Serj Tankian Attached as Executive Producer; Arman Nshanian Among Producers
North American rights to the post-World War II drama “Amerikatsi,” written and directed, and starring, Michael A. Georgian, were acquired by the independent film distributor Variance Films, Deadline reported.
Shot in Armenia by People of Ar Productions, Amerikatsi centers on Charlie (Goorjian), who returns to the country in 1948 — decades after fleeing to the U.S. as a child, due to persecution by the Ottoman Empire. What he finds in doing so is a country crushed under Soviet rule. And after being unjustly imprisoned, Charlie falls into despair, until he discovers that he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window — the home of a prison guard. As his life unexpectedly becomes entwined with the man’s, he begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive in its passionate people.
The story is a personal one for Goorjian, the Emmy-winning actor known for “Party of Five,” “SLC Punk!” and his directorial debut “Illusion,” whose own grandparents fled the Armenian Genocide.
He produced the film alongside R. Patrick Malkassian, Arman Nshanian and Sol Tryon, with Hovik Keuchkerian, Nelli Uvarova, Mikhail Trukhin, Narine Girgoryan and Jean-Pierre Nshanian rounding out the cast. Vartan Barsoumian and Serj Tankian served as exec producers, with Amadeus Entertainment now on board to handle international sales.
“Back in the 90s, I was fortunate enough to work on a lot of great indie films which inspired me to start writing and directing my own projects,” Goorjian told Deadline. “It takes time to find your own voice, but with AMERIKATSI, I have done my best to make something true to myself and my Armenian heritage in the spirit of independent cinema.”
“What Michael has crafted here is a powerful, life-affirming, and crowd-pleasing experience, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences across the country through its initial release and into awards season,” Variance Films President Dylan Marchetti told Deadline.
