
Konstruct Logistics is also the originator of a forthcoming Doorfest Annual Film Festival.- Shake Tukhmanyan was born on 5 December 1951 in Yerevan, Armenia. She is an actress, known for Lord of War (2005), Sideways (2004) and Abducted (2018).
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actor
Mikael Sharafyan, originally from Yerevan, Armenia, is an award winning costume designer. Born into a family of artist, he is part of a lineage of entertainers, spanning back several generations. Of the artists, writers, musicians, and actors of his family tree, Levon Sharafyan stands out as a theater and movie actor. Sharafyan's mother, Ruzan Muradyan, is a pianist accompanist for ballet performances.
Sharafyan immersion into the arts began early. He would begin attending art academy at the age of seven. There, he learned to paint and sculpt. Patrons of theatre, his parents would work to advance Sharafyan's cultural and artistic palette by taking him to theatrical performances on a regular basis. There, the costume-designer-to-be found his passion as he was often introduced to performers and ushered through their dressing rooms. In 2001, Sharafyan settled in Glendale, CA. After graduating from Glendale High School, he participated in fine arts competitions, receiving awards and ranking highly amongst his peers. Thereafter, Sharafyan graduated from the Fashion Design Institute of Design (FDIM), receiving his degree in Fashion Design, taking an additional year to finish the Advanced Study Program in Theater Costume Design. His completion of the advanced studies program earned him a Warnaco Scholarship, which was presented to him by renown fashion designer Randolph Duke.
While acquiring his degree, Sharafyan also completed a six-month internship at Mon Atelier for couturier Ali Rahimi and another three-month internship working for Center Theater Group, in Downtown L.A. The competitions, internships, and academic training helped Sharafyan to acquire and advance his knowledge of the essential skills required of costume designers: sketching, dyeing fabrics, and constructing period and contemporary costumes. After his diploma, Sharafyan worked for eight years as a cutter and digitizer at Silvia's Costumes, Inc, in Hollywood. While there, he had the opportunity to work with Academy Award winning costume designer Colleen Atwood and Emmy Award winning designers Peter Menefee, Ray Aghayan, and Mona May, providing Sharafyan with the opportunity to cut the wedding dress from the movie "Enchanted". His debut as a costume designer was in 2008, when he worked for a Moulin Rouge ensemble that would go on to perform at President Obama's inaugural ball in Washington, D.C.
In 2011, Sharafyan became a recipient of the Best Costume Design award at the L.A. Cinema Festival of Hollywood for the music video "Disasteroid." Sharafyan's passion for costume design stems from a history of immersion into the arts. He considers costume design as a craft akin to sculpting and painting, where the artist is handcrafting individual works of art, meticulously drawing out the details and creating his works with the same strokes of inspiration that would motivate a painter to paint and taking his needle to thread with the same precision a sculptor would take a chisel to marble. In short, Sharafyan considers himself both as a dedicated professional and artist.- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Anna Condo was born on 25 December 1966 in Yerevan, USSR [now Armenia]. She is an actress and writer, known for Proud Iza (2008), Alchimie (2002) and New York Socialite (2000). She was previously married to George Condo.- Ani Ghazaryan was born on 22 July 1990 in Yerevan, Armenia. She is an actress, known for Ludwig the Hedgehog (2018), Alter Ego (2016) and Seymour (2017).
- Actress
- Sound Department
- Assistant
Tatevik Hunanyan is an American Armenian actress, born in Yerevan, Armenia on August 24, 1989. Raised in Los Angeles in a home of Artists, Tatevik began dancing contemporary ballet at the age of five. At the age of fifteen, she began dancing the Argentine Tango training with renowned dancer, Sergie Tumas. In 2009, she enrolled and became a member of the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theater / Film institute in Los Angeles where she began studying her craft in acting. In 2010, she was introduced to legendary martial artist and Hollywood stunt coordinator Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, whom with she began her extensive Kickboxing/stunt training. She currently holds a black-belt under Japanese American trained Martial Artist, Tadashi Yamashita. During her transition into the wrestling world, Tatevik trained under the expertise of wrestling veterans that include Tom Prichard, Pat Tanaka, Leilani Kai and Rocky Johnson. She made her debut in 2012 and worked her first event on January 19, 2013 at WOW 23: High Expectations, where she defeated Santana Garrett. On March 9, 2013 during the WOW Pandemonium Tour. Tatevik wrestled Frost in a No. 1 Contender match for the WOW Championship, resulting in a Double Count-Out. On November 16, 2013 Tatevik defeated Melissa Coates at Superstars Of Wrestling Fan Fest. In 2012 she was featured alongside Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture in the film "Rush" as DEA Agent Garcia and has continued advancing her career as an actress and professional wrestler.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
A pioneer of cinema in Armenia and the Caucasus, Amo Bek-Nazaryan began his career as a professional athlete. However, he later discovered film, joined the cinema as an actor in 1914, and soon became one of the major stars in the pre-Soviet Russian cinema. In 1918, he graduated from the Moscow Commercial Institute. In 1921, he became the head of the film section of Narkompros in Georgia and later a director of Goskinprom in Georgia. Like his friend and colleague, the Georgian cinema pioneer Ivane Perestiani, Bek-Nazaryan sought to incorporate avant-garde techniques popular in NEP-era Soviet films into conventional narrative frameworks.
