The 23rd Golden Apricot International Film Festival opened on July 13 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex with the Armenian-French co-production "Arto's Land," directed by Tamara Stepanyan.
Before the screening, Stepanyan said presenting the film in her homeland, and especially at the Golden Apricot festival, held special meaning for her, Armenpress reported.
"It is one thing to open the Locarno Film Festival, but something entirely different to open my beloved homeland's Golden Apricot. This film is a love letter to my homeland, our cinema, our wounds and our lost lands. I tried to transform that love letter into a film," Stepanyan said.
The festival program also includes films that have received awards at Cannes, Berlin, Locarno and other prestigious international film festivals.
Festival Director and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan emphasized that Golden Apricot has become one of the 50 leading film festivals recognized by FIAPF.
"This is the result of decades of work, particularly in recent years, aimed at strengthening the festival's position in the region. In this complex and dramatic region, we have sought to create a value that would earn global recognition," he said.
Avetisyan added that this year's festival has welcomed around 200 international guests, including Academy Award-winning director Paweł Pawlikowski, cinematographers Bruno Delbonnel and Mahmoud Kalari, internationally acclaimed trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf, who will also perform a concert at the sports and concert complex, as well as many other distinguished guests.
He also noted that the festival features numerous educational programs, production cooperation with the Cannes Film Festival, exhibitions, events marking the 100th anniversary of the film "Namus," and several other initiatives.
Yerevan Deputy Mayor Levon Hovhannisyan recalled that the municipality has been the festival's main sponsor for the past five years. According to him, Golden Apricot has long become not only one of Armenia's but also one of Yerevan's most important cultural hallmarks.
"I am very happy to see all of you here—people who love cinema and live through cinema. Year after year, Golden Apricot achieves new milestones. Today we can already say that among more than 5,000 film festivals worldwide, Golden Apricot ranks among the world's top 50, and this is truly an important achievement," he said.
Festival founding president Harutyun Khachatryan recalled that in 2003, together with his teacher Mikael Stamboltsyan and film critic Susanna Harutyunyan, they decided to establish Golden Apricot because it was an essential necessity for Armenian cinema.
"The festival has come a long way, and a good country like Armenia truly deserves such a festival," Khachatryan said before presenting the Master Award to the president of the 23rd festival's International Jury, renowned Austrian director Jessica Hausner.
He stressed that the Master Award is presented to artists who have not only created outstanding cinema but have also influenced world filmmaking through their stories, distinctive artistic vision and ideas. Khachatryan added that although he is a great admirer of documentary filmmaking, there are exceptional feature films worthy of deep admiration, and he considers Jessica Hausner among the world's finest directors.
One of the highlights of the opening ceremony was the presentation of the Parajanov Thaler Award to renowned French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel for his significant contribution to world cinema.
During the musical segment, trumpeter, pianist and composer Ibrahim Maalouf performed a special musical tribute marking the 100th anniversary of "Namus," presenting the audience with a unique improvisation.
During the 23rd Golden Apricot International Film Festival, taking place in Yerevan from July 13 to 19, audiences will have the opportunity to watch 90 films from 40 countries at the Cinema House, Moscow Cinema and Nairi Cinema.
Internationally acclaimed film professionals attending the festival, including Academy Award-winning producer Sev Ohanian, French-Armenian actor and theatre director Simon Abkarian, celebrated Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski and other guests, will share their experience and artistic vision with cinema enthusiasts and industry professionals.
