Get ready to experience the magic of cinema. The ARPA International Film Festival is bringing its 2025 lineup to the TCL Chinese Theatre (6801 Hollywood Blvd. 3rd floor, Hollywood CA 90028) in Hollywood.
From Thursday, November 6, through Sunday, November 9, join us for a powerful collection of international films. You’ll explore thought-provoking themes, lose yourself in captivating stories, and witness powerful performances. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with filmmakers and fellow film lovers.
TO PURCHASE TICKETS, SELECT A FILM OR BLOCK FROM THE CALENDAR BELOW THEN CLICK ON THE PURCHASE TICKETS LINK.
FILM: My Name Is Robert Ruark
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Australia
CATEGORY: FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:52:00
DIRECTOR: Si Paros
WRITER: N Mills, M Ray, J Smith
PRODUCER: Si Paros
SYNOPSIS: My Name is Robert Ruark is a heart-wrenching documentary that uncovers the true story of Robert J. Ruark, an Ohio man unjustly convicted of murder and imprisoned for nearly half his life. Told through powerful interviews with legal experts, family members, and justice advocates, the film highlights the human cost of inadequate legal representation that has deprived Robert of his freedom since 2008—and the grassroots movement now underway to see him freed. This is a story of mercy, hope, and justice.
FILM: Betty Bird Goes To War
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Canada
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:13:21
DIRECTOR: Stephanie Chloe Hepner
WRITER: Michele Hogan
PRODUCER: Stefan Hogan, Stephanie Chloe Hepner, Conor Hibbler
CAST: Luna Lauren Velez, Jackie Cruz
SYNOPSIS: “Betty Bird Goes to War” is a narrative short about an artist confronting the internalized wounds of shame and self-blame that mar her life decades after the end of her violently abusive marriage. Through the mystical midnight hours, as she paints a portrait of a woman fighting desperately for her life, Betty has a shocking encounter with her younger self that, by morning, will transform both the painting and her sense of herself.
“Betty Bird” is a story of courage, resilience, and the healing power of art.
FILM: Meet Again
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: China
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:15:15
DIRECTOR: Xuefei Chang
WRITER: Xue fei Chang, Xiqiao Shi
PRODUCER: Yumeng Wu
CAST: Siqi Ye
SYNOPSIS: Li Man’s journey through an old town in search of her lost love, Han Yi. The bamboo tube symbolizes her attachment to past emotions and her quest for self-redemption, leading her to a final reconciliation within herself.
FILM: Olives
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:20:00
DIRECTOR: Nash Mc Reynolds
WRITER: Nash Mc Reynolds
PRODUCER: Harrison Richmond Schulman, Dominic Tardino
CAST: Patrick Keleher, Jan Janssen, Jared Morgan, Matthew Morley Daniel
SYNOPSIS: A pizza delivery guy accidentally gets caught up in a drug bust after mistakenly taking the wrong delivery order.
FILM: Pomegranate Tree
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:26:54
DIRECTOR: Hesou Zetelian
WRITER: Hesou Zetelian, Iren Tovmasian
PRODUCER: Iren Tovmasian
CAST: Armen Tadevosyan, Mariana Yeghiazaryan, Hasmik Sargsyan, Tina Tovmasian, Armine Derbalian, Mika Baghdasaryan
SYNOPSIS: When her family moves from Armenia to Los Angeles, 14 year old Ivetta has to learn to embrace the change in her life, her family, and in herself to protect her family’s unity and heritage.
FILM: The Hike
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:14:53
DIRECTOR: Erik Palladino
WRITER: Erik Palladino
PRODUCER: Eric A. Pot
CAST: Erik Palladino, Alex Feldman, Daniela Ruah
SYNOPSIS: The Hike is a genre-bending mix of thriller, drama, and dark comedy that explores the complexities of male toxicity and friendship. When Mike and James set out on a hiking trip, lighthearted banter and candid conversations give way to rising tensions. As things spiral, the lines between camaraderie and conflict come to a head. Some paths should never be taken.
FILM: The Ride
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:15:00
DIRECTOR: Slava Denisov
WRITER: Grigory Borodavkin
PRODUCER: David Hachuns
CAST: Ron Perlman, Fernando Lopez, Isabel Powell, Michael Jovanovski
SYNOPSIS: A ’76 Plymouth reflects on its journey, witnessing decades of human life, capturing moments of freedom, temptation, and redemption as it changes hands from one owner to the next.
