EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler is partnering with the Armenian Movie Society to honor his longtime enterprise companion, prolific producer Sev Ohanian, with an induction into the Armenian Movie Corridor of Fame.
The honour can be introduced on the concluding day of the 2025 Armenian Movie Competition held in Los Angeles from Sept. 3-7, throughout the AFS Gala at Vertigo Occasion Venue in Glendale, Calif. celebrating a decade of the nonprofit’s work. Earlier that afternoon, the fest will host a particular dialog between the duo on the metropolis’s historic Alex Theatre.
“We’re thrilled to mark 10 unbelievable years of Armenian Movie Society, devoted to elevating Armenian artists worldwide,” stated Armen Karaoghlanian, founder & CEO of AFS. “Since 2015, AFS has served as a artistic and cultural hub for Armenian movie, showcasing new and rising filmmakers and movies. We’re thrilled to mark this milestone with our Gala and a particular dialog with two visionary filmmakers who’ve reworked Hollywood by way of their collaboration: Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian.”
Ohanian added, “I’m extremely honored — this group means the world to me. Armenians have a deep custom of storytelling, and AFS has turn into a house for that legacy to thrive. To be acknowledged by them is one thing I’ll carry with me. And having Ryan, whose partnership has at all times been rooted in shared values and function, current the award makes it much more significant.”
Coogler and Ohanian — who most just lately collaborated on the critically acclaimed field workplace hit Sinners — will talk about their friendship and profession trajectory relationship again to their time on the College of Southern California’s honored cinematic college, in addition to their early breakout movie, manufacturing firm Proximity Media (which they launched alongside Coogler’s spouse Zinzi Coogler) and mutual curiosity in supporting AFS’ work.
Ohanian, a veteran screenwriter and producer, is behind thrillers Looking (2018), Run (2020) and Lacking (2023), all of which he co-wrote alongside Aneesh Chaganty and spouse and producing companion, Natalie Qasabian. Run, starring Sarah Paulson, was lauded as Hulu’s most-watched unique movie upon its debut.
In 2018, Ohanian co-founded Proximity Media with the intention of releasing event-driven tales throughout movie, TV, documentaries and podcasts. The manufacturing firm’s debut characteristic was Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, together with Finest Image, main star Daniel Kaluuya to a Finest Supporting Actor Oscar win and H.E.R.’s clinching of the Finest Authentic Music award. Proximity’s second movie — 2021’s Area Jam: A New Legacy — was launched by Warner Bros. in theaters and on HBO Max, coming in at No. 1 on the home field workplace throughout its opening weekend.
The trio’s latest credit for Proximity embrace government producing Marvel’s Ironheart and the Nat Geo documentary Hurricane Katrina: Race Towards Time. Moreover, they produced the genre-bending and wildly creative Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan in twin roles, which grossed over $360 million worldwide.
Ohanian’s first-ever movie was the 2008 no-budget movie he shot on his father’s dwelling video digital camera titled My Large Fats Armenian Household. Primarily based on his well-liked on-line brief movies, the film advised the story of a cultural conflict between Armenian immigrant mother and father and their Americanized teenage kids, all unfolding over a weekend getaway in Palm Springs. At the moment, Ohanian continues to champion Armenian storytelling by way of a filmmaking scholarship fund he established with Qasabian, in partnership with the Armenian Instructional Basis, supporting aspiring filmmakers in Armenia.
Subsequent up, Ohanian will produce Marvel’s animated collection Eyes of Wakanda, releasing on Disney+ Aug. 27. He’s additionally presently engaged on Chaganty’s Doppelgänger, which landed at Skydance following an intense bidding warfare, as Deadline reported completely.
Coogler’s high-profile writing-directing profession launched with debut of his heart-wrenching Fruitvale Station, which grossed a surprising $17 million globally for a mission produced on lower than $1 million. His subsequent movies have been huge field workplace smash hits together with an enormous haul of $1.3 billion worldwide for Black Panther, $800 million worldwide for Black Panther: Wakanda Eternally and $275 million worldwide for Creed III.
Based in 2015, Armenian Movie Society is a nonprofit group that champions Armenian movies and empowers Armenian filmmakers. With branches in Los Angeles and London, AFS hosts year-round programming and has partnered with notable friends like Vidiots, American Cinematheque and Academy Museum of Movement Footage.
