Category Archives: Arts & Culture

Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Florida Armenians cordially invites you to a special evening for the premier of the Armenian-American film “HERE,” this Thursday, October 25th at Cinema Paradiso, the home of the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF). Director Braden King will be in attendance to meet guests and participants. FLArmenians will offer brief program immediately preceding the film’s premier.

We hope you can join us for this very special occasion. A limited number of FREE tickets are available for the premier by contacting FLArmenians, and online ticket purchase is available here.

Film Times:

Premier Thursday night 8:00 PM, Program begins at 7:30 PM. Also showing Friday night 8:00 PM & Saturday night 8:00 PM

Cinema Paradiso is located at 503 SE 6th St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301. Driving directions, map and parking information can be found here.

About the Film:

Year: 2011

Runtime: 126 min

Language: English & Armenian w/English sub-titles

Director: Braden King

Producer: Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, Jeff Kalousdian, Julia

Cast: Ben Foster, Peter Coyote and Lubna Azabal

Will Shepard is an American satellite-mapping engineer contracted to create a new, more accurate survey of the country of Armenia. Within the industry, his solitary work – land-surveying satellite images to check for accuracy and resolve anomalies – is called “ground-truthing”. He’s been doing it on his own, for years, all over the world, but on this trip, his measurements are not adding up.

Will meets Gadarine Najarian at a rural hotel. Tough and intriguing, she’s an expatriate Armenian art photographer on her first trip back in ages, passionately trying to figure out what kind of relationship – if any – she still has with her home country and culture. Fiercely independent, Gadarine is struggling to resolve the life she’s led in Canada and Europe with the Armenian roots that run so deeply, if unconsciously, through her. There is an almost instant, unconscious bond between these two lone travelers; they impulsively decide to continue together. HERE tells the story of their unique journey and the dramatic personal transformations it leads each of them through.

Sponsored by Margaret Ahnert and featuring Special Guest, Director Braden King.

About FLIFF:

The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF), founded in 1986, is dedicated to foreign and independent film. FLIFF annually showcases over 200 films from over 35 countries. A recipient of The Guiness World Record for the longest film festival in the world, FLIFF prides itself as being the friendly non-pretentious fest where access to filmmakers is basically unfiltered.

FLIFF takes programming throughout South Florida, including The Weston Foreign Film Series, The Bay Harbor Islands Family Festival, The Hollywood Arts Park screenings, among other satellite operations.

FLIFF also tours the State of Florida and Grand Bahama Island, partnering with The Daytona Beach Film Festival, The St Augustine Film Festival, The Amelia Island Film Festival, and FLIFF On-Location Grand Bahama Island. Filmmakers who submit to FLIFF will have their films considered for one or all of the above festivals, providing a bargain to budget stretched filmmakers.

Since 1998, over $1 million had been raised and invested in our year-round space, now known as Cinema Paradiso. Today, Cinema Paradiso operates year-round featuring foreign and independent film, student films, children’s movies, and serves as a mecca for just about every kind of arts event you can imagine. Benefits for other non-profits, poetry, dance, music, as well as corporate events, book signings and celebrity appearances take place in this versatile space.

The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and Cinema Paradiso are just two of the programs presented by The Broward County Film Society.

Posted in Arts & Culture, Events, General Update, News, Press Release

St. Mary Armenian Church Choir Workshop

Posted on October 19, 2012 | Image

Samara Supermarket Arrives in South Florida

Oct 16

Posted by Florida Armenians

By Robyn and Doug Kalajian
FLArmenians Cuisine Contributors

During our two-month absence from home this summer, Doug and I returned to find new businesses popping up around us – a very good sign.

Our first discovery was that a formerly closed Winn-Dixie supermarket has been completely revamped with a fresh, appealing look. With its new carving stations, cheese store with cheese and wine experts, in-house chef, fresh sushi, free coffee and free Wi-Fi, Winn-Dixie will rival even the snazziest Whole Foods or Fresh Market.

What truly got our hearts pumping is opening of the new Samara Supermarket in Boynton Beach’s shopping corridor. FINALLY, a Middle Eastern store close enough so that we don’t have to make a day’s trip out of buying ingredients we need to operate The Armenian Kitchen.

We found Samara by accident while perusing a local advertising publication. This prompted an immediate trip to examine their wares and determine whether or not the store would meet our needs. The answer: yes, it would!

Samara is a spacious store owned by Khaled (Ken) Samara. Ken was inspired to open a Middle Eastern store in central Palm Beach County because he saw a need for one in this location.

The shelves are neatly lined with canned, jarred, and packaged products – bulgur, lentils, olives, Noyan preserves from Armenia, red pepper paste, and so much more.

The refrigerated and freezer sections contain a variety of cheeses including Armenian twisted cheese (Karoun and Gharibian brands), lahmajoun, phyllo and kadaiff dough – to name a few.

There is a small fresh produce department featuring eggplant, Persian cucumbers, pomegranates and such.

What really surprised us was the fresh (Halal) meat counter complete with a butcher. There was a lamb carcass hanging in the refrigerator, and a lamb’s head displayed in the meat case – pacha, anyone? And cow hooves – Mmmmm, khash!

Need hookah paraphernalia? Ouds? dumbegs? They’re here, too!

Ken was was quick to mention that customer satisfaction is important to them, and if we didn’t see a product we wanted, let him know and he would order it.

We liked that aspect very much.

Ken is already looking forward to the store’s expansion. He’s planning to install an oven for making freshly baked pita bread, and adding a kitchen so food can be made on-site, such as stuffed grape leaves, spinach turnovers, za’taar bread – you know the menu.