In 1924, he returned to his native city of Yerevan where he became one of the founders of Armenkino (the predecessor to Armenfilm). He directed the first full-length Armenian feature film, Honor (1925), in collaboration with Sakhkinmretsvi in Georgia. He also directed the romantic film Natela (1926) with the glamorous Nato Vachnadze that same year and, the following year, he directed the first Kurdish film, Zare (1927). In the 1930s, he directed the first Armenian sound film, Pepo (1935), based on a play by Gabriel Sundukyan and with music by the renown Armenian composer Aram Khachaturyan. For this production, he earned the title People's Artist of the Armenian SSR.
Following World War II, he directed the film Erkrord karavan (1950) about the repatriation of Armenians living in the United States to Soviet Armenia. This production was canceled by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, a move that personally hurt Bek-Nazaryan. Following this, he did not direct any more films until after the death of Stalin in 1953. After Bek-Nazaryan's death in 1965, Armenfilm adopted his name to their full, official title in his honor. Today, he is widely regarded as the founder of Armenian cinema.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
FILM
For the Sake of Honor (2020) Sixteen parts feature film Director: Hrach Keshishyan Lead
Anatolian Story (2020) Sixteen parts feature film Director: Hrach Keshishyan Lead
Recidive (2020) Feature film Director: Petros Hovhannisyan Lead
I'll Come Back Home (2018) Feature film Director: Daria Shumakova Lead
The Deer Path (2016) Twenty parts feature film Director: Hrach Keshishyan Supporting
THEATRE
My Name Is Red\ Orhan Pamuk (2020- up to date) Yerevan State Puppet Theatre named after Hovhannes Tumanyan Director: Tatevik Melkonyan Lead
Nothing Will Remain (2018- up to date) The State Drama Theatre of Gyumri Director: Hrach Keshishyan Lead
Who's Afraid Virginia Woolf? (2017- up to date) Yerevan State Puppet Theatre named after Hovhannes Tumanyan Director: Samson Movsisyan Lead
State Song Theatre of Armenia (2010- 2015) Singer and actor Lead
EDUCATION
School (2003-2014)
Yerevan State Institure of Yheatre And Cinematography (2015-2019) Film Director- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Hovhannes Babakhanyan is an American-Armenian actor and singer who enjoyed a successful career in theater, cinema and television as an actor, producer and singer. He speaks Armenian ,Russian and English which helped him to be in many international projects in London,New-York, Moscow, Beirut etc. In 2010 he moved to Los Angeles and joined "Victor Kruglov & Associates International Talent Management"- Producer
Eduard Iloyan (born January 31, 1983, in Yerevan). Graduated from PFUR with a PhD in Economics.
General Producer of Yellow, Black and White Studio, one of most prominent Russian film studios, as well as Co-founder and General Producer of START - a subscription-based streaming service available worldwide.
As a producer, he participated in making the film 'The Challenge' - the first feature-length drama shot on the International Space Station (ISS). "The mission also adds another superlative to Russia's spaceflight record over the United States: beating Hollywood to orbit", wrote The New York Times about this project.
Producer of 'Son of a Rich' - Russian biggest box office hit to date (chinese film company Alibaba Pictures acquired the remake rights), as well as 'The Last Warrior' trilogy, created in collaboration with Disney Russia. 'The Last Warrior' trilogy was sold to more than 20 countries around the world, including Italy and Italian speaking Europe, Germany, French-speaking territories, Japan and etc.
'Hotel Belgrade' had its theatrical release in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Israel, Spain, Canada, Cyprus, USA and Switzerland. It was also sold to all rights distribution to Bulgaria. The festival life of the film includes screenings in Florida (USA) and in Poland.
