ARMEN KAPRELIAN
BA 2001
Producer/Writer/Director
Closing Escrow: A Comedy About Real Estate (2007)
CSU Rosebud Award Winner
(Silver Linings, 2001)
Producer / Writer/ Director Armen Kaprelian (class of 2001) has just completed a distribution deal with Mark Cuban’s Magnolia Pictures for North American rights to his feature film CLOSING ESCROW: A Comedy About Real Estate.
Kaprelian was inspired to make a comedy about real estate after spending 3 years producing for HGTV’s hit show House Hunters. “House Hunters was a great experience. It’s a great show with an unbelievable fan base….over 1 million viewers. After 3 years, I realized that if this audience is tuning in with that regularity, there’s a good chance that they would support a comedy about the same industry,” said Kaprelian.
Closing Escrow was able to draw a terrific ensemble cast featuring Wendi Mclendon-Covey and Cedric Yarbrough of Comedy Central’s Reno 911.
Not many people would think of real estate as a source for comedy but Kaprelian did. And in March, validation came in the form of an official selection by the largest comedy film festival in North America –– HBO’s US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen.
“I knew we had made a funny film but this selection was pretty sweet.” After its initial screening, word spread quickly throughout the local real estate community and the next screening played to a packed house. All that buzz culminated in a best comedic performance award for Wendi McLendon-Covey for her portrayal of the liberal yet racist real estate agent, Hillary Macella. Kaprelian couldn’t agree more with the award, “Wendi is such a gifted performer. I don’t know how but she manages to be endearing even as she delivers some pretty ridiculous and racially insensitive dialogue. We were lucky to get her.”
Shortly after the festival, Kaprelian struck a deal with Magnolia Pictures who intends to fast track Closing Escrow for a theatrical release in late August 07. They also plan on releasing the DVD simultaneously to give moviegoers more options in how they view the film.
Closing Escrow also marks Kaprelian’s directorial debut.