FILM: Trifole
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Italy
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:40:00
DIRECTOR: Gabriele Fabbro
WRITER: Ydalie Turk, Gabriele Fabbro
PRODUCER: Casey Diepeveen, Mattia Puleo
CAST: Umberto Orsini, Ydalie Turk, Margherita Buy, Birba, Enzo Iacchetti, Frances Sholto Douglas, Francesco Zecca, Caterina Balivo, Martina Troni, Roberta De Santis, Ludovica Mancini, Ilaria Brusadelli, Flavia Monteleone, Valentina Nastasi
SYNOPSIS: In this bittersweet portrait of a vanishing rural way of life, Dalia travels to Piedmont to care for her aging grandfather Igor, an expert forager. Armed with his field notes and loyal dog Birba, she searches for a prizewinning truffle to save his home.
FILM: Saffron Robe
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 01:25:13
DIRECTOR: Jane Centofante
WRITER: Jane Centofante, Jayne Hufschmid
PRODUCER: Jane Centofante, Jayne Hufschmid, Kraig Butrum
CAST: Abbot Onekeo Sittivong, Novice Tao Bualaone, Novice Yengkong Lee, Novice Bountham Tanikone, Francis Engelmann, Leyla Isin-Xiong, Anousone Phanpaseuth
SYNOPSIS:
Saffron Robe is a feature documentary that follows a revered Buddhist abbot in the remote northern region of Laos as he navigates the challenges of a sacred life under a communist regime.
An ambitious spiritual leader, Abbot Onekeo Sittivong defied convention by establishing a new school for the his country’s poor and undereducated children. But something else is happening at this school in a misty forest. The abbot and his fellow saffron-robed monks and young novices are working tirelessly to revitalize ancient Lao Theravada Buddhist practices and education almost lost to history.
Of the many scars left by the Vietnam War, little is known in the West of the lasting revolution in the small but pivotal country of Laos, where the U.S. carried out its “Secret War.” After the war, while America and much of the rest of Southeast Asia moved forward, the people of Laos experienced a profound transformation almost overnight, from a 600-year-old monarchy to a communist-run state. Among those most affected were the country’s revered Theravada Buddhist monks, once the spiritual leaders and the foremost educators of Laos. Many were forced to flee their temples and return to the rice fields for survival. Yet, Buddhism remained central to the spiritual and cultural fabric of the country.
Through the eyes of the young novices attending the abbot’s school, Saffron Robe journeys to a secluded plot of land along the Mekong River. Here, boys from the country’s most isolated and poorest mountain villages endeavor to receive an education otherwise inaccessible to them. Beyond a full day of basic education, they learn the centuries-old traditions of Theravada Buddhism, nearly lost to war and revolution, while also living by the strict rules of monastic life. The novices struggle between a generational past of subsistence farming and a hope for a brighter future. They carry the weight not just of their own hopes, but that of their families who place their collective dreams on the shoulders of their sons.
FILM: Adam
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Syrian Arab Republic
CATEGORY: ANIMATED FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:03:21
DIRECTOR: Fadi Azra
SYNOPSIS: Adam wakes to a face without eyes and a self he no longer recognizes. As he searches for who he once was, Adam experiences the fracture between past and present, the erosion of memory that time brings, and the haunting fear of losing where he belongs.
FILM: Demi-Demons
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Germany
CATEGORY: ANIMATED FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:17:12
DIRECTOR: Martin Gerigk
WRITER: Martin Gerigk
SYNOPSIS: Demi-Demons is an essay film about the contradictions of contemporary existence, which separate us from our natural instincts, opening abysses within us. The glorification of the hermaphrodite, the hedonism of virtual realities, the search for new levels of physical attraction and forms of higher consciousness, ambivalence towards sexual reproduction, these abysses embody the existential struggles inherent in navigating the terrain between instinct and enlightenment in a rapidly evolving world.
Demi-Demons is made and animated from vintage photos and collages, creating a surreal and thought-provoking atmosphere.
FILM: In Half
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Spain
CATEGORY: ANIMATED FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:24:00
DIRECTOR: Jorge Morais Valle
WRITER: Jorge Morais Valle, Silvia Pazos, Cuco Fernández
PRODUCER: Jorge Morais Valle
CAST: Jake Walters, Jared Peterson, Daniel Ledo, Gábor Bakonyi, James Gillies, James Gillies, Jose Lorenzo Valido
SYNOPSIS: Through a child’s imagination it tells the journey of a man who after falling prey to his fears, he must cross a strange world, a universe full of magic, where he will be confronted with his own fears and conflicts from the past and where he must find solutions for the future to discover his self-identity.
