Speakers
JOSEPH HOVSEPIAN, was born in 1973 in Iran. His interest in Media began at the age of 17 when he became involved in the Audio-Visual department of the Evangelical Church in Iran. From a very young age, Joseph visited underground churches, travelling with his father, Rev. Haik Hovsepian. He discovered a unique understanding and profound passion for the persecuted believers in Iran. Following his father’s martyrdom in 1994, he was inspired to produce films focusing on spiritual messages. “It was through my father’s encouragement that I have been able to fulfill my goal of sharing the message of hope through media,” says Joseph. In 1996, Joseph moved to the United Kingdom to study Film & Video at the Guildford College of Art. In 1999, he started working full time; producing and directing indie films, commercials and music videos. Soon after he immigrated to the United States in 2000, he founded JFA productions, LLC in California, which was heavily involved in Christian broadcasting and corporate video production. During this time, he also served on the Board of Directors at Sat7-Pars and Christ Armenian Church. In 2007, he founded Hovsepian Ministries, Inc. with the mission of continuing his father's work by sharing the Gospel with hundreds of thousands of Iranians through media, outreach events and human rights advocacy. His recent award-winning documentary, A Cry From Iran, is the story of his father’s martyrdom. It is widely distributed in the U.S. and is secretly viewed in Iran. Alongside producing, Joseph continues to be a voice for persecuted believers. He has travelled to more than 150 churches around the world, ministering, sharing his testimony and raising awareness and prayer support.
TAKOOSH HOVSEPIAN, was born in 1950 in Iran. As a child, she desired to spend her life in the service of God. In order to fulfill this hope she prayed that one day she would marry a pastor and her prayer was answered when she married Rev. Haik Hovsepian. However, Takoosh never expected the intensity of her life journey and the trials and struggles that arose from her marriage to Haik. He was 49 years old when he left the house one morning never to return again. After twelve days it became apparent that he had been killed at the order of the Iranian government. Takoosh struggled in the midst of hardship and suffering, but eventually learned the true meaning of forgiveness. She has spent her years thereafter encouraging persecuted families and widows, as well as sharing her testimony in Western churches to shed light on the persecuted church and encourage prayer support.
ANDRE HOVSEPIAN, was born in 1984 in Iran. He found his passion for Film and Media at an early age and had the chance to pursue his career when his family immigrated to the United States in 2000. He studied Film at Pasadena City College and by 22 years old had produced numerous music videos, youth-related programs, short documentaries, and assisted his brother Joseph in the making of his feature film, The Tune of Nostalgia. Andre believes that talents are God-given. This mindset is reflected in his work which has a consistent focus on moral values. In 2004, he joined JFA Productions and started working on his father's documentary, A Cry From Iran. According to Andre, "This is the most significant project I have ever worked on. It is the story of my role model and my inspiration." Andre's focus is on reaching young people and he has shared his testimony in numerous Christian schools and youth rallies.
REBECCA HOVSEPIAN, was born in Gorgan, Iran in 1970. As the only Christian child in an all-Muslim school, she quickly grew accustomed to being singled out for her beliefs. She also witnessed the constant persecution that her parents endured because of their Christian ministry, culminating in her father’s brutal martyr in 1994. As the eldest child, she felt a huge weight of responsibility for her family after her father’s death. Since then, she has been on a journey of forgiveness that is only made possible through the grace of God. She attended college, where she was once again the only Christian. This became an opportunity for her to practice love and forgiveness with her Muslim friends and classmates. Rebecca is a talented pianist with a passion for playing in worship groups at local churches. She has shared her testimony with many congregations, encouraging believers to hold fast to their faith in times of hardship. She is also very involved in the media department at HMI, working behind the scenes on many Iranian evangelical programs and productions.