Events

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL
FILM DIRECTOR ATOM EGOYAN

From its very first year, I have been involved with The Golden Apricot Film Festival. It is moving for me to welcome you to Yerevan, a city I first visited almost twenty years ago. The spirit and tradition of cinema is deeply embedded in the Armenian soul, as this has always been a true crossroad of many different cultures. More than any other art form of the past century, cinema has been able to express the nuances of the human condition, and we are proud to welcome you to this Festival which has grown in such an astonishing and positive way.
Each Festival is the result of a special alchemy, with the selection of films combining with the special energy of the invited guests and filmmakers. I trust that your stay in Yerevan will be valuable, that you will find the time to explore the city, and that you will find films that excite your imagination. A festival exists as a physical reality, but also as a mysterious event that takes place in the soul of each individual participant, as you interact with personalities and images from around the world. Have a great journey! You are most welcome in this ancient land!

Poster 2010

Films Together!
A New Initiative by the Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform

From April 8 to 10 within the framework of the Istanbul International Film Festival a workshop held by the Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform (ATCP) entitled “Making Films Together!” was the initiative of Anadolu Kültür (Turkey) and GOLDEN APRICOT International Film Festival (Armenia). Before the workshop, a competition for short films (fiction, documentary or animation) was announced in both countries. Filmmakers presented topics on Armenia and Turkey: their common interests, dreams, the past and the present of the two countries.
The Armenian side submitted15 projects, the Turkish side – 40. Ten projects were selected to participate in the workshop (five from each country). Five projects received grants for development and shooting. Among the Armenian projects, "Galata" by Diana Kardumyan and "Neighbours" by Gor Baghdasaryan were granted full funding. Kardumyan’s project is an artistic film montage of scenes in Istanbul and Baghdasaryan’s project depicts two villages and their inhabitants on both sides of the Armenian-Turkish border. Another Armenian project, "The Master of Doves" by Artur Sukiasyan, about dove keepers from Gyumry and Kars, received partial funding. On the Turkish side, full funding was given to "Don’t Get Lost Children!" by Gülengül Altinaş (scriptwriters: Garabet Orunöz, Yüce Yöney), which presents a fragment from the history of Armenian Kamp Armen children's camp in Istanbul. Another Turkish project, "Salute from Salute from Agop to Şukru" by Cem Öztüfekçi on Armenian and Turkish railway workers along the border received partial financing.
Many participants of the workshop previously participated in initiatives of the GOLDEN APRICOT festival, especially in the “Directors Across Borders” and “Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform.” Cem Öztüfekçi participated in Abbas Kiarostami’s master classes held in Yerevan in 2008.
All films will be co-productions of Anadolu Kültür and GOLDEN APRICOT. The final shootings are scheduled to be completed by January 30, 2011. There is an agreement to screen the films at the Istanbul International Film Festival and GOLDEN APRICOT Festival in 2011.
The program “Making Films Together!” will be further developed during the 2nd ATCP Script and Project Development Workshop to be held at the 7th GOLDEN APRICOT International Film Festival (11-18 July, 2010) and will be fully devoted to the co-production of Armenian-Turkish short films. Soon, a new call for entries for Armenian-Turkish short films will be announced.
The ATCP 2010 Program is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.