Film lovers and those interested in the novelties of the big screen are looking forward to this year’s “Golden Apricot” festival.
Film lovers and those interested in the novelties of the big screen are looking forward to this year’s “Golden Apricot” festival. The 12th annual festival will be held on July 12-19. As in the past 11 years, this year, too, the festival will bring renowned cinematographers to Yerevan, will propose to watch and to discuss the long-awaited films, will reveal the old and new celebrities of cinematography.
What to watch on the big screen?
The Festival has received more than 1600 submissions from 105 countries in 4 short film nominations – feature, documentary, “Armenian Panorama” and “Apricot Stone”. This year the festival will open with the film of the world famous director Robert Guédiguian, “Don't Tell Me the Boy Was Mad”, and will close with Hamo Beknazaryan’s “Namus” (“Honor”).
There will be shown films winning in the world’s most prestigious festivals. The films achieved success in global cinemas will be presented to the Armenian spectator within the framework of “Yerevan Premieres” program. The viewers will also be presented the Yerevan premiere of “Taxi” film, which has won the Golden Bear Award.
Who are the year’s most awaited guests?
This year’s special guests of the Golden Apricot are world film stars Ornella Muti and Nastassja Kinski. By the way, the project of the retrospective showings is dedicated to the films with Nastassja Kinski’s participation. Within the framework of the festival renowned French actor and director Patrick Shane will also arrive in Yerevan.
Who will be the jury?
The juries will be headed by:
·International Feature Competition - Robert Guédiguian (France)
·International Documentary Competition – Marek Hovorka (Czech Republic)
·Apricot Stone International Short Film Competition – Hovik Habechyan (Lebanon)
·Armenian Panorama National Competition – Aleksander Grozev (Bulgaria)
The jury is comprised of both Armenian and foreign renowned cinematographers.
What surprises are expected?
This year the festival organizers have focused on the legends of Armenian cinematography. There will be films dedicated to the 90th birthday anniversaries of Henrik Malyan and Henrik Margaryan, Levon Atoyants’ 85th and Harutyun Khachatryan’s 60 anniversaries.
Henrik Malyan’s film “A Piece of Sky” (“Ktor me Yerkink”), “Avdo’s Car” shot by operator Levon Atoyants, as well as “White City” by Harutyun Khachatryan will be shown. The festival will also refer to films dedicated to the Armenian Genocide and shot by Armenian and foreign directors.
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The annual GOLDEN APRICOT International Film Festival formed in 2004 in Yerevan. It was established by the “Golden Apricot” Fund for Cinema Development, the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Culture of Republic of Armenia and Benevolent Fund for Cultural Development.
