Atom Egoyan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atom Egoyan CC
Egoyan in 2016
Born	Atom Yeghoyan (1960-07-19) July 19, 1960 (age 64) Cairo, United Arab Republic
Citizenship	Canada Armenia (from 2018)
Alma mater	Trinity College, Toronto
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Arsinée Khanjian
Children	1

Atom Egoyan is a well-known filmmaker who directs, writes, and produces movies. He was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1960, but he mainly works in Canada. He became famous in the 1980s as part of a new group of filmmakers in Toronto.

Some of his most popular films include Exotica (1994) and The Sweet Hereafter (1997). For The Sweet Hereafter, he was even nominated for two Academy Awards, which are very important film prizes. His movie Chloe (2009) was his biggest commercial success.

Egoyan's films often explore themes like feeling alone or disconnected from others. His characters sometimes interact through technology or official systems. He also likes to tell stories out of order, which can make you feel certain emotions by holding back information.

He has received many awards, including the Dan David Prize in 2008 and the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2015. Atom Egoyan is married to actress Arsinée Khanjian, who has appeared in many of his films.

Early Life and Education

Atom Egoyan was born Atom Yeghoyan in Cairo, Egypt. His parents, Shushan and Joseph Yeghoyan, were Armenian-Egyptian artists who owned a furniture store. He was named Atom because Egypt had just finished building its first nuclear reactor.

In 1962, his family moved to Canada and settled in Victoria, British Columbia. They changed their last name to Egoyan. Atom has a sister named Eve Egoyan, who is now a concert pianist.

As a teenager, Egoyan loved reading and writing plays. He was especially inspired by writers like Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter.

He later went to Trinity College at the University of Toronto. There, he met Harold Nahabedian, an Armenian-Canadian chaplain. Egoyan has said that Nahabedian helped him learn about his Armenian language and history. While at university, Egoyan also wrote for the student newspaper, The Newspaper.

Career Highlights

Egoyan started making films in the early 1980s. His first film, Next of Kin (1984), won a major prize at a film festival in Germany. The next year, he directed an episode of the TV show Twilight Zone.

His film Exotica (1994) helped him become widely known. It won several awards, including a prize at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards.

Egoyan's most famous film is The Sweet Hereafter (1997). This movie won three awards at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, including the Grand Prix. It also earned Egoyan nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards.

Since 1996, Egoyan has also directed several operas, including Salome and Così fan tutte. He has worked with opera companies in Canada and other places.

The film Ararat (2002) brought a lot of attention to Egoyan. It was one of the first major movies to directly address the Armenian genocide. Ararat won Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards, which was Egoyan's third win for that award. The film was shown in over 30 countries.

From 2006, Egoyan taught at the University of Toronto for three years. He also taught at Ryerson University. In 2006, he received the Master of Cinema Award from the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg.

His film Adoration (2008 film) has been turned into an opera. His movie Chloe (2009) was his most successful film financially.

In 2013, he directed Devil's Knot, a movie based on a true story about a famous legal case. It starred Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth. His next film, The Captive (2014), starred Ryan Reynolds.

In 2015, Egoyan directed the thriller Remember, starring Christopher Plummer. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. His 2019 drama Guest of Honour was nominated for a Golden Lion award in Venice.

His most recent film is Seven Veils (2023). This film was chosen as an official selection for the Toronto International Film Festival.

Egoyan has also acted in films sometimes, including his own movie Calendar.

Personal Life

Egoyan with his wife Arsinée Khanjian in 2013

Atom Egoyan lives in Toronto with his wife, actress Arsinée Khanjian. She has appeared in many of his films. They have a son named Arshile, who is named after the famous Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky.

In 1999, Egoyan was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, which is a high honor in Canada. In 2015, he was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest level of this award. In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Film Festival of India.

Filmography

Feature Films

Short Films

TV Films

Awards

See Also

In Spanish: Atom Egoyan para niños