ARMENPRESS: Golden Apricot opens 23rd edition with 90 films from 40 countries

The 23rd Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival officially opened on July 13 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex with the premiere of Tamara Stepanyan's Armenian-French co-production Arto's Country.

Ahead of the screening, Stepanyan said presenting the film in her homeland and opening Golden Apricot held special meaning for her."Opening the Locarno Film Festival is one thing, but opening Golden Apricot in my beloved homeland is something entirely different. This film is a love letter to my homeland, our cinema, our wounds and our lost lands. I tried to turn that love letter into a film," she said.

Over the years, Golden Apricot has become one of the region's leading film festivals, bringing together internationally acclaimed filmmakers and award-winning films from major festivals, including Cannes, Berlin and Locarno, while playing an important role in the development of Armenian cinema and film culture.

Festival Director and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan noted that Golden Apricot is now among the 50 film festivals recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

"This is the result of decades of work, particularly in recent years, aimed at strengthening the festival's position in the region. In a difficult and dramatic region, we have sought to create a cultural value that is recognized internationally," he said.

According to Avetisyan, this year's festival is hosting around 200 international guests, including Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, cinematographers Bruno Delbonnel and Mahmoud Kalari, as well as internationally renowned trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf, who will also perform a concert in Yerevan.

The festival's programme also includes educational initiatives, industry events organized in cooperation with the Cannes Film Festival, exhibitions and a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian silent film Namus.

Yerevan Deputy Mayor Levon Hovhannisyan noted that the municipality has been the festival's principal sponsor for the past five years and described Golden Apricot as one of Yerevan's key cultural hallmarks.

Festival founder and President Harutyun Khachatryan recalled that Golden Apricot was established in 2003 together with his teacher Mikael Stamboltsyan and film critic Susanna Harutyunyan, emphasizing that Armenian cinema needed such a platform.

During the opening ceremony, Khachatryan presented the festival's Master Award to acclaimed Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner, President of this year's International Jury, in recognition of her contribution to world cinema.Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Parajanov's Thaler Award to renowned French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel for his outstanding contribution to world cinema.

The musical segment of the ceremony featured Ibrahim Maalouf, who performed a special improvisation dedicated to the centenary of Namus.

Running from July 12 to 19, this year's Golden Apricot will screen 90 films from 40 countries at the Cinema House, Moscow Cinema and Nairi Cinema in Yerevan.

The festival will also host internationally acclaimed film figures, including Oscar-winning producer Sev Ohanian, French-Armenian actor and theatre director Simon Abkarian, Oscar-winning Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, and others, who will share their experience with audiences and film professionals.