Ararat Press Kit
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Atom Egoyan (Director, Writer, Producer) Cairo-born, Canadian-bred and of Armenian descent, was raised in Victoria, BC, moving to Toronto at age 18 to study International Relations and classical guitar at the University of Toronto. It was there that he began to seriously explore the art and language of the cinema, and started making his own films which progressed to reflect his own, very personal thematic obsessions, delving into issues of intimacy, displacement and the impact of technology and media in modern life.
His debut feature, Next of Kin (1984) earned Egoyan the Genie nomination (Canadian Academy Award) for Best Director, and went on to win Germany's Mannheim International Film Week Gold Ducat Award, receiving theatrical distribution around the world.
Family Viewing (1987) won the Locarno International Critics Prize, and was nominated for eight Genie Awards including Best Film, film gained wide notoriety when Wim Wenders declined the jury prize at the Montreal Film Festival for his own film Wings of Desire, and handed it over to Egoyan, his "Canadian colleague." Next came Speaking Parts (1989), which marked his first Cannes premiere (Director's Fortnight), and earned even more international acclaim and Genie Award nods.
The Adjuster (1991) premiered at Cannes in the Quinzaine des Realisateurs, and was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival. It went on to capture the Toronto/CITY Award for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. 1993's Calendar, shot in Armenia, earned the C.I.C.A.E. prize for Best Film in the Forum of New Cinema at the Berlin International Film Festival, and once again landed Egoyan Genie nominations for Best Direction and Screenplay.
Egoyan achieved a wider audience with the darkly mysterious Exotica (1994). The first English Canadian film to be invited into Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in nearly a decade, Exotica was awarded International Critics Prize for Best Film. Honored by festival and critical associations around the world, Exotica received major worldwide release, including a 500-screen US release from Miramax Films. In Canada, released by Alliance, Exotica played theatrically for over half a year. The film swept the Genies, earning eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
His two most recent film projects have been Irish in origin. In 1999, Egoyan directed Felicia's Journey in Ireland and England. Based on the novel by William Trevor, starring Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy and Arsinée Khanjian, it premiered in competition at Cannes, before opening the Toronto Film Festival and holding the prestigious closing night spot at the New York Film Festival. Produced by Icon Entertainment, this film earned another four Genie Awards. Krapps Last Tape is an adaptation of Samuel Beckett's stage-play, starring John Hurt. This has been seen internationally since premiering in 2000.
His other works include many short films and original programs for television as well as a number of art installations presented internationally (including the Oxford Museum of Modern Art, Venice Biennale, and, Le Fresnoy in France). Exploring his long-standing interest in classical music, Egoyan made his debut as an opera director in 1996, with the Canadian Opera Company production of Salome. This production was subsequently presented in Houston and Vancouver before being remounted by the COC for a sold-out run in 2002. His original opera, Elsewhereless, composed by Rodney Sharman, written and directed by Egoyan premiered in Toronto in 1998, and was remounted in Vancouver. Later that year he directed the world premiere of Gavin Bryars' Dr. Oxís Experiment for English National Opera in London.
Egoyan's film works have been presented in numerous important retrospectives in major centers throughout the world. He has earned many exceptional honors in his career. There have been a number of books written about his work. TIME Magazine has named him to their "Global 100", a roster of "young leaders for the new millennium". He has been a member of the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival, and President of the Jury for Best First Feature Film at the Venice Film Festival. He was knighted by the French Government with the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, and has received the Anahid Literary Award from the Armenian Center at Columbia University, and was inducted into the Order of Canada. He has received honorary doctorates from universities across Canada.His most recent work includes the installation Steenbeckett, for London's Artangel's 10th anniversary, and Hors D'usage, for Montreal's Le Musée D'Art Contemporain, which opened in the August, 2002.
A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Atom Egoyan lives in Toronto, Canada with actress Arsinée Khanjian.
Robert Lantos (Producer) began his producing career as an independent film producer in 1976 with the low budget L'Ange et la Femme. While producing motion pictures he built Canada's leading film and television company Alliance Communications Corporation, of which he was Chairman and CEO. In 1998 he sold his controlling interest in Alliance in order to focus on the creative process. He now produces films at his boutique production company, Serendipity Point Films.
