SBS Network Brings Acclaimed Film “Gate to Heaven” to Australian Audiences

SBS Network has secured exclusive rights to bring the powerful war drama, “Gate to Heaven”, to Australian audiences this month. Directed by Jivan Avetisyan and featuring an ensemble cast including Richard Sammel and Tatiana Spivakova, this film is set against the backdrop of the 2016 four-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

What makes this release even more special for Australian audiences is the involvement of Australian consulting producer, James Pratt. A well-known figure in the industry, Pratt’s expertise, and experience have added a unique dimension to the film.

“Gate to Heaven” is a captivating story of love, redemption, and the lasting impact of war on individuals. Robert Sternvall, a German journalist played by Richard Sammel, returns to the conflict-ridden region to cover the ongoing armed conflict. His path crosses with a young opera singer, Sophia Marti, portrayed by Tatiana Spivakova, and their chance encounter leads to a passionate and intense romance that serves as the emotional core of the film.

The film’s cinematography, masterfully handled by Rytis Kurkulis (“The Midwife”), adds visual richness to the narrative. Produced by a team including Masis Baghdasaryan (Armenia), Kestutis Drazdauskas (Lithuania), Adrineh Mirzayan (USA), Arthur Chalekian (USA), Garo Madenlian (USA), Marco Gilles (Germany), Angelika Schouler (France), Shushanik Mirzakhanyan (Armenia), Peter Baghdassarian (USA), Teodora Andretsudi (Bulgaria), Daniel Delchunkov (Bulgaria), Martin Raiman (Czech Republic), Steve Reverand (Czech Republic), Narine Voskanyan (Armenia) with Australian James Pratt as the consulting producer, ‘Gate to Heaven’ promises a unique cinematic experience for Australian audiences.

Jivan quote: “Gate to Heaven” tells the truth about God’s mighty power and how each and every one of us is led to our unique doors. And once that very door opens, we become tolerant or evil, kind or brutal, a liar, a thief or else the ones that let in the truth with all its colors. I wanted to take the path of reflecting the truths of life via art through “Gate to Heaven”. It’s a path of peace, bliss and regaining of honesty. It leads to eternity. I attempt to touch upon the most important components of life – love, honesty, art, fight with the internal EGO, sin, faith and eventually the humankind whose sins or pious deeds lead to the unknown circles of hell or heaven.

LA based Australian James Pratt was a consulting producer

“Gate to Heaven” has received acclaim both from its cinema release in the USA and at its premiere in Yerevan, Armenia.

The film’s premiere was held in Armenia on October 17, 2019 with over 600 attendees. MPM Premium of France represented the international sales of Gate to Heaven, who represented us at the Cannes Film Festival’s Virtual Market, 2020.

“Gate to Heaven” was selected at Moscow International Film Festival Non-Competition Category in 2020. But six hours after the Armenian Azerbaijani war began the film was removed from the official program, due to the political pressures received by Azerbaijani government.

Cinema for Peace Foundation in Berlin hosted a unique Virtual Screening and Panel Discussion in regards to Nagorno-Karabakh. Our German actor Richard Sammel and Producers Kestutis Drazdauskas and Adrineh Mirzayan served as panelists.

The composer of the film “Gate to Heaven” Michele Josia of Italy swept two incredible awards for his beautifully composed soundtrack. “Silver Medal – Outstanding Achievement” – “Soundtrack for Film and Television” at the Global Music Awards, California, (USA) in 2020. Michele’s second recognition comes as a finalist for “Best Score of the Month” at the TMA – American Tracks Music Award, 2021. The accolades continue with “Gate to Heaven” as the film was selected in the “Official Selection” at the Las Cruces International Film Festival, which took place the first week of March 2021, followed by the Salento International Film Festival in Italy in 2021, where “Gate to Heaven” was screened as the “Spotlight – Out of Competition” film. Then in September 2021, the Europe on Screen Film Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia also included “Gate to Heaven” in its “Selection and held a virtual Q&A” with the team. “Gate to Heaven” was awarded four wins in Canada on October 24, 2021, at the Ontario International Film Festival: “Best Sound”, “Best Music,” “Best Script for an International Feature”, and “Best International Feature” film. Then “Gate to Heaven” won “Best Production Design” and “Best Sound Mixer” on April 15, 2022, at the third Anahit Film Awards held by the Armenian National Film Academy.

The film was selected in the “Official Selection” at the Armenian Film Festival Australia, then was “Remi Winner” in 2022 at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, then was selected at the “Official Selection” at the Beverly Hills Film Festival in 2022, Film was included in Be Epic! London International Film Festival was held on September 2-3, as the opening film of the festival and won in the category of “Best Cinematography”. It was the “Finalist” at the Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, and won the “Best Feature Film” award at the Pomegranate Film Festival, held in Canada, in 2022.

On September 17, 2021, was the Glendale premiere of the film Gate to Heaven. It was held in the Legendary Alex Theatre, despite Covid, several hundreds of viewers were in attendance at the Screening organized by the ARTsakh Arts and Cultural Foundation. The evening kicked off with a VIP Pre-Show Reception with 450 people in the foyer of the theatre.

“Gate to Heaven” also saw its screenings in Belgium, Boston, Detroit, Maryland, Montreal, New Jersey, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Toronto.

The film was screened in Montreal at the Guzzo Mega-Plex Spheretech. The film ran from October 16, 2021, through November 4, 2021.

“Gate to Heaven” was included in the 2022 AMC’s independent programming schedule. It is a highly competitive program, which accepts only 4-8 titles every year. “Gate to Heaven” saw its theatrical release starting October 21, 2022, at the following locations: Boston, Detroit, Glendale, Las Vegas, Orange, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

Gate to Heaven had been available on the SVOD/TVOD platform Universcine.