Cinephil announced February 5 its acquisition for world sales of multi award-winning Tamara Stepanyan’s My Armenian Phantoms, selected for Berlinale Forum Special and world-premiering February 16. The film is produced by Celine Loiseau for TS Productions (France), Tamara Stepanyan for Visan (Armenia) and Alice Baldo for French Kiss Production (France), in association with Arte France – La Lucarne.
The Armenia/France co-pro is described as “an evocative journey through the forgotten world of Armenian cinema and its legacy. Sparked by a dialogue with her father, renowned Armenian actor Vigen Stepanyan, through archival footage and deeply personal reflections, the film sheds light on a vibrant yet overlooked tradition, celebrating the artistic and cultural richness of Armenian storytelling. Tamara brings to modern-day audiences some of the most visually striking and thematically powerful films of this era.”
With the support of the Cinema Foundation of Armenia, My Armenian Phantoms taps into a “rich tapestry” of film footage – including 4K restorations of renowned work by Sergueï Paradjanov, Frunze Dovlatyan and Henrik Sureni Malyan, among many others. “The film explores the creative spirit behind films that spoke to universal themes of identity, love, struggle, and artistic expression—films that continue to resonate today,” Cinephil adds. “Through a dynamic blend of personal reflection and historical discovery, My Armenian Phantoms offers an immersive and aesthetically beautiful portrait of a cinematic era that is both culturally rich and artistically bold.”
“We are incredibly proud of My Armenian Phantoms and deeply honored to have its world premiere at the Berlinale,” comments producer Céline Loiseau. “This film is a personal journey and a love letter to Armenian cinema and to a father who is not there anymore. We can’t wait to share it with audiences in Berlin and beyond. We’re also thrilled to be partnering with Cinephil for worldwide sales and getting to work with Suzanne again is a true pleasure. We are excited for it to reach the global audience it deserves.”
Adds Suzanne Nodale, co-Managing Director of Cinephil: “We were mesmerized by My Armenian Phantom’s raw beauty and poetry. The film celebrates a cultural legacy which has unfortunately long been overshadowed and we cannot wait for the audience to experience the power of this cinema.”
Cinephil has facilitated the sale and finance of 100+ films. The company represented (and produced) the 2013 Academy Award nominee The Gatekeepers and the 2014 Academy Award nominee The Act of Killing. Recent titles include the three-time Academy Award nominee Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, two-time Academy Award Nominee Collective by Alexander Nanau, Academy Award nominee A House Made of Splinters by Simon Lereng Wilmont and the Sundance 2025 World Cinema Documentary title The Dating Game by Violet du Feng.