FILM: Angel
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:04:15
DIRECTOR: Blooming Fire, Nick Jones
WRITER: Blooming Fire, Nick Jones
PRODUCER: Blooming Fire
CAST: Blooming Fire
SYNOPSIS: The Angel music video tells the story of following an angel through various landscapes that symbolize our internal journey of wonder and curiosity about life after death, as well as the transformations we all experience through life’s ups and downs. Angel is a song from Blooming Fire’s debut album riPPle eFFect. It captures the human desire to be a good soul while grappling with the chaos and challenges of our physical and mental realities. The song encourages us to overcome personal battles for the greater good—by escaping into nature and realizing we are all part of something bigger.
The concept for the video was written by Blooming Fire and co-directed by the band members alongside Nick Jones, who also served as the videographer and editor. Created on a near-zero budget, the video explores our relationship to the overwhelming sense of impending doom, while offering a sense of hope that we have the power to live in a different world.
The song was produced by Blooming Fire, Mikal Blue, and Vanessa Silberman, and features guitarist Christopher Thorne.
FILM: Don’t You Know
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:04:23
DIRECTOR: VONJAKO
WRITER: VONJAKO
PRODUCER: VONJAKO, Cole Gallagher
CAST: Cole Gallagher, Alexander Karavay, Samantha Violet
SYNOPSIS: A journey to seek redemption becomes a stepping stone to a greater scheme of life, revealing that those you trust may not be who they seem.
FILM: It Sucks to Be You
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:02:33
DIRECTOR: VONJAKO
WRITER: VONJAKO
PRODUCER: VONJAKO, Nadia Lanfranconi
CAST: Nadia Lanfranconi, Kevin Dillon
SYNOPSIS: “This video serves as an anthem for the underdog—for anyone who has ever felt overlooked or left behind. At its core, it is a reminder that no one is truly alone, and that a life grounded in authenticity holds far more value than the illusions projected by others. The piece reflects on resilience and the power of moving forward, even in the face of hardship. It acknowledges the emptiness of giving everything away until nothing remains, and reaffirms the importance of self—recognizing that no matter how difficult or imperfect the journey may feel, the only direction worth taking is forward.”
FILM: La Vita Danza
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Italy
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:04:35
DIRECTOR: VONJAKO
WRITER: VONJAKO
PRODUCER: VONJAKO
SYNOPSIS: “La Vita Danza” is a hypnotic mantra where the dance symbolizes the actions and choices made throughout the long journey each person undertakes in life. Every step, every gesture is laden with symbolism, evoking ancient rituals and the deep connection between humanity and the surrounding environment.
FILM: Mai Piû
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Italy
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:05:00
DIRECTOR: VONJAKO
WRITER: VONJAKO
PRODUCER: VONJAKO
CAST: Beatrice Bonomo Ferreri,, Kevin Cara, Giusy Ferreri
SYNOPSIS: This video takes you on a nostalgic journey down memory lane—a timeless adventure that brings the spirit of youth back to life. Two children play hide and seek, venturing into an old house where they uncover a hidden world filled with musical instruments and books. Here, away from prying eyes, they are free to create, explore, and let their imaginations run wild.
The video symbolizes the idea that, no matter our age, we can always remain young at heart. There’s always something new to discover, another adventure to begin. The house represents their inner universe, a place within their minds where they follow an inspiration—symbolized by a goddess-like figure—who guides them in their exploration, letting them roam freely before they eventually rejoin the outside world.
FILM: Seal Lullaby
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: China
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:04:15
DIRECTOR: Xin Li
SYNOPSIS: This hand-painted animated music video depicts the journey of a baby seal on his own after leaving his mother, featuring Anne Akiko Meyers who performs Eric Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby with Grant Gershon leading the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
FILM: Won’t Be Around
YEAR: 2023
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNING TIME: 00:02:24
DIRECTOR: Terry Blade
WRITER: Terry Blade, Bobby Cole
PRODUCER: CottonBro Studio, Bobby Cole, Terry Blade, Larry Robertson
SYNOPSIS: “Won’t Be Around” is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter Terry Blade. At its core, the song is about leaving an abusive relationship by having the will to speak it, the courage to do it, and the strength to never return to it. The music video follows three individuals who are descendants of African-American sharecroppers, and who confront the racial history of sharecropping in the American south by showing that black bodies can exist and subsist on land in the south without the exploitation of black labor.
