Festival Guests & Filmmaker Q&A's
TAMARA STEPANYAN
Tamara will attend a Q&A in Sydney for her film In the Land of Arto.
Tamara Stepanyan is an Armenian filmmaker whose passion for cinema began at an early age, despite growing up in an environment where filmmaking was rarely seen as a path for women. She studied filmmaking at the Lebanese American University before continuing her documentary training at the National Film School of Denmark in Copenhagen. Based in France for the past 14 years, she has built an acclaimed body of work spanning documentary and fiction. Her films have received numerous international honours, including awards at the Busan International Film Festival, Boston Film Festival, Amiens International Film Festival, and the prestigious Étoile de la Scam. Today, she is recognised as one of the distinctive voices of contemporary Armenian cinema.
In the Land of Arto is her debut feature film.
INNA SAHAKYAN
One of Armenia’s leading documentary filmmakers and producers, renowned for bringing overlooked stories to international audiences through powerful, human-centred storytelling. Over a career spanning more than 15 years, she has directed acclaimed documentaries including The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia (2010), Mel (2021), and the award-winning animated documentary Aurora’s Sunrise (2022). Through her work, Sahakyan explores memory, identity, resilience, and cultural heritage, often uncovering forgotten stories with sensitivity and originality. Her films have screened at major international festivals and earned widespread recognition, establishing her as a distinctive voice in contemporary Armenian cinema.
Inna Sahakyan is in Sydney for Q&A at the screening of Outliving Shakespeare, and Aurora’s Sunrise.
ARMEN KARAOGHLANIAN
Armen Karaoghlanian is the Founder and CEO of Armenian Film Society, a creative and cultural platform connecting filmmakers and audiences while expanding the visibility and reach of Armenian cinema and filmmakers internationally. Armenian Film Society produces year-round programming, screenings, premieres, panels, and film festivals in Los Angeles and London. Armenian Film Society has partnered with organisations such as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, American Cinematheque, and Vidiots, and has welcomed filmmakers including Sean Baker, Ryan Coogler, Atom Egoyan, Jafar Panahi, and Sev Ohanian.
Armen will be in Sydney for the AFFA Film & Screen Lab and the launch of the AFFA Film & Screen Network, presented in partnership with the Armenian Film Society. He will also serve as a Festival Jury member and Q&A moderator.
KRISTA MARINA
Krista Marina is an alternative pop, R&B singer-songwriter and producer of Armenian heritage, whose music displays jazz, blues and occasional hints of Middle Eastern and Armenian soul she grew up with, crafting a sound that is familiar yet fresh. Undeniably soulful, her dynamic sound blends modern production with tradition, setting her apart from other artists. A Winter’s Song (2025) marks her first major on-screen acting credit and feature film role, as the lead actress in the first English language romantic comedy shot on location in Armenia.
Krista Marina will be in attendance in Sydney, for Q&A at the screening of A Winter’s Song and will perform live at the Cinema & Soul event.
HASMIG DER TATEOSSIAN
Hasmig Der Tateossian is an Australian-Armenian filmmaker, media producer, and digital marketing professional. She holds a Bachelor of Media and Communications, majoring in Screen Practice and Production, from Macquarie University, and a Diploma of 3D Animation from SAE Creative Media Institute. Passionate about documentary filmmaking and visual storytelling, her work explores themes of faith, identity, and the Armenian experience. Her debut documentary, In Search of Light (2026), follows the personal faith journeys of individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting on the role of belief, hope, and spirituality in their lives.
Hasmig will be in Sydney for her film In Search of Light.
SHAHEN MEKERTICHIAN
Shahen will attend a Q&A in Sydney for his film Lion.
Shahen Mekertichian is an Australian investor, entrepreneur and film producer with a background in finance and investment banking spanning more than four decades. As the founder of Liquid Capital Management, he has built a career in corporate advisory, structured finance and investment. Through his company, Sunstar Entertainment, he has also invested in and helped bring a number of film projects to screen. Shahen served as Executive Producer of the Academy Award-nominated film Lion and the Netflix feature True Spirit. His passion for storytelling and supporting ambitious screen projects has made him a respected contributor to the Australian film industry.
TIGRAN TOVMASIAN
Tigran will attend a Q&A in Sydney for his short film A Circus Lion.
Tigran Tovmasian is a filmmaker and actor based in Western Sydney. He began his career as an actor, training and working across Australia, the US and Europe. With no formal film school background, he stepped behind the camera driven by a desire to tell personal, emotionally grounded stories. He made his directorial debut with The Circus Lion, a drama exploring themes of identity, depression, and belonging. Alongside his work in film, Tigran also teaches acting in Sydney, Australia.
ALAN SARKISSIAN
Alan Sarkissian is an Australian documentary and video producer and founder of Storyfirst Films. His debut documentary, Mumma Bear Cushman, grew from family stories passed down through generations of Armenian Genocide survivors. Inspired by those memories, he set out to uncover the remarkable story of Emma Cushman, an American nurse who cared for orphaned Armenian children. Alan developed the Storyfelt Arc storytelling methodology to bring real historical figures to audiences with the emotional immediacy of narrative film.
Alan will be in attendance in Sydney, for Q&A at the screening of his film Mumma Bear Cushman.
SHAHANE BEKARIAN
Shahane will attend a Q&A in Sydney for his short film Raznik’s Hunger.
Shahane Bekarian is a video editor and director with over 20 years’ experience across film, television, and digital media. His work explores themes of identity, cultural inheritance, psychological states, and collective behaviour.
Currently an Editor at the ABC, Shahane has also worked with Seven Network, SBS, and independent production companies. His credits include the short films We Eat Our Young (Sydney Underground Film Festival 2025), Raznik’s Hunger and The Blind Passenger, the documentary I Drive The Hearse, and the ABC Compass documentary Echoes of My Ancestors (Children of a Genocide).
