Hamazkayin’s Worcester Armenian Film Festival Features New Generation of Filmmakers

From the Armenian Weekly

WORCESTER, Mass. (A.W.)—This year’s installment of the Worcester Armenian film festival featured the work of primarily young filmmakers from around the United States.

Filmmaker Talin Avakian welcomes attendees (Photo: Hamazkayin Worcester)

The film festival opened at the Sprinkler Factory Art Gallery in Worcester on May 17 with welcoming remarks by filmmaker Talin Avakian, who spoke on behalf of the organizing committee. Avakian noted that a variety of Armenian and global-themed films are featured in this year’s lineup, and listed the filmmakers and their works.

Hamazkayin Worcester chapter chair George Aghjayan spoke about the cultural and educational work Hamazkayin does globally and in the Eastern U.S. Aghjayan then discussed the initiatives of the recently-established Worcester chapter.

Hamazkayin Worcester chapter chair George Aghjayan spoke about the cultural and educational work Hamazkayin does globally and in the Eastern U.S. Aghjayan then discussed the initiatives of the recently-established Worcester chapter. (Photo: Hamazkayin Worcester)

The audience that had packed the gallery was then treated to five short films by filmmakers Anna Maria MouradianAnahid YahjianRaffi Wartanian, and Talin Avakian.

The screenings were followed by a reception.

A scene from one of the screenings (Photo: Hamazkayin Worcester)

The film festival continued on May 19, this time at Worcester State University’s Fuller Theatre, with the screening of a documentary film on the First Armenian Republic, followed by the Massachusetts premiere of Nare Mkrtchyan’s “The Other Side of Home.” Mkrtchyan’s film was on the shortlist of 10 documentary shorts for the 2017 Oscars.

The screenings were followed by a question and answer session.

The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of Worcester is one of nine chapters of the Hamazkayin Eastern U.S. Region, which constitutes one of the branches of the worldwide Hamazkayin family, founded in 1928.

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