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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
- Writer
- Director
Dubbed "the man of many faces" by casting directors for realistically portraying a variety of characters and ethnicities, Jack is also very comfortable with a range of accents, such as Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Armenian, Turkish, NY/Brooklyn, Italian, Greek and many others. Jack speaks fluent English, Armenian and conversational Russian.
Born in Armenia, Jack and his family emigrated to the United States, at the age of 10. Growing up in the San Francisco/Bay Area, Jack became a successful businessman but at 42 decided to follow his life's passion -- to be an actor and writer. After studying at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) of San Francisco, Jack relocated to Los Angeles in 2012, to pursue a career in the film and television industry.
He quickly began to get noticed by casting directors and producers around town and his credits grew to include guest star roles in top shows such as "NCIS: Los Angeles", "Weeds", "Ray Donovan", "Transparent", "Bones", "True Detective", "With Bob & David", "Bosch", "General Hospital", "Major Crimes", "Seal Team", "Madam Secretary", "The Blacklist" and many others.
His film credits include "Argo", the Oscar-winning feature directed by Ben Affleck, "Betrayal" where he portrays an Armenian Mob boss looking for revenge, opposite Eric Roberts, "Senior Moment" playing a funny cab driver opposite William Shatner, and "Shock and Awe", directed by Oscar nominated director Rob Reiner, where Jack portrays the real-life notorious Iraqi financier, Ahmed Chalabi, acting opposite Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Tommy Lee Jones, Rob Reiner and Jessica Biel.
Jack was cast as series regular for the Showtime pilot "Hombre" opposite Gael Garcia Bernal and in 2021 starred opposite 3 Oscar winners, Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, in the feature film "Little Things" directed by John Lee Hancock, as well as portraying a shady crime boss in the 2022 Indy hit "Emily The Criminal" opposite Aubrey Plaza. He also has a recurring role on the FX Channel, an upcoming limited TV series "The Sterling Affairs", which will be out in Fall of 2023.
When not acting, Jack is busy writing and developing his own projects. His feature film "Betrayal" continues to sell Worldwide, is available in over 30 countries, translated in over 6 languages and is available on all digital platforms in the US and globally.- 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.- Producer
- Executive
Arthur Sarkissian's 40-year career has established him as one of Hollywood's most successful producers. Over the course of his career, Sarkissian has developed and produced feature films that have dominated the domestic and global landscape, with box office receipts totaling close to one billion dollars. His biggest hits include the Rush Hour franchise, While You Were Sleeping, Last Man Standing and The Foreigner. Sarkissian's latest feature films are the action-thriller The Protege directed by starring Maggie Q, Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson along with the thriller Memory starring Liam Neeson, both directed by Martin Campbell.
Throughout his long career, Sarkissian has put a premium on creativity, with a progressive eye and entrepreneurship that have been the common denominators in his formula for success. It is this approach and ability to produce a big budget blockbuster that has made him one of the most sought after producers in the business.
In the '70s and '80s, he produced films like Beyond Reason and Wanted: Dead or Alive. However, it was not until the 1990's that Sarkissian's films transcended box-office expectations. In 1995, Sarkissian released While You Were Sleeping, starring Sandra Bullock, which became one of the year's biggest hits grossing over $190 million worldwide.
In 1997, Sarkissian discovered and developed the first Rush Hour film, pairing the unlikely duo of Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, as well as tapping the then up-and-coming director Brett Ratner. The first film-which grossed more than $140 million domestically and another $103 million internationally-made history by being the highest grossing independent film released in September or October as well as becoming one of the highest grossing films in the history of New Line Cinema. In 2001, the second installment of the Rush Hour series solidified Sarkissian's position as a hit-maker when the movie earned $347 million worldwide. Rush Hour 3 was released in 2007, turning the franchise into a $900 million hit.
In the fall of 2012 and in conjunction with CBS Television, Sarkissian created and executive produced his first TV series, Vegas, about the legendary Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, to critical acclaim. More recently, Sarkissian produced a spin-off television series of the Rush Hour franchise again in conjunction with CBS Television.
Other projects on the horizon for Sarkissian include: The Red Circle, a retelling of Jean-Pierre Melville's classic 1970 film; Le Cercle Rouge and the next install in the Rush Hour franchise.- 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.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
TereZa Hakobyan-Lolli, Vice President of Lolli Brands Entertainment, is a documentary filmmaking and storytelling powerhouse. From her early years as a ping pong champion, award winning pianist, Armenian Idol finalist, competitive swimmer and dancer in Armenia, to her academic excellence in the #1 physics and mathematics high school, she has always been driven by a desire for greatness. Despite moving to America at the age of 20 with little more than determination and $300 in her pocket, she pursued her dreams relentlessly.
Rejecting a prestigious offer from Deloitte after graduating summa cum laude from college, she followed her passion for the arts. From acting conservatories, to forming an all-female pop - rock band called Velvet Tornado, she has always sought to push boundaries and explore new avenues of creativity.