Get ready to strike a pose! 📸✨ The red carpet at the Film Festival is the perfect place to capture those unforgettable moments. So, bring your smiles, your glamour, and your best angles, because we want to see you shine!
Let’s celebrate film, fashion, and fun – and make some amazing memories together. Don’t forget to share your fabulous photos with us using #ArpaFilmFestRedCarpet! 🎬🌟
Here’s to a night of glitz, glamour, and gorgeous pictures!
FILM: Deadly Vows
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:37:50
DIRECTOR: Jared Cohn
WRITER: Niall Cassin, Bahar Bella Danesh, Georgia Menides, Sofia Monzerratt, Josh Ridgway
PRODUCER: Bahar Bella Danesh, Luna Zhang, Daemon Hillin
CAST: Shiva Negar, Billy Zane, Peter Facinelli, Shane West, Shohreh Aghdashloo
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by true events, a love story spirals into a nightmare of betrayal and violence. A gripping true crime thriller where passion turns deadly.
We follow Darya, a young woman who leaves a war-torn Iran at the age of 15 and embarks on a vigorous journey Los Angeles. Upon her arrival she meets the charismatic Sam Lebon and they instantly fall in love and after having two children, seem to have the perfect life.
This all takes a dark turn however when Darya begins to witness Sam’s violent nature. As years pass, Sam’s need for control escalates to the point of domestic violence. Darya finds the courage to leave him and after a messy divorce, she takes on the role of being a single mother.
One night, Darya is approached by two police detectives who show her video evidence of Sam hiring a hitman to have her murdered. The detectives warn her the threat is credible and she and her children are in imminent danger. Seeking the help from an old friend, Max, Darya and her family go on the run, laying low all over the country until one day she gets a phone call that Sam is in custody . Although relieved, Darya soon finds opposition from the American legal system and Sam is released merely days after his incarceration.
FILM: Siranoosh: An Armenian Journey
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Spain
CATEGORY: FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTY
RUNNING TIME: 01:18:00
DIRECTOR: Paul Jonathan Rigg
WRITER: Paul Jonathan Rigg
PRODUCER: Paul Jonathan Rigg
CAST: Siranoosh Carmen Rigg
SYNOPSIS: Set against the sweeping backdrop of a century of global upheaval, the documentary follows the extraordinary journey of Siranoosh, a woman who finds meaning through her determination to forge bonds and be open to others.
Beginning in the shadow of the 1915 Armenia genocide, through her family’s migration from east to west across Burma and India, and ultimately to the United Kingdom where she raised a family and became an activist in the 1970s, her story captures the struggles and triumphs of adapting to new cultures and building communities across boundaries in unfamiliar lands.
Anchored in the universal themes of love, belonging and identity, this film is a celebration of the human spirit and a tribute to the millions who rebuild their lives after fleeing hardship.
FILM: Echoes From The Kitchen – A Tale Of Comida & Cultura
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:10:58
DIRECTOR: Chef Eddie Garza
WRITER: Chef Eddie Garza
PRODUCER: Eddie Garza, Jasmin Espada
CAST: Eddie Garza
SYNOPSIS: World renowned Plant Based Chef Eddie Garza takes us on his fantastic culinary journey.
FILM: Endless Exile
YEAR:
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:21:14
DIRECTOR: Mano Baghjajian
SYNOPSIS: Two Armenian women on opposite sides of the world tell their family stories to bring to light the past and present persecution of the Armenian people.
FILM: Le Paradis Est La
COUNTRY: Morocco
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:12:38
DIRECTOR: Arnaud Serval, Aristide Ndah, Oussama Zidane, Youssef Boumbarek
WRITER: Arnaud Serval
SYNOPSIS: French Born Arnaud Serval, one of the greatest artists and art collectors of our time explains his artistic process and how he became an intricate part of the Australian Aboriginal Artists family.
FILM: Rabota
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Israel
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:15:40
DIRECTOR: Irit Rarasula
PRODUCER:
CAST: Daniel Tarasula
SYNOPSIS: The film follows Daniel – a performer in her parents’ family circus business in Israel most southern city – Eilat and a student of classical singing at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. Daniel is on the verge of entering her adult life and is torn between loyalty to her parents who wish her to continue the unique family heritage and between her personal desires that go beyond the boundaries of the southern city.