Among the numerous projects he has produced are the first Russian series in the 'Netflix Originals' category - 'Better Than Us', as well as the first Russian series in the Amazon Exclusives category - Russian Affairs/Gold Diggers. '257 reasons to live' became the Winner, Best Performance Award on Canneseries 2020 and shortlisted by the prestigious Rose d'Or Awards in the category 'Best comedy drama' alongside with global hits as 'Sex education' and 'Feel good'. 'Container' - the participant on MIP DRAMA 2021.
According to the results of 2020, Eduard is in the top 3 major film producers in Russia.- Composer
- Music Department
Manuk Kazaryan was born on 23 October 1983 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. Manuk is a composer, known for Zhizn po vyzovu (2022), Manyunya v kino (2022) and Vtoraya liniya (2023).- Writer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
George Gurdjieff was born in Gyumri (formerly called Alexandropol) in Armenia. His father Ivan was Greek and his mother Yeva was Armenian. He died in Paris on 29 October 1949.
He taught that man lives his life in a state of sleep but that it is possible to wake up and serve our purpose as human beings. The practice of his teaching which he described as "esoteric Christianity" is based upon knowledge which he acquired from visiting various monasteries during his travels.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Garik Martirosyan was born on February 14, 1974 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union. In 2002 he graduated from Yerevan State Medical University with a degree in neurology. Worked three years in a psychological hospital. From 1993 to 2002 was a member (captain from 1997) of the New Armenians team of the Russian TV show KVN (1961). In 2003 with the help of fellow New Armenians Artur Djanibekyan and Artash Sarksyan he founded Comedy Club. Together with Larisa Dolina he won the Two Stars TV show. He hosted the first two seasons of "Minuta Slavy", Russian version of America's Got Talent on Channel One. He and his wife Zhanna Levina met in Sochi, Russia and have a daughter Jasmine, who was born in 2004. In March 2007 his brother Levon Martirosyan announced that Garik Martirosyan intends to participate in the pre-election campaign of the United Liberal-National Party of Armenia. The idea to establish the party belonged to Garik.- Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry was born on 10 April 1901 in Armenia, El Salvador.
- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Mariya Saakyan was born on 24 July 1980 in Yerevan, USSR [now Armenia]. She was a director and editor, known for Proshchanie (2004), Alaverdi (2012) and Entropiya (2012). She was married to Jeff Kalousdian. She died on 28 January 2018 in Moscow, Russia.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Arno Arutyunovich Babajanian (Babadzhanyan) was born on January 22, 1921, in Erevan (now Yerevan), Armenia. His father, named Arutyun Babajanian, was a mathematician and also an excellent flute player of the Armenian folk music. At the age of 5, he was noticed by composer Aram Khachaturyan, who recommended that Babajanian must study music seriously.
In 1928 he was admitted to the group of gifted children at the Yerevan Conservatory. At the age of 9, Babajanian wrote his first composition, 'Pioneer's March'. He was very good at sight-reading and had a remarkable memory. His piano playing at the young age was already marked by unusual power of expression and technical finesse. At the age of 12, Arno Babajanian became the winner of the First Prize at the Armenian Republic National Competition of the Young Musicians. There Babajanian performed the piano sonata No. 4, by Ludwig van Beethoven and 'Rhondo Capriccioso' by Felix Mendelssohn.
Babajanian continued his music studies under the tutelage of the notable Armenian composer Sergei S. Barkhudaryan (Barkhudarov) from 1936-38. In 1938 Babajanian moved to Moscow and was admitted to the graduate level at the Gnesin School of Music, where he studied piano with Yelena Gnesina and composition with Vissarion Shebalin. His talent was noticed by many intellectuals in Moscow. He continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory. There he studied piano under the famous concert pianist Konstantin Igumnov, who guided Babajanian through the wisdom of the 'Well Tempered Clavier' by Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as the piano works by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ludwig van Beethoven and Frédéric Chopin. He also studied composition under the notable ethnomusicologist 'Heinrich Litinsky' at the House of Armenian Culture in Moscow. Babajanian graduated as a concert pianist and as composer in 1948. He was a professor at the Yerevan Conservatory from 1950-1956. While in Armenia Babajanian composed his most celebrated concert works such as the 'Heroic Ballade' for piano and orchestra (1950), the 'Armenian Rhapsody' for two pianos (1950), and the acclaimed 'Piano Trio' (1952).