In 2012, she landed her first major role in a Netflix movie, setting the stage for her journey into the world of entertainment. She has also been managing her two children Love and Legend's entertainment careers amassing over 100 booked jobs combined including national commercials, TV, film, Broadway and Print. She managed to save up all of Love and Legend's earnings and lead them to become the youngest real estate investors at the age of 6 and 8.
In 2018 she joined forces with husband and real estate mogul Anthony Lolli to jumpstart Lolli Brands Entertainment and executive produce back to back international hit documentaries on Amazon Prime. With each success, from producing hit series like "The Super Lollis" to award-winning documentaries like "From Fat Lolli to 6 Pack Lolli", "The Guru" and "Skin Deep," she has cemented her reputation as a storyteller who can provoke emotions, thoughts and ignite change.
With projects like the most influential 5 part health documentary "Biohack Yourself," "sHEALed" and "Bye Ol' Dentistry," she is fiercely pursuing to create content that genuinely is set to make a change in the trajectory of humanity.
Beyond her professional achievements, she has also found fulfillment in her personal life. Meeting her husband Anthony and starting a family has been a source of joy and inspiration. With their children Love and Legend, achieving success in their own right, their family embodies the values of perseverance and determination.
In summary, TereZa is more than a Vice President; she's a visionary, a trailblazer, and a storyteller whose work transcends boundaries and leaves a lasting impact on all who experience it.- Svetlana Svetlichnaya is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actress, Honored Artist of the Russian SFSR. Even in kindergarten, she began attending a drama club, and later continued to study in a theater studio during her school years. Her mother played a huge role in her becoming an actress. Her mother herself dreamed of becoming an actress in her youth, but she married a military man and tried to realize her dream through her daughter. In her youth, Svetlana was actively involved in sports - she played volleyball, basketball, did athletics, gymnastics, and swam well.
In 1958, at the insistence of her mother, Svetlana entered VGIK, which she graduated from in 1963, taking the course of Mikhail Romm. Andrei Konchalovsky, Galina Polskikh, and Valeriy Nosik studied with her on the course. After graduating from university, she joined the troupe of the Film Actor's Studio Theater.
She made her film debut in 1960 in Mikhail Kalik's film Kolybelnaya (1960). And she played her first big role - Nadya Kolchina - in Tatyana Lioznova's film Im pokoryaetsya nebo (1963) in 1961, while still a student at VGIK. She received widespread love from viewers after her role as the fatal temptress Anna Sergeevna in the comedy The Diamond Arm (1969). She is also remembered for many of her other roles - the lady in Father Sergius (1979), Gabi in Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973), the flight attendant in the drama Nepodsuden (1969). - 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.
- 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- 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!"- 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.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Vaz Andreas is a versatile actor with appearances in acclaimed TV series such as NCIS, Lucifer, Chasing Life, The Shield, and Hit the Floor. Beginning his career with a foundation in theater, Vaz trained with some of Hollywood's most respected acting coaches, honing his craft in both film and television. In addition to starring in multiple films and soap operas, Vaz is also a published author; his debut novel, Fade, is available on all major platforms. His short film, Dark Senses-which he wrote, directed, and starred in-has been selected for over twenty film festivals worldwide, earning two awards and continuing to captivate audiences in its ongoing festival run.- 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 Andrei Konchalovsky 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).- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
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
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Helena Ganjalyan is a Polish / Armenian screen and stage actress, dancer and choreographer. She was born in Yerevan, Armenia but at age 3 she moved to Poland with her parents. She graduated from The Ludwik Solski State Drama School in Cracow, Poland - Acting and Dance Theatre Department (Master of Arts degree). She took place at the exchange with the University of Nothern Iowa Acting Department. Helena began acting at a young age in local theaters in Poland staring in productions such as Electra, Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella among others, and trained as a ballet and ballroom dancer at the State Ballet School in Gdansk. She began her professional acting career by appearing in Polish short films but also appearing in feature films, working with such directors as Marcin Wrona, Waldemar Krzystek, Jolanta Dylewska. In 2011 she received a Scholarship of Ministry of Cutlure and National Heritage for artistic achievements, Gdansk Culture Scholarship and Silesian Marshal Culture Scholarship. She performed in numerous theatre projects in Wybrzeze Theatre in Gdansk, Modrzejewska Theatre in Legnica, Dada von Bzdulow Theatre, Capitol Theatre in Wroclaw. Although one of the most meaningful experiences for her was a work with world - renowned director Romeo Castellucci/Societas Raffaello Sanzio.- Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Laura Gevorkyan was born on 28 January 1939 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Armenia]. She is an actress and assistant director, known for The Men (1973), Moratsvatz heqiatneri kirtche (1975) and Vozneseniye (1989).- Cinematographer
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Miko received his MFA in Cinematography from AFI Conservatory. His work "Cunningham" was premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and the New York International Film Festival. Miko got the best cinematography awards for the dance film "Nora" at the New Port Beach Film Festival and the grand prize for cinematography at the Golden Eye Festival of cinematography. Miko is the president of ACG (Armenian Cinematography Guild) and a member of the Armenian National Film Academy. He lives in LA.- 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.- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Executive
Film is Jivan Avetisyan's passion, and storytelling is his forte. Born in Gyumri, raised in Artsakh, and now based in Yerevan, Jivan has spent over a decade sharing the stories of Artsakh through the art of filmmaking, crafting narratives from both individual and collective experiences. He has pursued his dream of producing films that feature top-tier Armenian talent and an international cast of the highest caliber.