FILM: Restoring The Past
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:18:00
DIRECTOR: Nairi Bandari
SYNOPSIS: This documentary explores over 40 years of expertise in the field of art restoration and
conservation, focusing on the methods, principles, and ethical standards that govern the practice.
It highlights a unique approach to restoration, where minimal intervention is employed to honor
the original intent of the artist. Through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, viewers gain
an understanding of the meticulous techniques and philosophy behind preserving priceless works
of art.
FILM: The Intimate Melodies Of Anatolia – Miasi
“Together”
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: France
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:40:00
DIRECTOR: Armen Ghazarian
WRITER:
PRODUCER: YERKIR EUROPE NGO YERKIR EUROPE NGO
SYNOPSIS: MiASiN– “Together” in Armenian, is an all-female band made of five French, Armenian and Turkish musicians singing in their mother tongues. about personal and social themes.
Bringing together an Armenian duduk, an electric violin, a saz, and synthesizers, this eclectic artistic world mixes traditional flavors from Anatolia into fusion, jazz, or electro music.
In the summer of 2023, the five women musicians traveled across Anatolia from Armenia.
They used music as a medium of artistic dialogue to explore and draw inspiration from Anatolian cultures – Armenian, Laz, Zaza, Kurdish, Hamshen–
–peoples who struggle to exist, to maintain their cultures, their languages, and their music alive.
FILM: Whatever Dreams They Had
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 00:26:30
DIRECTOR: Stephanie Ayanian, Joseph Myers
WRITER: Mary McDermott
PRODUCER: Stephanie Ayanian
SYNOPSIS: Immigrants and refugees escaping the atrocities in Syria often arrive in America with no support and little knowledge of how to navigate the complex systems in a foreign, English-speaking country. A tiny fraction in Los Angeles are lucky enough to meet an Armenian-Catholic priest named Father Armenag. An immigrant himself, he is troubled by memories of the family members he lost to ISIS, and quietly carries his grief as he tirelessly works to aid new arrivals and secure their lives in America.
FILM: My Last Best Friend
YEAR: 2023
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:45:48
DIRECTOR: Filippo M. Prandi
WRITER: Filippo M. Prandi
PRODUCER: Eric Roberts
CAST: Eric Roberts, Rico Simonini, Carol Alt, Brian Byus, Adrienne Lauren, Christopher Romero Wilson
SYNOPSIS: NYC. March 2020. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, two men, both named Walter Stoyanov, watch their lives unravel as one of them falls ill and the other one is being investigated by FBI Agent John McCallany.
Get ready to strike a pose! 📸✨ The red carpet at the Film Festival is the perfect place to capture those unforgettable moments. So, bring your smiles, your glamour, and your best angles, because we want to see you shine!
Let’s celebrate film, fashion, and fun – and make some amazing memories together. Don’t forget to share your fabulous photos with us using #ArpaFilmFestRedCarpet! 🎬🌟
Here’s to a night of glitz, glamour, and gorgeous pictures!
FILM: The Reverse Side Of The Medal
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Armenia
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:37:30
DIRECTOR: Anna Harutyunyan
WRITER: Anna Harutyunyan
PRODUCER: Anna Harutyunyan
CAST: Anna Maxim
SYNOPSIS: “The reverse side of the medal” is a sports drama that chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Nazik Avdalyan, a world champion and two-time European champion.
After suffering a severe injury in a car accident, Nazik was forced to step away from competitive sports for seven years. Despite facing immense skepticism and enduring excruciating pain, she made a remarkable comeback, reclaiming her title as a two-time European champion. Her story is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering determination that makes the impossible achievable.
FILM: Dashing Through the Snow
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:35:00
DIRECTOR: Prince Bagdasasrian
WRITER: Stephen Chrabaszcz
PRODUCER: Sasha Yelaun, James Di Giacomo, Prince Bagdasarian, Hunter Ives
CAST: David Koechner, Isaiah Washington, Scottie Thompson, Gillian White, Hunter Ives, James Di Giacomo, Natalie Burn, Rich Paul, Kyle Stefanski, Nick Antonyan
SYNOPSIS: A US Marshal gets stuck on Christmas Eve protecting a pregnant fugitive from a bounty hunter and a hitman Santa with his henchmen of elves.