Babajanian became famous with his title song for the film 'Song of the First Love' (1958). It became a popular radio hit and a best-selling record in the former Soviet Union. At that time the cultural "Thaw" was initiated by Nikita Khrushchev and that allowed some degree of artistic freedom of expression. Babajanian wrote many popular songs in collaboration with the leading poets such as Yevgeniy Yevtushenko, Robert Rozhdestvensky, Andrei Voznesensky, Bella Akhmadulina and others. In partnership with the popular singer Muslim Magomayev Babajanian produced many successful recordings. He also composed a large-scale 'Cello Concerto' (1959) dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich, and important music for piano, especially his innovative 'Six Pictures for Piano' (1965).
Arno Babajanian created a successful cross-cultural style of his own. His original style absorbed a variety of influences including jazz, rock'n roll, classical music, and the traditional Armenian folk-music. Babajanian's original style is immediately recognizable by everyone who once heard his classical compositions and popular hits. He dedicated himself to teaching and concertizing instead of becoming a prolific composer. He died on November 11, 1983, in Moscow.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Suren Babayan was born on 18 September 1950 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He was a director and writer, known for Mi nayir hayelun (2010), Trinadtsatyy apostol (1988) and Ararman Uterord Ory (1980). He died on 4 December 2023.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Edgar Baghdasaryan was born on 8 March 1964 in Yerevan, USSR [now Armenia]. He is a director and writer, known for The Simon's Way (2017), Lengthy Night (2018) and From Ararat to Zion (2009).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Michael Poghosian was born on 31 May 1965 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He is an actor and writer, known for Lorik (2018), If Only Everyone (2012) and Thank You, Dad (2014).- Actor
- Make-Up Department
- Director
Acho Chakatouny was born in 1895 in Yerevan, Russian Empire [now Armenia]. He was an actor and director, known for Michel Strogoff (1926), L'Atalante (1934) and Napoleon (1927). He died on 4 April 1957 in Paris, France.- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Armen has been in the movie industry since age 16. He started as a mechanic of shooting equipment, moving on to a director of photography, and then to a director of a picture.
2003 - 2012, he has been the executive director of "Paradise Producers' center" and the executive producer of all the projects produced by that company.
In 2012 he created his own group Producer's center KINOOSTROV .In the same year he established a "Foundation of Development and Support of Cinema"(FDSCinema) in Armenia.- Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gevond Andreasyan was born on 12 May 1981 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. He is a producer and actor, known for Cooties (2014), The Guardians (2017) and Coma (2019).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Hamlet Dulyan was born on 7 October 1992 in Yerevan, Armenia. Hamlet is a director and writer, known for My, 8 sposobov lyubit (2021) and Posledovateli (2023).- Cinematographer
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Hayk Kirakosyan was born in USSR in 1962. His father was an engineer-designer and his mother was an electronics engineer. His interest in cinema started at age of 11 when he began to study photography at Art School and subsequently continued his education in Cinematography department at State Institute of Cinema (VGIK. Moscow). He graduated from Vladimir Monakhov's class as a valedictorian student when he was 22. As a student, he was employed as a trainee camera assistant with famous cinematographers such as Leonid Kalashnikov, Albert Yavuryan and Levon Atoyants. After completing his education at VGIK (MFA), he started working as a cinematographer on several short and full-length documentary, feature and animation films. He was also a lecturer at the Cinema Television Department Faculty of State Pedagogical Institute (Yerevan, USSR) between 1987 and 1991. Since 1991, Kirakosyan has been working both in Armenia and Russia. In addition, between 1994-1999, he was a cameraman MPS TV, editor In Paradise Production and director in VKT TV in Moscow. In 2000, he moved to Istanbul, Turkey. Keeps working on feature projects, commercial films and music videos in Turkey, Russia and Armenia. Since 2006, teaching "Cinematography" and " Advanced Cinematography" at Kadir Has, Istanbul Bilgi Universities and Plato College of Higher Education. Kirakosyan held workshops at the Marmara Istanbul) and Bilkent (Ankara) universities, 6.45 Art Club (Eskisehir), Bursa International Film Festival, Atif Yilmaz Turkish National Film School between 2007 and 2010. In 2008 he was a jury member at the Adana «Golden Cocoon» and in 2014 at the Antalya «Golden Orange» International Film Festivals. Since 1991, Kirakosyan is a member of the Filmmakers Union of Russia and member of the Guild of Cinematographers of Russia (R.G.C). Since 2005 member of European Federation of Cinematographers from Russia (IMAGO). Since 2014 member of the Turkish Society of Cinematographers.- Karo Parisyan was born on 28 August 1982 in Yerevan, USSR [now Armenia]. He is an actor, known for Today You Die (2005), UFC 51: Super Saturday (2005) and UFC 46: Supernatural (2004).