Local man follows his movie dream

The movie business can be harsh. Jack Piandaryan, founder of Piandaryan Films LLC, is well aware of that, but he's hoping that his company's release of its first feature film, "The Parallel," will be his big break.

The film, a drama about paying attention to the world around you and not taking anything for granted, was released exclusively at Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino on Friday.

Piandaryan's journey to his film's opening began as a child in Armenia. There he would spend his allowance going to the local movie theater, sneaking into movies once he ran out of money. That same theater eventually gave him a job in the projection room, mostly to keep him out of trouble, he said. From then on, he was hooked.

After completing an education in fine arts, Piandaryan immigrated to the United States at the age of 19, eventually finding his way to Glendale.

About two years ago, after working at various jobs in the film industry, Piandaryan decided take a risk. He began work on his first motion picture, titled "The Parallel." The film isn't based on life experience or personal fantasy, said Piandaryan. Instead, it was spontaneous. "The idea just hits you," he said.

The film is about a teenager who experiences a time warp and winds up living a parallel life, he said.

Though the idea may have come out of nowhere, the film took time and effort to complete. "I had to wear five hats at the same time," said Piandaryan, who served as the film's writer, director and co-executive producer, among other things.

"I wanted to make something that was properly arched, story-wise," said Piandaryan. "The movie has to have a clear beginning, a middle and an end," he said.

Piandaryan is confident in his movie's ability to draw in an audience, but he knows he's up against some tough competition. With big-budget movies like "Spider-Man 3" in theaters and "Shrek the Third" coming soon, he knows that his film needs to stand out to attract moviegoers.

Critics have been straddling the middle ground so far, admits Piandaryan. But "The Parallel" isn't a critic's movie, he said. It's a movie made for the public.

"The Parallel" is slated to show until Thursday. "We're starting off in a small theater," said Piandaryan. "If it picks up, then eventually we can open up bigger," he said. Piandaryan plans to open the film in San Francisco and New York in time.