FILM: Accomplices
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Serbia
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:47:00
DIRECTOR: Marko Novakovic
WRITER: Ognjen Obradovic
PRODUCER: Lazar Ristovski, Jovan Ristovski, Ivan Maloca, Robert Naskov
CAST: Nevena Nerandzic, Radovan Vujovic, Milica Janevski, Zlatan Vidovic, Anica Dobra, Danica Ristovski
SYNOPSIS: After a car accident, Sofia and Branko’s idyllic life unravels. As they struggle to cope with the aftermath, their conscience haunts them, transforming their relationship and leading to a series of unexpected events.
FILM: 9.1.6
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Armenia
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:13:17
DIRECTOR: Hrachya Zakaryan
WRITER: Hrachya Zakaryan
PRODUCER: Karine Simonyan, Hrachya Zakaryan
CAST: David Babayan
SYNOPSIS: The film 9.1.6. is about indifference to other people’s pain and non-involvement of a person who has comfort, safety and a warm corner.
The hero of the film lives in a semi-basement floor inside his comfort zone. He gets his food on time every day,
listens to the music he likes, and has his own entertainment. He has no interest in anything that happens in the
outside world, not even the misfortune that occurred before his eyes. And this unconcern lasts as long as nothing threatens his quiet life. But when his quiet life is jeopardized…
FILM: Curcumin
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: South Korea
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:17:58
DIRECTOR: Jusang Park
WRITER: Jusang Park
PRODUCER: Jusang Park, Nyunho Song
CAST: Min-ae Oh, Hosook Na, Seung Yoon Lee
SYNOPSIS: Ji-sook, a middle-aged woman living with her elderly mother, fears she will one day develop the hereditary illness passed down through the maternal line. One day, after seeing a TV program claiming curry helps with the condition, she makes it for dinner.
FILM: Doubts At The Door
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Mexico
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:12:20
DIRECTOR: Alejandra Vidal
WRITER: Alejandra Vidal, Ignacia Allamand
PRODUCER: Rodrigo Trujillo, Rodrigo Bello
CAST: Barbara Lopez, Erik Hayser
SYNOPSIS: Ana seems to have it all: a loving husband, an adorable child, and a seemingly perfect life on social media. But behind that façade, she is struggling with inner chaos. Between anxiety, silence, and distant stares, she makes a decision that will change her path. What appears to be a simple meeting with a mysterious man leads her to an unexpected destination: an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Faced with the truth she has been avoiding, Ana finally dares to say the words that could mark the beginning of her redemption: “Hi, I’m Ana, and I’m an alcoholic.”
FILM: Nemesis
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Turkey
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:27:36
DIRECTOR: Zin Ataş
WRITER: Anton
PRODUCER: Zin Ataş, Anton
CAST: Charles CarrolL, Deniz Ekinci, Anton
SYNOPSIS: In a remote North Carolina monastery, Father Thomas, a retiring priest obsessed with recent Byzantine discoveries in Istanbul, summons Adriel, a scarred young priest from Istanbul, to translate government letters. Grace, Thomas’s curious daughter, grows intrigued by Adriel. Drawn together by a philosophical game of perfection, they explore ideals of flawlessness, uncovering hidden talents and a deep spiritual love that unites their imperfect souls.
FILM: The Circus Lion
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Australia
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:20:00
DIRECTOR: Tigran Tovmasian
WRITER: Tigran Tovmasian
PRODUCER: Tigran Tovmasian, Daniel Havas, Billy Milionis
CAST: Tigran Tovmasian, Kelsey Jeanell, Frances Duca, Panda Likoudis
SYNOPSIS: A young wrestler’s only way out of his dead-end town—and the trauma tied to it—is to fight his way onto the Australian team. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, his fight to escape turns inward, trapping him alongside the very trauma he cannot outrun.
FILM: Shakkar
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:37:38
DIRECTOR: Nasim Kiani
WRITER: Nasim Kiani, Mariam Vardanyan
PRODUCER: Nasim Kiani, Mariam Vardanyan
CAST: Mariam Vardanyan
SYNOPSIS: Shakkar is the story of a woman who steps in to protect Ara, a little boy, from harm when she learns that his uncle, Osvald, is endangering him.
Get ready to strike a pose! 📸✨ The red carpet at the Film Festival is the perfect place to capture those unforgettable moments. So, bring your smiles, your glamour, and your best angles, because we want to see you shine!
