ArmInfo. The Yerevan International Film Festival, "Golden Apricot," continues its close collaboration with foreign embassies, cultural institutions, and international organizations based in Armenia, jointly creating a platform for cultural dialogue and cooperation through cinema.
During a press conference featuring representatives from the diplomatic missions of France, Canada, and Germany, it was announced that the festival program would showcase the finest examples of auteur cinema from these countries. Additionally, the festival will host visits from renowned directors, actors, cinematographers, and leading figures from the global film industry.
The French Program- The French program will open with the Yerevan premiere of Antonin Baudry's film, De Gaulle's Battle. The program also includes Tamara Stepanyan's Arto's Country, the iconic Jean- Pierre Jeunet masterpiece Amelie, and Arthur Harari's Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (The Unknown), among others.
A number of distinguished guests will arrive in Yerevan for the French program, including special guest actor Simon Abkarian. The festival will also feature director Antonin Baudry, filmmaker Tamara Stepanyan, world-renowned cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel who will conduct a masterclass as part of the GAIFF Pro professional platform as well as regional jury member Dominique Welinski and director Emile Parsegian.
The Canadian Program- Through cooperation with the Embassy of Canada, several significant works of contemporary Canadian cinema will be presented in various competitive sections. Hubert Caron-Houle's Mechanics of the Border has been selected for the international competition, while Sanaz Sohrabi's The Unfinished Calendar, Marlene Edoyan's There Is a Fire, and Gilda Pourjabar's Poisoned by the West will compete in the regional category.
The German Program- The German program, prepared in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut in Armenia, will open with a screening of Valeska Grisebach's Western (Thirst for Adventure). Joshi Bongard's Child Star will be featured in the International Feature Film Competition, while the "Yerevan Premieres" program will showcase Pawel Pawlikowski's Mother Joan of the Angels (Homeland) and Abolfazl Safari's Deer on the Highway, among others.
Germany will also send a delegation of influential film industry representatives. The jury will include Mark Persson, former Head of Programming at the Berlin International Film Festival. Shermin Langhoff, Artistic Director of the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin who has made significant contributions to the promotion of Armenian art in Germany will also visit Yerevan. Additional festival guests include directors Jens Geiger, Norik Keshishian, and Tobias Nolens, as well as Nadja Tennstedt, Head of DOK Industry at the DOK Leipzig International Documentary Film Festival.
"For many years, the 'Golden Apricot' International Film Festival has remained an important venue for cultural diplomacy, strengthening Armenia's ties with the world's leading centers of cinematic art. This year's joint programs with France, Canada, and Germany once again underscore the festival's international prestige and its role in fostering creative dialogue and forming new partnerships within the global film community," the source noted.
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