GLENDALE—Actress and activist Arsinée Khanjian will be part of the “Film & Arts” panel at ANCA Grassroots, with her presentation scheduled for Friday November 29 at 6 p.m., organizers announced over the weekend.

Khanjian will join an impressive roster of filmmakers, musicians, artists and authors who will discuss advancing the Armenian Cause through film and the arts.

“We are ecstatic that Ms. Khanjian will be a part of this important panel at ANCA Grassroots,” said Ara Khachatourian, chairman of this year’s event committee.

“Her decades of activism through the arts will bring much perspective to the discussion and, with the other prominent artists on the panel, will ensure that this year’s event will kick off on the right foot,” added Khachatourian.

The ANCA Grassroots conference will take place from November 29 to December 1 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel and will bring together artists, academicians, legal experts and activists from throughout the world to discuss pertinent issues relating to the Armenian Cause and will provide practical tools to the participants for advancing the Armenian Cause.

Genie and Gemini Award-winning actor Arsinée Khanjian has worked with distinguished Canadian and international filmmakers, including Ken Finkleman and Atom Egoyan, as well as Michael Haneke (CODE INCONNU), Catherine Breillat (FAT GIRL), Olivier Assayas (LATE AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER), The Taviani Brothers (THE LARK FARM), and Gerald Hustache-Mathieu in POUPOUPIDOU. Khanjian has just recently completed ATLIT, a film by Shirel Amitay, produced by En compagnie des lamas (France).

She was co-producer of the acclaimed feature film CALENDAR, as well as artistic collaborator on the documentary STONE TIME TOUCH. Khanjian has also acted extensively in theatre in both Canada and Europe, and was nominated for a Dora Award for Judith Thompson’s PALACE OF THE END. She played the title role in ANDROMACHE as part of the Luminato Festival in Toronto, June, 2011. Early 2012, Khanjian starred in Martin Crimp’s CRUEL AND TENDER for Canadian Stage.

She was a member of the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury at the 2012 Cannes International Film Festival.

Khanjian received the 2005 Crystal Award for Creative Excellence from Women in Film and Television. In a poll conducted by SLATE Magazine, which analyzed review scores from the influential ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ film website – Khanjian was voted Best Actress, according to international critical response to her body of work.

In 2012, she returned from a three-city tour (Berlin, Istanbul, and Yerevan) with Turkish Human Rights activist Fethiye Cetin in a provocative series of historic and political conversations surrounding the Armenian Genocide for Civilitas. In March of this year, Khanjian joined the cast of THE CUT, an upcoming film by Fatih Akin.

During the ANCA Grassroots ‘Film and Arts’ panel Khanjian will be joined by Los Angeles-based music producer Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker Bared Maronian, famed artist and comedian Vahe Berberian, filmmakers Edwin Avaness and Serj Minassians and acclaimed author Micheline Aharonian Marcom. Award-winning playwright and theater critic Aram Kouyoumdjian will moderate the panel.

The conference is open to the community, but requires registration. Register now by visiting itsmyseat.com /ANCAWR or by calling 818.500.1918. To obtain updates on the conference, like the ANCA Western Region Facebook page at Facebook.com/ANCAWesternRegion or visit ancawr.org.

The ANCA Grassroots Conference will bookend the annual ANCA Gala Banquet, which will take place on Saturday, November 30 at the Roy Dolby Ballroom and will feature a special menu created for the banquet by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck.

This year’s honorees include, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Primate of Artsakh Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan, Legendary Coach Jerry Tarkanian, Lifelong Philanthropist Manas Boujikian, Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian, and Activist and Filmmaker Ara Soudjian.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.