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KEN DAVITIAN TRAVELS: ARTISTS FOR PEACE, TRIP TO ARMENIA WITH HOLLYWOOD FILM PARTNERS
Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Ken Davitian's project with Artists for Peace about racism in soccer
BY ELISE KALFAYAN
Ken Davitian, a prolific Hollywood actor with roles in many popular
TV shows and award-winning films, is in Belgium the last week of
June to complete an Artists for Peace video, then heads to Armenia
to explore film projects.
In Belgium, Davitian is performing in "The Final Game," an original
video project / collaboration of FMS Media and Artists for Peace. "The
idea was given to us by Flora Martirosyan, the Armenian opera star,
who sang at the Gibson Amphitheatre back in 2011 in an Artists for
Peace concert," said Davitian. "I was the MC at that concert. Now,
Artists for Peace is producing a video against racism, in honor of
Flora and her son. It draws attention to racism experienced by soccer
players around the world. It will be released on YouTube this July
6 to coincide with the championship game of the World Cup."
After the video shoot, Davitian heads to Armenia with his producing
partner Arsen Bagdasaryan from Hollywood Film Partners to scout
locations for their green-lit motion picture "Cloud Band." The script
was written by Orange County attorney Leo Alexander and based on
his family's true story of losing and trying to recover a family
heirloom carpet stolen by the Turks. "It's a romantic comedy, based
on a true story, and it mixes in the story of the genocide along the
way," said Davitian. "A carpet woven to celebrate the merging of two
families in a marriage was stolen, and surfaces 100 years later. The
great-grandson of genocide survivors tries to recover it, encounters
resistance for the carpet's Turkish owner, but meets an Armenian girl
during his travels and falls in love. The script has been acquired
and developed, and we are now working out logistics, including whether
we can shoot exterior locations or the whole film in Armenia."
"Orphans of the Genocide," a major PBS documentary which featured the
work of Armenian orphans producing hand-made rugs, including the one
given to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, was promoted and supported
by Davitian, and he cites the work as an inspiration for his current
project. "There's a lot of discussion about the genocide in 'Cloud
Band,'" said Davitian. "The owner of the carpet won't sell it to
its original owners' descendant because he doesn't want to admit the
facts of the genocide. The movie's aim is to show the parties should
be talking to each other."
Davitian will arrive one week ahead of Yerevan's Golden Apricot Film
Festival, set for mid-July. He has plans to do a few classes there
for film students, directors and producers. His goal is to introduce
the Hollywood film industry to Armenia, and to open the doors for
collaboration. "Along with preliminary location scouting, we want to
see if there is government support for projects like "Cloud Band,"
and other projects as well. We are prepared to do at least three
major projects, all of which are close to development."
Hollywood Film Partners has also developed a business plan and is
talking to investors about building a major film studio in Armenia that
would start by producing two films per year, then build out to eight,
along with an accompanying theme park that would attract tourists
and employ many locals. "There are all kinds of products available to
buy now in Armenia. What the country needs is to put people to work,
and give them a sense of hope," emphasizes Davitian.
"This is show business - movies wouldn't be made if they didn't make
money. Such projects in Armenia are an investment opportunity for
people who have the money!"
The Golden Apricot Film Festival has gained fame and popularity in
recent years and will help Davitian and his partners determine the
potential for international and cross-cultural alliance. Davitian
hopes to bring his passion for his craft to the country and serve as
Armenia's ambassador to Hollywood. "With the 100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide upon us, now more than ever it is important that
we tell our history. The ability of feature film-making allows us to
bring several components together in depicting the tragic events that
led to the massacre of over 1.5 million Armenians."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/06/27/hollywood-film-partners-travel-to-armenia-to-scout-locations-for-a-new-film/
Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Ken Davitian's project with Artists for Peace about racism in soccer
BY ELISE KALFAYAN
Ken Davitian, a prolific Hollywood actor with roles in many popular
TV shows and award-winning films, is in Belgium the last week of
June to complete an Artists for Peace video, then heads to Armenia
to explore film projects.
In Belgium, Davitian is performing in "The Final Game," an original
video project / collaboration of FMS Media and Artists for Peace. "The
idea was given to us by Flora Martirosyan, the Armenian opera star,
who sang at the Gibson Amphitheatre back in 2011 in an Artists for
Peace concert," said Davitian. "I was the MC at that concert. Now,
Artists for Peace is producing a video against racism, in honor of
Flora and her son. It draws attention to racism experienced by soccer
players around the world. It will be released on YouTube this July
6 to coincide with the championship game of the World Cup."
After the video shoot, Davitian heads to Armenia with his producing
partner Arsen Bagdasaryan from Hollywood Film Partners to scout
locations for their green-lit motion picture "Cloud Band." The script
was written by Orange County attorney Leo Alexander and based on
his family's true story of losing and trying to recover a family
heirloom carpet stolen by the Turks. "It's a romantic comedy, based
on a true story, and it mixes in the story of the genocide along the
way," said Davitian. "A carpet woven to celebrate the merging of two
families in a marriage was stolen, and surfaces 100 years later. The
great-grandson of genocide survivors tries to recover it, encounters
resistance for the carpet's Turkish owner, but meets an Armenian girl
during his travels and falls in love. The script has been acquired
and developed, and we are now working out logistics, including whether
we can shoot exterior locations or the whole film in Armenia."
"Orphans of the Genocide," a major PBS documentary which featured the
work of Armenian orphans producing hand-made rugs, including the one
given to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, was promoted and supported
by Davitian, and he cites the work as an inspiration for his current
project. "There's a lot of discussion about the genocide in 'Cloud
Band,'" said Davitian. "The owner of the carpet won't sell it to
its original owners' descendant because he doesn't want to admit the
facts of the genocide. The movie's aim is to show the parties should
be talking to each other."
Davitian will arrive one week ahead of Yerevan's Golden Apricot Film
Festival, set for mid-July. He has plans to do a few classes there
for film students, directors and producers. His goal is to introduce
the Hollywood film industry to Armenia, and to open the doors for
collaboration. "Along with preliminary location scouting, we want to
see if there is government support for projects like "Cloud Band,"
and other projects as well. We are prepared to do at least three
major projects, all of which are close to development."
Hollywood Film Partners has also developed a business plan and is
talking to investors about building a major film studio in Armenia that
would start by producing two films per year, then build out to eight,
along with an accompanying theme park that would attract tourists
and employ many locals. "There are all kinds of products available to
buy now in Armenia. What the country needs is to put people to work,
and give them a sense of hope," emphasizes Davitian.
"This is show business - movies wouldn't be made if they didn't make
money. Such projects in Armenia are an investment opportunity for
people who have the money!"
The Golden Apricot Film Festival has gained fame and popularity in
recent years and will help Davitian and his partners determine the
potential for international and cross-cultural alliance. Davitian
hopes to bring his passion for his craft to the country and serve as
Armenia's ambassador to Hollywood. "With the 100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide upon us, now more than ever it is important that
we tell our history. The ability of feature film-making allows us to
bring several components together in depicting the tragic events that
led to the massacre of over 1.5 million Armenians."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/06/27/hollywood-film-partners-travel-to-armenia-to-scout-locations-for-a-new-film/