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ARPA Intl Film Festival to Honor Hagopian"The Armenian Weekly", Volume 72, No. 33, August 19, 2006LOS ANGELESThe 2006 Arpa International Film Festival will hold its 9th annual film festival on October 26 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Calif. Screenings will run all day and throughout the evening. The following day, the Arpa Awards Banquet will be held on October 27.This year, Arpa will honors 92-year-old documentary filmmaker Dr. J. Michael Hagopian with the Armin T. Wegner Award for lifetime achievement in film.The Arpa International Film Festival presents Armenian cinema and international films that explore diaspora, war, exile, genocide, multi-culturalism and dual-identity. Arpa celebrates artistic vision and cultural diversity in cinema while illuminating the Armenian experience, said Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art (AFFMA) founder Sylvia Minassian, Were so pleased that people in both the United States and abroad are becoming aware of the opportunities Arpa gives filmmakers to share our unique history through film.While Armenians live all over the globe, one of the largest populations of Armenians outside of Armenia is in Southern California. Los Angeles is a city of unlimited cultural power and Armenians contribute to that richness immensely, said Minassian. With that in mind, Arpa honors those filmmakers who address the common circumstances of diasporan people, redefining what Los Angeles stands for as a global city, through the presentation of Armenian and international cinema.Dr. Hagopian is internationally revered as a major influence in the world of documentary filmmaking. For over 50 years, hes been presenting meticulously researched and cross-referenced films about the Armenian Genocide and presenting them to the world in the face of Turkeys continued denial, said festival director Alex Kalognomos of this years Armin T. Wegner recipient, He founded the Armenian Film Foundation and has interviewed over 400 Genocide survivors. In his 90s, hes still going strong. Hes a great artist, a great humanitarian, and an inspiring man.This year, Arpa will present 25 feature, documentary, short and animated films from Armenia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon, Netherlands, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. The festival includes works by J. Michael Hagopian, Gary Null, Apo Torosyan, Eddie Deleon, Peter Musurlian, Arbi Ohanian, Vartan Latyre, John Putch, Armand Ghazarian, Shant Hamassian, Dorothee Forma, Hovik Thomasian, and Manja Wilkinson. For a complete schedule of films, visit www.AFFMA.org.For sponsorships and ad book opportunities or to reserve tickets for the Arpa Gala and Awards Banquet call (323) 663-1882 or email [email protected].