Let’s celebrate film, fashion, and fun – and make some amazing memories together. Don’t forget to share your fabulous photos with us using #ArpaFilmFestRedCarpet! 🎬🌟
Here’s to a night of glitz, glamour, and gorgeous pictures!
FILM: A Winter’s Song
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:25:00
DIRECTOR: Angela Asatrian
WRITER: Angela Asatrian
PRODUCER: Angela Asatrian, Edgar Damatian, Yvette Amirian, Annie Dashtoyan, Mko Malkhasyan
CAST: Krista Marina, Edgar Damatian, Jessie Bedrossian, Judah McFadden, Kev Orkian, Lily Vardan
SYNOPSIS: A struggling musician takes a leap of faith and travels to Armenia for the first time, hoping to reignite her passion. But as she’s swept up in its rich culture, music, and traditions, she finds herself on an unexpected journey—one that will challenge her heart, redefine her dreams, and change her life forever.
FILM: From Within
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: Argentina
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:21:04
DIRECTOR: Matias Xavier Rispau
WRITER: Nicanor Loreti
PRODUCER: Magui Bravi, Matias Desiderio, Nicolas Capelli, Frank Jaime, Alvaro Arostegui
CAST: Magui Bravi, Alejandro Fiore, German Baudino, Matias Desiderio
SYNOPSIS: Sofia is an ex-professional runner who ends up working as a mule for a drug cartel. When she and her best friend are ambushed by two corrupt cops who want to kill them and take the drugs, hell will break lose when they find out what they were carrying is not of this world. Now it’s up to Doc, a cartel sicario and Sofia’s lover, to save their lives.
FILM: A Suitcase To Home
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Armenia/Armenia
CATEGORY: FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARIES
RUNNING TIME: 01:26:53
DIRECTOR: Yelena Arshakyan
WRITER: Anahit Mkhitaryan
PRODUCER: Andrew Simonian
SYNOPSIS: Artsakh is situated in Azerbaijan proper, about 170 miles west of Baku, her capitol. Territorial rights to Artsakh have been in dispute since the end of the First World War. In September 2023, faced with threats of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan, and struggling amid a nine-month long blockade, more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians, representing 99% of the remaining population of Artsakh, were expelled from Artsakh. This film is their story.
FILM: How To Survive Hollywood
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: Netherlands/Netherlands
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 01:20:00
DIRECTOR: Paul Ruven
WRITER: Paul Ruven
PRODUCER: Paul Ruven, Margot Barel, Marian Batavier
CAST: Monica Keena, Martin Copping
SYNOPSIS: On her way to a Hollywood dream breakthrough with a $100 million Babygirl 2 pitch, an actress becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of her true love. How To Survive Hollywood is a playful and thrilling road movie about daring to keep dreaming and believing in yourself.
FILM: Excellency
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: /Portugal
CATEGORY: FEATURE NARRATIVE FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:57:04
DIRECTOR: Ricardo Pugschitz de Oliveira
WRITER: Eduarda Laia
PRODUCER: José Carlos Oliveira
CAST: Ana Varela, Lucinda Loureiro
SYNOPSIS: Maria do Carmo always accompanied and cherished her son. And in her husband she believed she had an accomplice who welcomed her response to the growing demands of her success in the business area of Advertising and Communication as vital. Or perhaps not, when we begin to realize that reality is moving away from what she imagined, from the moment Maria do Carmo is unexpectedly and threateningly compelled to appear immediately at the Services of the Logical Surveillance Center. Neither the summons nor the Services afterwards provide any enlightenment, leaving her to wait her turn, which is not yet known when. Even more so when she realizes that others, like her, have been there, after all, for years, without anyone understanding exactly why, much less anticipating when their problems will be solved. But her nature, and the professional responsibilities thus seriously compromised, demand her to protest; and action, even if beyond the advisable limits – which penalizes her even more before the System.
But it turns out to be chance, brought about by the risk of losing hers hard-won professional position, that offers her what, as a last and unexpected resource, appears to be a solution. Even if it is risky. But the System, will never explain itself.
FILM: Anachronism
YEAR: 2025
COUNTRY: United States/United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:12:55
DIRECTOR: Nick Talarico
WRITER: Nick Talarico, Sofia Ribeiro
PRODUCER: Sofia Ribeiro
CAST: Ryan Hennessy, Anton Nassif, Nevada Grey, Sophia Delphi
SYNOPSIS: On the brink of perfecting his latest creation, a young inventor is visited by his future self. Via his time-traveling watch, his older self urges him to leave his relationship as it will lead to his personal and professional demise.
