Women Filmmakers Empowered and Thriving at Arpa International Film Festival

Valerie McCaffrey, an Armenian-American talent manager, casting director and producer from Fresno, produced “Here’s Yianni!,” which was screened on the opening night of the film festival. The film is about a Greek restaurant owner diagnosed with dementia who imagines himself as a late-night talk show host.

McCaffrey said, “My parents empowered me to follow my dream.”

McCaffrey’s mother was born in Lowell, Mass., grew up in New York, attended many Broadway shows, and sang in a choir. She met Valerie’s father in Fresno. McCaffrey said, “My Armenian father encouraged my sister and me to pursue our dreams. I always dreamed of being in the motion picture industry.”

On Sunday evening at the awards ceremony, her movie received awards for Best Director and Best Feature Film.

After the thought-provoking panel discussion, they screened “Women in Armenian Cinema,” a short documentary written and directed by Mariam Ohanyan. This documentary covered female filmmakers in Armenia since 1930 who studied in Moscow and created films. More recent directors address once-taboo subjects such as domestic violence, men’s preference for having boys, abortion and the journey to becoming independent women.

A new documentary by Apick, “Jewel of the Desert,” was screened on Sunday, October 27. The film focuses on a group of  retired individuals who have created a brass band. She followed the band members for two years and included some of their stories. Some of them are not professional musicians, yet they follow their passion for playing music. Apick proudly presented her mother, who attended the event. During the Q&A, she said, “I have always wanted to do something with music.” She continued, “This film was an excellent opportunity to capture these musicians; they all have hearts of gold. When they play their instruments, they come alive.”