By collaborating with talented artists and technicians from around the world, Jivan seeks to create films that foster a deeper understanding of universal themes such as courage, resilience, peace, and hope. As he continues this journey, he remains committed to using the power of film to give a voice to the voiceless and place Artsakh on the world map.
Jivan is an internationally award-winning film director, a Berlinale Talents 2020 alumnus, and a voting member of the esteemed European Film Academy as of 2024, one of the most prestigious film institutions in Europe. Additionally, Jivan is one of 15 participants in the highly competitive CineLink Producers' Lab at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where his film slate was presented. As a Berlinale Talents 2020 alum, he was also selected as the subject of a documentary by Deutsche Welle.
Jivan has also directed over 10 documentaries and short films in the early stages of his career. He then co-founded the Fish Eye Art Cultural Foundation in 2014 and serves as its CEO. Through this foundation, he has produced three feature films, including Tevanik (2014), The Last Inhabitant (2016), and Gate to Heaven (2019). In 2021, he founded a production company, LifeTree Pictures LLC, with multiple projects in the pipeline, including his next feature, Revival (2025), which completed filming in Cyprus in June 2024. Jivan has participated in numerous international film festivals, where his films have won awards in the "Best Feature Film" and "Best Director" categories.- Actress
- Soundtrack
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
- 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
- Writer
Artur Janibekyan is the founder of Comedy Club Production. He was born on February 29, 1976 in Yerevan, Armenia, and graduated from the PhysMath School at Yerevan State University, then from the Yerevan State University majoring in economics.
Artur started his career in 1993 as an advertiser, administrator, project coordinator and film set director. In 2001, he produced the 'Good Evening with Igor Ugolnikov' program on STS (a Russian TV channel), and two years later, in 2003, created comedy show Comedy Club along with his comedy sketch friends. Comedy Club introduced Russian viewers to comedy. In 2006, Comedy Club entered the top 10 of the most commercially successful Russian projects (ninth place) according to the Forbes magazine. Comedy Club has aired on the popular Russian TV channel TNT till nowadays.
Artur founded the multi-functional producer center Comedy Club Production (2007), where he serves as CEO and general producer, and 7 Art, the company that produced the popular sitcoms UNIVER and The Interns airing on TNT. In 2011 the controlling stake of Comedy Club Production was sold to TNT. The stake amounted to 250 million dollars and was a record sale for the Russian TV. In 2013, Comedy Club Production took second place in the list of the largest companies producing content for major federal Russian TV channels according to the Forbes Magazine.
GQ magazine (Russia) named Artur as a Person of the Year 2007 in the 'Producer of the Year' category.
From 2015 Artur managed TV channels including TNT, TV-3, «2x2», TNT4 and «Friday!» (which was launched internationally in 2017), as well as Comedy Club Production and A Plus production (former Good Story media). In the three years from 2016 to 2018, the projects of TNT, «Friday!» and TV-3 channels under the management of Artur Janibekyan, received 19 statuettes in total of the largest Russian TV award TEFI 2016, TEFI 2017 and TEFI 2018 in the Daytime Broadcast and Evening Primetime categories.
The TNT team led by Artur Janibekyan developed and launched the broadcasting of premium TV series that increased the audience share of the TV channel, enabled collecting more precise nation-wide audience coverage data and combatting piracy.
Artur changed the TNT broadcasting line-up from foreign to local content - Russian comedy series and its own shows (2017). This provided additional support for production companies within the holding and raised long-term investments due to copyright ownership and broadcasting own programs on different media and with unrestricted number of runs.
Artur Janibekyan produced and sponsored a documentary film 'The Book' (2013) directed by V. Mansky. In 2014 the film was shown during the official program of the documentary film 'Free Thought' at the 36th Moscow International Film Festival.
Artur Janibekyan together with Valeriy Fedorovich and Evgeniy Nikishov became a producer of the unique "Gogol. The Beginning" project (2017), - the first mini-series in the world to be widely released in theaters. The mini-series paid for itself on the day of its premiere and set several box-office records. The production was ranked in the top 10 ten movie theatre releases in 2017. In addition to Russia and the CIS, Gogol. The Beginning was released in Russia in the USA, UK, Germany, Spain, Austria and Cyprus. Gogol's promotional campaign received several professional awards and diplomas and aroused interest of the professional community during its presentation in Cannes at MIPCOM.- 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 Cutting Edge.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Edmond Keosayan was born on 9 October 1936 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR, TSFSR, USSR [now Gyumri, Armenia]. He was a director and writer, known for Neulovimye mstiteli (1967), Moratsvatz heqiatneri kirtche (1975) and The Men (1973). He died on 21 April 1994 in Moscow, Russia.