His selected feature film credits include: Men With Brooms, directed by Paul Gross and starring Paul Gross, Molly Parker and Leslie Nielsen, which is currently in theatres; Stardom, directed by Denys Arcand, starring Jessica Pare, Dan Aykroyd and Thomas Gibson (Official Closing Night Selection, Cannes Film Festival and Opening Night Gala, Toronto Film Festival, winner of one Genie Award); Sunshine, directed by Istvan Szabo, starring Ralph Fiennes, Jennifer Ehle and Rosemary Harris (a Toronto Film Festival Gala, winner of three European Film Awards, three Genie Awards including Best Picture and nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture); Felicia's Journey, directed by Atom Egoyan, starring Bob Hoskins and Elaine Cassidy (Opening Night Gala Toronto Film Festival, Official Selection in Competition, Cannes Film Festival, and winner of four Genie Awards); eXistenZ, directed by David Cronenberg, starring Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Willem Dafoe (winner of a Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and a Genie Award); The Sweet Hereafter, directed by Atom Egoyan, starring Sir Ian Holm, and Sarah Polley (nominated for two Academy Awards, winner of the Grand Prix and the International Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Opening Night Gala Toronto Film Festival, winner of eight Genie Awards including Best Picture). Crash, directed by David Cronenberg, starring James Spader, Holly Hunter and Deborah Kara Unger (winner of a Special Jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, six Genie Awards and the Golden Reel Award). Johnny Mnemonic, directed by Robert Longo, starring Keanu Reeves; Whale Music, directed by Richard Lewis, starring Maury Chaykin and Cyndy Preston (Opening Night Gala Toronto Film Festival, winner of four Genie Awards and the Golden Reel Award); Black Robe, directed by Bruce Beresford, starring Lothaire Bluteau and Sandrine Holt (Opening Night Gala Toronto Film Festival, winner of seven Genie Awards including Best Picture and the Golden Reel Award); Joshua Then and Now, directed by Ted Kotcheff, starring James Woods and Alan Arkin (Official Selection in Competition, Cannes Film Festival, Opening Night Gala Toronto Film Festival, and winner of five Genie Awards); and In Praise of Older Women, directed by George Kaczender, starring Tom Berenger and Karen Black (Opening Night Gala Toronto Film Festival, winner of four Genie Awards).
Mr. Lantos' extensive television credits include the drama series Due South, Power Play, Bordertown, North of 60, E.N.G, made for television movies and mini-series include Shot Through the Heart (HBO), The Hunchback (TNT), Sword of Gideon (HBO), A Family of Strangers (CBS), and Woman on The Run (NBC).
Mr. Lantos is a member of the Order of Canada, a director of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The Toronto International Film Festival and Chapters Books. He holds an honorary Doctor of Letters from McGill University.
Sandra Cunningham's (Co-Producer) career in film has taken her from Montreal, where she worked in film distribution and promotion to Rome, where she collaborated on numerous independent feature films and finally to Toronto where she is currently based. Sandra has worked as a Line Producer/Production Manager on numerous feature film projects of note, including When Night is Falling, The Adjuster, Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter and A Map of the World. Sandra launched her producing career in 1996 with John L'Ecuyer's Curtis's Charm. Since then she has produced L'Ecuyer's follow-up feature Saint Jude and, most recently, Robert Lepage's Possible Worlds.
Simone Urdl (Associate Producer) joined Atom Egoyan's Ego Film Arts in 1992. She has been involved in Calendar, Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, and has produced many of his recent short films and installation pieces.
In addition to her work with Egoyan, Urdl runs The Film Farm, her own production banner. Her producer credits include the film and projections for Egoyan's opera, Salome, Phillip Barker's Soul Cages (for which she and Barker shared a Genie Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film), and John Kalangis' Genie-nominated feature Jack & Jill.
Upcoming projects for Urdlís production banner include Peter Wellington's Luck, Lara Fitzgerald's Once Upon A Time in the East and a television series for the Toronto-based orchestra Tafelmusik.