FILM: Seed By The Lethe
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: China
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:26:14
DIRECTOR: Leon Sunton
WRITER: Leon Sunton
PRODUCER: Leon Sunton, Chen Wang
CAST: Haoyu Wang, Kun Xu
SYNOPSIS: Tsui Feng, a reserved high school student, has just received his college admission results. Confronted with his father who holds high expectations for him, he resorts to lies to bring long-lost peace and joy to his family. However, lies only lead to more lies—and ultimately, tragedy.
FILM: The Haze
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:23:57
DIRECTOR: Craig Deering
WRITER: Craig Deering
PRODUCER: Craig Deering, Callie Deering, Adam Kling, Cindy Wolfe, Morgan Hermana
CAST: Callie Deering, Ryan Mulkay, Maurice Demus, Morgan Hermana, Monnie Aleahmad, Chris Marroy, Kellie Jane Walters
SYNOPSIS: 1891 – The world is dead, a wasteland covered in a haze that turns all life into the undead until a potential cure is found by a group of exiled criminals.
FILM: The World Is Ours (Her Story)
YEAR: 2024
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:15:30
DIRECTOR: Areg Azatyan
WRITER: Areg Azatyan
PRODUCER: Efuru Flowers, Shoga Tadevosyan, Areg Azatyan
CAST: Anais Lilit, Alex Michell, Vahe Bejan, Sevak Hakoyan, Armine Poghosyan, Tagui Hakobyan, Mikayel Azatyan, Gemma Dadourian, Narek Nersisyan
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by a true story, Lusine, an Armenian teenager from a conservative family in Los Angeles, faces a life-altering choice when she gets pregnant by her African-American boyfriend.
FILM: Why Dogs Howl
YEAR: 2023
COUNTRY: United States
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:04:51
DIRECTOR: Sandi Johnson
WRITER: Gary Teitelbaum
PRODUCER: Gary Teitelbaum
CAST: Gary Teitelbaum, Hayley O’Connor
SYNOPSIS: After meeting online, a BOY and GIRL are out on their first date. It rapidly devolves into the BOY vomiting out his life in a Howl that ultimately encompasses the entire universe.
FILM: Money 金莫 Monet
COUNTRY: France
CATEGORY: SHORT FILM
RUNNING TIME: 00:03:30
DIRECTOR: Stéphane Galienni
WRITER: Stéphane Galienni
PRODUCER: Stéphane Galienn
SYNOPSIS: An AI short film inspired by the record sale of a painting from the series “Les meules” (1890, Claude Monet) in 2019 for $110.7 million. The film unfolds in three acts: first in 1890, when artist Claude Monet stubbornly paints his series of paintings “The Haystacks” while penniless. Next, the auction where prices soar on a sale that concludes at over $110 million in just eight minutes. Finally, we discover Miya Zaki, heiress to Japan’s greatest collector, who wins the auction in tribute to her late father. Wheat is omnipresent, a symbol of agricultural humility, prosperity, and abundance, but also of cultural transmission, beyond the speculation of the art market. It bridges the gap between French Impressionism and Japanese culture, so dear to Claude Monet, a great collector of prints by the masters Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Hiroshige.
Get ready to strike a pose! 📸✨ The red carpet at the Film Festival is the perfect place to capture those unforgettable moments. So, bring your smiles, your glamour, and your best angles, because we want to see you shine!
Let’s celebrate film, fashion, and fun – and make some amazing memories together. Don’t forget to share your fabulous photos with us using #ArpaFilmFestRedCarpet! 🎬🌟
Here’s to a night of glitz, glamour, and gorgeous pictures!
Lights, Camera, Awards! 🏆🎬
Join us for the highly anticipated Film Festival Awards Ceremony, where we celebrate the incredible creative efforts of our talented filmmakers! It’s a night dedicated to recognizing excellence, honoring the best in cinema, and acknowledging the passion and hard work that goes into every frame.
Get ready to witness history as we present awards to deserving artists, creators, and storytellers. Plus, you’ll have the chance to see your favorite celebrities, along with the brilliant cast and crew, as they walk the red carpet and gather to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Don’t miss out on an evening of glamour, inspiration, and unforgettable moments!