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The state-supported animated documentary, “Aurora's Sunrise,” directed by Inna Sahakyan, has won the Best Documentary Feature award at the Buffalo International Film Festival held on October 5-9.

“Considering the ongoing situation in Artsakh, it is crucial to raise awareness about human rights issues to prevent future violence,” read a post on the film’s official Facebook page.

“Aurora's story must not be repeated, and the key to ensuring this is by keeping her narrative alive, along with the stories of hundreds of people suffering right before our eyes,” it added.

A co-production of Armenia, Lithuania and Germany, “Aurora’s Sunrise” tells the extraordinary story of Aurora Mardiganian, who survived the Armenian Genocide as a teenager, and later came to Hollywood where she starred in a 1919 silent film based on her account of the massacre.

The film was made possible with the academic contribution of the Zoryan Institute and is based on its Oral History Archive.