The CineCulture Series and the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno, are sponsoring a special evening, “Celluloid Exiles: A Brief History of the Armenian Genocide and Diaspora on Film” on Friday, March 27, Massis Post reported.

Director Eric Nazarian will give a historical overview of cinema, the genesis of Aurora Mardiganian’s Ravished Armenia, the first film produced in Hollywood about the Genocide, and later productions of the 20th century depicting the Genocide and/or the Armenian experience of exile including the work of Elia Kazan (America, America), Atom Egoyan (Ararat) and Henry Verneuil (Mayrig).

Eric Nazarian was born in Armenia and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television. The Blue Hour, his first feature film as writer-director, is composed of four stories about working-class lives near the Los Angeles River. 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 had its U.S. Premiere at the 10th AFFMA International Film Festival where Nazarian was presented with the Best Director award.