“Amerikatsi,” Armenia’s official entry for the Academy Awards, has been shortlisted for consideration in the upcoming Oscars, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences announced on Thursday.
The film joins 13 others vying for a slot in the Best International Film category.
This the first instance that Armenia’s entry to the Academy Awards has been shortlisted. The nominations in all categories will be announced on January 23, with the awards ceremony taking place on March 10, airing live on ABC.
The film’s producer, Arman Nshanyan, expressed his confidence about the film’s ascent in the Oscar race in a conversation with News.am
“I felt that this film, with its universal story, could achieve such success. I was concerned about whether the film would catch the attention of the Oscars, but I never doubted the quality of the work done,” Nshanyan added.
“It’s a film with a universal message – we aimed to portray the importance of love and positivity. While addressing the injustices our nation faced, we did so in a subtle manner. The Oscars does not like to be politicized,” Nshanyan said.
The award-winning film, co-produced by and starring Michael Goorjian, which has been screened to sold-out audiences, is now coming home and is available on demand on the following platforms: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
“Amerikatsi” follows Charlie (Michael Goorjian) who returns to his homeland of Armenia in 1948, decades after fleeing to the U.S. as a child, due to persecution by the Ottoman Empire. After being unjustly imprisoned, he soon discovers he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window. As his life becomes entwined with the prison guard who lives there, Charlie begins to see that the spirit of his homeland is alive and well. Filled with warmth and humor, the film celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that unite us all.
Goorjian, whose own grandparents are survivors of the Armenian Genocide and fled the Ottoman Empire, is an Emmy Award-winning actor best known for his roles in “Party of Five” and “SLC Punk,” and for the film “Illusion,” in 2004, starring alongside Kirk Douglas which he wrote and directed. “Amerikatsi” premiered at the prestigious Golden Apricot Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia and has continued to find success across the globe at international film festivals. Most recently Goorjian was awarded Best Actor for his role as Charlie in “Amerikatsi” at the Salento International Film Festival.
“Amerikatsi” also stars Hovik Keuchkerian (“Money Heist”), Nelli Uvarova, Mikhail Trukhin, Narine Girgoryan, and Jean-Pierre Nshanian, and is produced by Goorjian, R. Patrick Malkassian, Arman Nshanian and Sol Tryon, with executive producers Vartan Barsoumian and Serj Tankian.
Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian on December 8 met with the filmmakers of “Amerikatsi” at Los Angeles City Hall and honored them for their efforts to advance Armenian film by telling unique stories that have universal appeal.
“This is an extraordinary film that I recommend, highly,” said Krekorian. “For all of us who come from immigrant communities, and understand the challenges of assimilation here in the United States, this is a film that will speak to you. For anybody, Armenian or not, who’s struggling with that feeling of being disconnected from your background, this is a film that will speak to you.”