WATERTOWN, MA — The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA ER) announced the launching of the “ANCA Take A Friend To Ararat” campaign to raise public awareness about the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

The film “Ararat,” written, directed, and produced by Oscar nominated Canadian film director/writer Atom Egoyan deals with the topic of the Armenian Genocide with Egoyan’s unique film-within-a-film approach. The movie focuses on the issue of the current denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government. Following last week’s special pre-screening of the movie “Ararat” at the Library of Congress, the ANCA reported the launching of a national grassroots campaign, encouraging Armenian Americans not only to see “Ararat” but also to take a friend along when it opens in Los Angeles and New York theaters on November 15th and nationwide soon after.

“We hope that this campaign will encourage Armenian Americans, beginning in New York and Los Angeles, to spread the word and create awareness about this important movie,” stated Sharistan Ardhaldjian, chairperson of the ANCA ER. “‘Ararat’ has the potential to make a tremendous impact on the general public by educating hundreds of thousands of movie-goers about the Armenian Genocide and its aftermath, including the continued denial by the Turkish government,” concluded Ardhaldjian.

“Ararat” is a movie that explores how Armenians have dealt with the after effects of the Genocide and its denial. The movie is a tapestry of various stories, each unique yet tied together by the unifying element of the tragedy of the genocide. The story-within-a-story approach deals directly with Turkish denial and aims to educate its audience about the complexity of emotions that Armenians have had to deal with as a result.

The ANCA Western Region will honor Egoyan for “Ararat” with the prestigious ANCA Freedom Award, which will be presented at the ANCA-WR Annual banquet later this month. The Freedom Award honors individuals or groups that have contributed significantly to the Armenian Cause by raising public awareness of Armenian issues.

Additional information about the “Take A Friend To ‘Ararat'” Campaign is available on the ANCA website at www.anca.org.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

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