Meet Gary Karapetyan | Film Director & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gary Karapetyan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gary, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
That’s a great question. I think what’s most important to me is how I can contribute to society and make a difference in this world. There is nothing more satisfying than making an impact on a person’s life, and I do this through my films. I’ve worked on numerous films up to this point that, to a great extent, revolve around mental health, faith, and love. If I could make anyone laugh, smile, or emotional with the work I do, it means the world to me. In addition, if I can do anything to contribute to anyone’s well-being, I’m happy. I would like to note that I’m currently pursuing a PharmD at the University of Southern California and working as an intern pharmacist. Whether it’s counseling patients about their medications and lifestyle, or compounding hospital IVs and chemotherapeutic agents, and taking an active role in their medication therapy regimen, it’s a great feeling to be involved and to hold that power of knowledge.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
It all started back in high school where we had to film a short sequence for an assignment. My classmates got together at my house where we wrote a script, and filmed it. After a couple of visits, I edited the project and we later showed that video to the class. Seeing that excitement and interest in their faces was encouraging. I remember they kept wanting to watch that same video every period. But it wasn’t then when I had decided that I wanted to be involved in films. Later, System of a Down Serj Tankian’s brother, Sevag Tankian, came to our school to judge one of our theatre performances. He recognized me as the best actor in the performance, and that experience inspired me to consider acting. After graduation, I continued my path onto acting in which I started to work with David Tom, an Emmy-award winning actor, who became a valuable mentor to me. By working on various films as an actor, slowly getting roles here and there, I observed a lot of the work the production team did on set. Speaking to directors and crew members allowed me to truly understand how much hard work went into filmmaking. To further pursue my interest, I took film courses at the University of California, Irvine where I was working towards obtaining my bachelor’s degree. On the final day of my documentary class, after my student film was screened, my professor pulled me aside and told me that I should continue making films. I was shocked.

I had now fully fallen in love with filmmaking and storytelling but no one took me seriously. People in my circle thought I was dreaming. How was I, an 18-year-old going to pull it off? Later that year, I wrote, produced, co- directed, and starred in my first film, “Czech Mate on Ice.” The film went on to win numerous awards at different festivals. It served as the biggest motivation for me to create more and more. Was it easy? Not at all, and it never gets easy, it only gets harder, because the expectations are higher. I remember, once, a host asked me at one of my Q&As: “What’s harder, getting started with your first film or the next film?” You could always start something, try it, and let it go. On the contrary, commitment is what keeps you moving forward. The challenging part is always trying to one up your previous film. It’s not easy to come up with ideas that are original, yet engaging to the audience. However, I believe that hard work, perseverance, and passion will take you far. 6 years fast forward, I now have my own production company, called “Dark Eye Productions”. All the films I’ve directed up to this point revolve around mental health and the power of following your heart. “Creating films that impact our society” has been my motto since the beginning of my career, and that will remain true for “Dark Eye Productions”. I’m the type of filmmaker that puts my entire heart into the stories I tell. And, these are stories that need to be told.

Recently, I released a new Christmas short film “With Joyful Ring” that premiered at the Laemmle Theatres in NOHO couple weeks ago. Now, it is competing at film festivals and I’m excited to see how it does on the run. It’s about a lonely depressed man who wakes up on Christmas Day, after losing his wife, with the mentality to find the joy he’s been longing for. These are the kinds of stories that touch people’s hearts and it’s something that everyone can relate to. I will end it with this Maya Angelou quote. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Universal Studios, Griffith Park/Observatory, Malibu Beach, Getty Museum, Rodeo Drive, The Americana and/or The Grove, and Disneyland.

Some popular night spots for food and drinks: Tao, Mastro’s, and Yamashiro are among my favorites. Bars all over Los Angeles, doesn’t matter where you are, it’s always fun as long as you have the right company.

If time permits, I’d definitely take my friends to Las Vegas. Shows, games, entertainment, dining, nightclubs, you name it- the whole deal!

At the end of the day, though, it depends on the person. For someone who is adventurous, I’d incorporate more activities such as ice skating, hiking, camping, etc. For a sweet tooth like me, bakeries, donut shops, and coffee shops are a must. Alcove, Crave, Philz, Voodoo donuts are some examples. For someone who enjoys sports, Crypto.com arena and Sofi Stadium are great arenas to catch games. The list goes on and on…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out to my family, friends, co-workers, mentors, and fans who have supported me since the beginning. Filmmaking has been quite a difficult journey and without your continued support I won’t be able to share my stories with the world. It is your attention and interest that gets me this recognition and I am forever grateful for it. I also want to honor Velvet Rhodes. Velvet was an actress and director who led the Glendale International Film Festival. Velvet put a tremendous amount of effort in recognizing independent filmmakers and contributing to the cinematic arts. She presented me with my first film award “Best Filmmaker in Glendale, CA” back in 2017 (Recognized by Laura Friedman of the 43rd Assembly District California State Legislator) for my very first film “Czech Mate on Ice”. This award will always have a special place in my heart. As much as I’d love for her to see my new film and recognition, she is no longer with us. Her memory, though, forever lives on.

Website: imdb.me/garykarapetyan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrr_bear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gary.karapetyan.films/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0mAQ-KCyrIBWZ8aLfD4fKg

Image Credits
Steve Escarcega Elias Shankaji Ethan Asin Dark Eye Productions