FILMMAKER RYAN COOGLER AND
ARMENIAN FILM SOCIETY TO HONOR
FILM PRODUCER SEV OHANIAN
AND INDUCT HIM INTO
ARMENIAN HALL OF FAME
AFS Gala to celebrate 10 years
of AFS’s important work on the evening of September 7
during third annual Armenian Film Festival
Special conversation with Proximity Media
founders Coogler and Ohanian at
Glendale’s historic Alex Theatre on September 7
GLENDALE, CA (Monday, August 4, 2025) – The Armenian Film Society (AFS) today announced special high-profile events that will be featured at the 2025 Armenian Film Festival, running September 3-7. On Sunday, September 7, AFS will honor veteran producer Sev Ohanian during the Armenian Film Society Gala at Vertigo Event Venue in Glendale. The honor will be presented by Ohanian’s longtime business partner and two-time Academy Award nominee Ryan Coogler.
On Sunday afternoon, September 7, prior to the Gala, the Armenian Film Festival will host a special conversation at Alex Theatre between director/writer/producer and two-time Academy Award nominee Ryan Coogler (Sinners, Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station) and his longtime business partner producer/screenwriter Sev Ohanian (Searching, Run, Missing, Judas and the Black Messiah). Tickets and more information are available here.
Coogler and Ohanian will discuss their friendship and career trajectory from film school at the University of Southern California, their early breakout film, the production company Proximity Media that they launched along with Coogler’s wife Zinzi Coogler, and their mutual interest in supporting AFS’s work.
Ohanian is a prolific screenwriter and producer behind Searching, Missing, and Run — thrillers that earned critical and commercial success, including Hulu’s most-watched film and over $75 million at the global box office. He co-wrote and produced these films with his wife and producing partner, Natalie Qasabian. In 2018, he founded Proximity Media with Ryan and Zinzi Coogler to tell event-driven stories across film, TV, documentaries, and podcasts. The trio’s recent credits include executive producing Marvel’s Ironheart and the Nat Geo documentary Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time. Most recently, they produced the hit film Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, which grossed over $360 million worldwide and received widespread acclaim.
Ohanian’s first ever movie was the 2008 no-budget film he shot on his father’s home video camera titled My Big Fat Armenian Family. Based on his popular online short videos, the movie told the story of a cultural clash between Armenian immigrant parents and their Americanized teenage children, all unfolding over a weekend getaway to Palm Springs. Today, Ohanian continues to champion Armenian storytelling through a filmmaking scholarship fund he established with Natalie, in partnership with the Armenian Educational Foundation, supporting aspiring filmmakers in Armenia.
Proximity’s first film, Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah, was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Daniel Kaluuya won the Oscar for “Best Supporting Actor” for his role as Chairman Fred Hampton and H.E.R won for “Best Original Song” for “Fight for You.” Proximity’s second film: Space Jam: A New Legacy, the 2021 sequel to the hit 1996 film, was released by Warner Bros. in theaters and on HBO Max. The film came in #1 at the U.S. box office, earning an estimated $32 million domestically during its opening weekend. Ohanian served as the primary on-the-ground producer on both of these films.
Coogler’s high-profile directing career launched with his feature-film debut Fruitvale Station, grossing a stunning $17 million globally for a project produced on less than $1 million. His subsequent films have been enormous box office smash hits including a massive haul of $1.3 billion worldwide for Black Panther, $800 million worldwide for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, $275 million worldwide for Creed III, and an incredible $360 million worldwide for his new Warner Bros. film Sinners, an original story written by Coogler.
“We are thrilled to mark 10 incredible years of Armenian Film Society, dedicated to elevating Armenian artists worldwide.” said Armen Karaoghlanian, Founder & CEO, Armenian Film Society. “Since 2015, AFS has served as a creative and cultural hub for Armenian film, showcasing new and emerging filmmakers and films. We are thrilled to mark this milestone with our Gala and a special conversation with two visionary filmmakers who have transformed Hollywood through their collaboration: Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian.”
Ohanian said, “I’m incredibly honored — this organization means the world to me. Armenians have a deep tradition of storytelling, and AFS has become a home for that legacy to thrive. To be recognized by them is something I’ll carry with me. And having Ryan, whose partnership has always been rooted in shared values and purpose, present the award makes it even more meaningful."
Founded in 2015, Armenian Film Society (AFS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and a creative and cultural hub that champions Armenian films and empowers Armenian filmmakers.
With branches in Los Angeles and London, AFS hosts year-round programming and has partnered with notable organizations such as Vidiots, American Cinematheque, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. AFS has welcomed guests such as Oscar winning directors Sean Baker and Ben Proudfoot, as well as Mychael Danna, Atom Egoyan, and Sev Ohanian.
AFS serves as a cultural bridge, connecting Armenian stories to the wider world through the universal language of cinema. AFS’s events always have an Armenian connection, but all our events are open to the public and consistently draw diverse audiences. We've become a cultural force, regularly hosting Oscar winners and industry legends, drawing sold-out crowds, and earning global press.
Now in its third year, AFS’s Armenian Film Festival draws in thousands of attendees each year. The 2025 Armenian Film Festival is presented by The Envelope by the Los Angeles Times. The inaugural Armenian Film Festival London was held in December 2024 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
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