Pomegranate Film Festival Gears Up in Toronto

A scene from Autumn, directed by Özcan Alper

The fourth annual Pomegranate Film Festival, an event organized by the Toronto chapter of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society is set to take place in Toronto from Sept. 25 through Sept. 27, and will be featuring 27 films with a wide variety of subject matter and from a slew of countries, including Turkey, Norway, Russia, France and Armenia.

Included in the line up is “Autumn,” directed by Özcan Alper and winner of the 2009 Golden Apricot Film Festival Special Prize, tells the story of Yusuf, who has just been released from prison, as he tries to maneuver his way through life and the future, while making the most unlikely of friends in the process. “Bonded Parallels,” co-produced in Armenia, Norway and France and directed by Hovhannes Galstyan, was influenced by the true story of an Armenian soldier during World War II in Norway and Galstyan’s personal connection.

“Detached,” directed by Tianna Langham and Chris Bessounian, whose film “The Kolaborator” is also included in the festival,  follows mortgage broker Chadh Campbell in a modern day Scrooge-esque tale as he receives anonymous holiday greetings that force him to reevaluate his future and make amends for his past.

Some industry heavy hitters are also featured – “Tetro,”  set in Buenos Aires, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Vincent Gallo and produced by Anahid Nazarian -  follows one man’s search for his missing older brother and discovery of his play instead, which could hold the answer to understanding their mutual past.

The festival also highlights a bevy of short films, including ” Every Tree” by the Armenia Tree Project, “Hove (Wind),” “Ol’ Mexi,” “The Replacement Child” and Atom Egoyan’s “The Illuminator,” filmed during the 2009 Golden Apricot Film Festival in Yerevan.

Admission prices to the festival include $10 for individual tickets, $55 for a set of 6 tickets, $100 for a set of 12 tickets and $50 for the GALA, a Saturday evening movie and cocktail reception.

Watch out for upcoming reviews of a good portion of the films on ianyan. Catch the full lineup and a few trailers below:

Detached:

Prince of Broadway:

Tetro:

The Ghost:

• Autumn
• Bonded Parallels
• Chapter XI
• Detached
• Every Tree – Armenia Tree Project
• From Home to Home
• The Ghost
• Hove
• The Illuminator
• The Kolaborator
• Land of Our Grandparents
• Mars
• Modern Love
• Mother, Brother and I
• The Next Day
• Ol’ Mexi
• One Night Love
• The Prince of Broadway
• Proud Iza
• The Replacement Child
• Sexy Boys
• The Shower
• The Struggle for Freedom
• Tetro
• A World of Our Own
• Visa: Breakout the Violins
• Vova