Distinguished Films and Winners 2003
Opening Night Screening 2003
I Am David (2003) 94 m. (USA) was written and directed by Paul Feig, based on a novel by Anne Holm. PLOT: David, a twelve year old boy, escapes a communist concentration camp with little more than a compass, a sealed letter, a loaf of bread, and instructions to carry the letter to Copenhagen, Denmark. David is thrust into the free world for the first time in his young life as he travels across Europe. This is a spiritual voyage of discovery, where David slowly loses his instinctual mistrust of humanity and begins to smile, share, trust and ultimately, love.
Nominees and Winners – Feature Films and Short Films
Bachelorman 90m (USA)
John Putch (D); J. C. House, R. Lee Conover, D. Hines (W)
NOMINATED: BEST DIRECTOR, BEST FEATURE
WINNER: BEST SCREENPLAY, Audience AWARD
Baught and Sold 91m (USA)
Michael Tolajian (D/W/P); Bergen Swanson (P)
NOMINATED: BEST FEATURE
WINNER: BEST DIRECTOR
Last Supper (Sham-e-Akhar) 96m (Iran)
Fereidoun Jeyrani (D/W); Nazanin Mofakham (W); Yadollah Shahidi (P)
NOMINATED: BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY
WINNER: BEST FEATURE
Purgatory Flats 102m (USA)
Harris Done (D/W/P); Diane Fine (W); Raymond Chao (P); J. J. Kelly (P)
NOMINATED: BEST FEATURE, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY
The Streetsweeper 109m (USA)
James Hill (D/W/P)
NOMINATED: BEST FEATURE, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY
The Babysitter 17m (USA)
Gideon Raff (D/W); Nicole Hedrick (P)
WINNER: BEST SHORT FILM
Carter’s Wish 12m (USA)
Kevin Shahinian (D/W); Bradley Smith (P); Ravi Malhorta (P)
NOMINATED: BEST SHORT FILM
The Killing of Candice Klein 7m (USA)
Dan Harris (D/W); Toby Wilkins (P)
NOMINATED: BEST SHORT FILM
Niche 19m (USA)
Paul Emami (D/P); Greg Crowder (W/P); Cory Barlog (P)
NOMINATED: BEST SHORT FILM
The Remembering Movies 23m (USA)
Christopher N. Rowley (D/W); Gary Douglas Griggs (W/P)
NOMINATED: BEST SHORT FILM
Shänk 8m (USA)
Brad Follmer (D/W); Lauren Iungerich (W/P)
NOMINATED: BEST SHORT FILM
Nominees and Winners – Documentary Films
Embattled Buddhists: Under the Rising Sun 46m (USA)
Cory Taylor (W/D); Sylvia Hueston (P)
NOMINATED: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Frescoes 96m (Russia/Germany)
Alexandre Gutman (W/D/P); Sergei Litviakov(W); Joerg Langer (P), Jens Terrahe (P)
NOMINATED: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Noble Sacrifice 39m (Lebanon)
Vatche Boulghourjian (W/D/P)
NOMINATED: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Our House 83m (USA)
Sevan Matossian (D/P); Bessie Morris (P), Greg Shields (P);
WINNER: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award
The Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award was created by AFFMA, following a proposal by Armin T. Wegner Society of USA. The award is presented each year to a filmmaker whose film deals with subjugated peoples, ethnic cleansing, forced deportations, massacres, and genocides. The motion picture must contribute to the fight for social conscience and human rights, a struggle to which Armin T. Wegner devoted his entire life.
Destination Nowhere: The Witness 58m (Italy)
Carlo Massa (D); Anna Maria Samuelli (W); Genocide Museum Yerevan (P)
WINNER: ARMIN T. WEGNER AWARD
Recipients of the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award 2003-2006
Carlo Massa – 2003: Carlo Massa, born in Naples in 1942, was the first filmmaker to receive the Armin T. Wegner Award for his documentary film “Destination: Nowhere – The Witness”. Carlo has a degree in political science. He published two books, as well as numerous articles concerning television in daily newspapers and magazines.
James Miller – 2004: In 2004 James Miller (posthumously) and BBC correspondent Fergal Keane received the Armin T. Wegner Award for Armenia: The Betrayed a documentary film about the Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide. James Miller, as a BBC journalist, was shot and killed in Gaza in 2003, while making a documentary film on house demolitions in Palestinian areas.
Fergal Keane – 2004: Fergal Keane received the Wegner Award along with James Miller for Armenia: The Betrayed. As a BBC reporter, he received many awards like Amnesty International Press Award; Silver Sony Award and Journalist of the Year. mSophy Miller, James’s wife, accepted the trophies on behalf of her deceased husband and Fergal Keane, who at that time was making a documentary film in Africa.
Joanelle Romero – 2005: Joanelle Romero, an American Indian activist, actress, and producer, appeared in many films. She received the Ar-min T. Wegner Award for her documentary film “American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian”. She starred in “Pow Wow Highway” (1989), a film considered to be the turning point in which the American Indians were no longer stereotyped.
J. Michael Hagopian – 2006: Director/producer J. Michael Hagopian received the Armin T. Wegner Award for The Witnesses, a trilogy including the documentary films: Voices From The Lake, Germany and The Secret Genocide and Caravans Along The Euphrates. He founded the Armenian Film Foundation in 1980, specifically to produce documentary films on Armenian Genocide.
Book signing with Hank Moonjean
On August 26, 2004, friends and fans joined AFFMA in launching the release of producer Hank Moonjean’s new autobiography “Bring in the Peacock: Memoirs of a Hollywood Producer” at ArcLight Cinemas. Hank Moonjean and Sylvia Minassian flanked by MC Jill Simonian and friend Raffi in the 18th Century French Court outfit, mimicing the costumes in the Academy Award winning film “Dangerous Liaisons”, which was screened later.
Jill Simonian interviewing the legendary Hollywood producer Hank Moonjean at the book signing table. She covered the event for “W.E. Connection”, a local entertainment TV program.
Q & A with the producer/actor Alex Kalognomos conducting a Q&A session after the screening of “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988) starring: Glenn Close, Michelle Pfieiffer, John Malkovich, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman.
Two occasions, one event – Sylvia and Hank next to the posters of Hank’s autobiography book and his Academy Award winning film.
Group photo – Hank Moonjean among AFFMA board and film committee members.