Golden Apricot opens in Yerevan with 90 films from 40 countries

(Horizon Media / YEREVAN) — The 23rd Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival officially opened on July 13 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, launching a week of screenings, industry events and cultural programmes featuring filmmakers and artists from Armenia and abroad.

The opening film was Tamara Stepanyan’s Armenian-French co-production Arto’s Country. Stepanyan described the film as a “love letter” to Armenia, Armenian cinema, the country’s wounds and its lost lands, noting that presenting it in her homeland carried particular significance.

Running through July 19, the festival will screen 90 films from 40 countries at the Cinema House, Moscow Cinema and Nairi Cinema. Its programme includes works previously presented at major international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Locarno, alongside educational initiatives, exhibitions and events marking the centenary of the Armenian silent film Namus.

Festival Director and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan said Golden Apricot is now among the film festivals recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. Around 200 international guests are attending this year, including Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, producer Sev Ohanian, cinematographers Bruno Delbonnel and Mahmoud Kalari, and trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf.

During the opening ceremony, festival founder Harutyun Khachatryan presented the Master Award to Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner, who is presiding over this year’s international jury. French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel received the Parajanov’s Thaler Award for his contribution to world cinema, while Maalouf performed a musical improvisation dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Namus.

French-Armenian actor, playwright and director Simon Abkarian is also among the festival’s honorary guests. He will present Antonin Baudry’s historical drama De Gaulle: Tilting Iron on July 16, in which he portrays General Charles de Gaulle during the collapse of France in June 1940 and the creation of the Free France movement.

Abkarian said de Gaulle’s refusal to accept defeat and his struggle to restore his country’s honour resonated deeply with him as an Armenian. He also emphasized the importance of festivals such as Golden Apricot in helping Armenia and the diaspora claim a broader place in world cinema.

“We have many stories to tell,” Abkarian said, stressing that Armenian cinema must extend beyond films about the Armenian Genocide and also present the history, struggle, literature, art and cultural identity of the Armenian people.