Julia Rosenberg (Associate Producer) works at Serendipity Point Films where she develops and produces films directly with Robert Lantos. She is Associate Producer of Istvan Szabo's award-winning Sunshine, Co-Producer of Bruce McDonald's Picture Claire and Paul Gross' Men with Brooms. In 1997, Rosenberg joined Alliance Communications Corporation as Director of Development and Production where she oversaw the production of Robert Lepage's film, No, as well as many other Canadian and international films. Prior to this, she produced the short films Citrus, A Nous Deux, and Liquid Love, as well as a three-part documentary on fashion that she also co-wrote. Aside from producing numerous music videos and commercials, she also produced 2 for the internationally renowned dance company LA LA LA Human Steps.
Ararat is the latest project in the longtime collaboration of director Atom Egoyan and award-winning Canadian cinematographer Paul Sarossy. The two filmmakers have worked together on the films Felicia's Journey, The Sweet Hereafter, Exotica, The Adjuster, Speaking Parts, and, more recently, the television production of Krapp's Last Tape.
His other distinguished film credits include the upcoming On the Nose and Paid in Full, as well as Duets, Lakeboat (for which he also served as associate producer), Saul Rubinek's Jerry & Tom, Paul Schrader's Oscar-nominated Affliction, Picture Perfect, Denys Arcand's Love and Human Remains, Srinivas Krishna's Masala, and Patricia Rozema's White Room, among many others.
His work for television includes Rated X, Rocky Marciano, Mistrial and the Soir Blue episode of the series Picture Windows, Suzanne and Satie and Love and Larceny.
In addition to several international film festival awards and nominations, Sarossy's honors include three Genie Awards (Felicia's Journey, The Sweet Hereafter, Exotica); a Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) Award for Best Cinematography in TV Drama (Rocky Marciano); CSC Awards for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature (Felicia's Journey, Exotica, White Room); an American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Mini-series (Picture Windows); and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Cinematography (Affliction).
Sarossy recently finished work on his feature film directorial debut, Mr. In Between.
Phillip Barker's (Production Designer) feature film design credits include Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter (for which Barker and Patricia Cuccia shared a Genie Award nomination for Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design) and Inspired by Bach: Cello Suite #4; Michael Snow's Prelude, Mira Nair's My Own Country and the Dutch film Zoeken Naar Eileen (Looking for Eileen), which was directed by Rudolf van den Berg.
Barker's stage design credits include Atom Egoyan's Salome for the Canadian Opera Company (film and projection design), and Elsewhereless for Tapestry Music Theatre (set, projection and costume design). He recently designed the multimedia dance Still for dancer/choreographer Susanna Hood.
Barker is also an award-winning film director in his own right. His most recent short film, Soul Cages, has won Best Short Film Awards at The Local Heroes Film Festival and at The Atlantic Film Festival; Best Cinematography in a Short Film from the Canadian Society of Cinematographers; and, with producer Simone Urdl, Barker shared a Genie Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
Barker's own art installations have been shown throughout Canada, Holland and Spain, including a video installation for the Canada Pavilion at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain.
Beth Pasternak (Costume Designer) received a Genie Award nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design for her work on Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter.
Her other design credits include the upcoming film Knockaround Guys, Committed, Saint Jude, New Jersey Turnpikes, Dirty Work, Curtis' Charm, Dance Me Outside, I Love a Man in Uniform, Mustard Bath, Masala, White Room and The Top of his Head.
Ararat marks the fifth collaboration between Genie Award-winning editor Susan Shipton and director Atom Egoyan. Their work together includes Felicia's Journey; The Sweet Hereafter (Genie Award for Best Achievement in Film Editing); Exotica (Genie Award nomination for Best Achievement in Film Editing); The Adjuster and En Passant, which was Egoyanís contribution to the anthology Montreal Vu Par.
Shipton won a 2001 Genie Award for Best Achievement in Editing for her work on the film Possible Worlds. Her many other credits include Toy Soldiers, A Cool Dry Place, Blessed Stranger: The Tragedy of Swiss Air Flight 111, Love and Death on Long Island, Turning April, Long Day's Journey Into Night (Genie Award nomination for Best Achievement in Film Editing), When Night Is Falling, Mesmer and Oh, What a Night. In 1993, she received two Genie Award nominations in the same year for her work on The Lotus Eaters and I Love A Man in Uniform.
Shipton also wrote, produced and directed the short film, Hindsight (based on Dennis Foon's play of the same name), which was invited to numerous international film festivals, including the 2000 Montreal World Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Short Film Festival.