News and Press Releases

Golden Apricot Unveils the Competition Programs

June 10, 2011 14:57

The 8th edition of “Golden Apricot” Yerevan International Film Festival will present 4 competition programs: International Feature and Documentary, Armenian Panorama and “Stone” new competition program of shorts. In general 631 submissions are received from 81 countries, 150 amongst are selected from 45 countries. Today during the press conference Mikayel Stamboltsyan, program director, Ara Khanjyan, vice-director of the festival, and Tatevik Manoukyan, head of international department, presented the chosen films.

The opening film of the festival is going to be the winner of Cannes IFF 2010 “Certified Copy” directed by Abbas Kiarostami.

The Feature Competition includes:

• “Suicide Club”, Olaf Saumer, Germany
• “Winter Vacation”, Li Hongqi, China
• “The Journals of Musan”, Park Jungbum, South Korea
• “Curling”, Denis Cote, Canada
• “The Invisible Eye”, Diego Lerman, Argentina/France/Spain
• “Eternity”, Sivaroj Kongsakul, Tailand
• “The Prize”, Paula Markovich, