Arlington International Film Festival to Feature Armenian Themes
ARLINGTON, Mass.—This year’s Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) will feature a film that tells the story of an Armenian Genocide survivor who makes his way to New York, as well as an Armenian dance performance and the works of an Armenian artist.
“It’s important to recognize the different cultures that are around us, and to bring their experiences to the wider American audience,” Alberto Guzman, co-founder of the Arlington Film Festival, told the Armenian Weekly. “For me, personally, it’s important because the Armenian community is part of our network, and we are connected through history. It’s important to recognize the work of the Armenian community, and to give voice to the Armenian experience.”
Apo Ashjian, the founder, director, and choreographer of the Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston, will perform on Sept. 25 at the “AIFF Kick-Off: Celebrating the Cultural Encounter of Music, Art, Dance, and Film.” Twenty-four other artists will contribute their talents to the evening, which will feature displays of art—from woodwork to oil paintings—musical performances, and talks by filmmakers.
Ashjian has been active in Armenian dance for more than 40 years and has performed extensively with Armenian dance ensembles as well as with the internationally renowned Mandala Folk Ensemble. Born in Syria and raised in Lebanon, Ashjian immigrated to the United States in 1970. He founded the Sayat Nova Dance Company in January 1986.
On Sat., Oct. 17, “Photos by Kirk,” a 28-minute-long film directed by Jamie Day Fleck, will premiere at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, Mass., at 3:40 p.m. Fleck, a photographer, tells the story of an Armenian Genocide survivor who immigrated to America in 1920 and worked as a photographer in the Bronx from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. A Q&A with the filmmaker will follow.
Jamie Day Fleck was born in Clearwater, Fla., and moved to Toronto, Canada, at an early age. She came from an artistic family that both supported and participated in the arts. Fleck received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Parsons School of Design in New York City. Her thesis project consisted of a series of staged night portraits that focused on the beauty and isolation of urban existence, which has remained an ongoing project.
The AIFF Kick-Off event will take place on Sept. 25 at the Arlington Town Hall, located at 730 Massachusetts Ave., in Arlington. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The suggested donation is $15.
Among the displayed art works is one by Sirarpi Heghinian-Walzer, a mixed media work titled, “Dialogue with Nature.” Heghinian-Walzer has received awards and exhibited her work, including installations, in galleries throughout Europe and the United States. She currently lives and works in Lexington. She is an artist member of Gallery263 in Cambridge, and serves on the boards of the Cambridge Art Association and Non-Profit Net. She is also the co-founder and director of Art Without Borders, an online community that champions the rights of artists.
The AIFF will run from Oct. 15-22. Festival Passes ($85) and individual tickets ($11) are available for purchase through the Kendall Square Cinema box office or online at http://www.landmarktheatres.com/boston/kendall-square-cinema. Kendall Square Cinema is located 355 Binney Street, Cambridge, Mass.
For more information, visit www.aiffest.org, email arlingtonfilmfest@gmail.com, or call (857) 209-1122.
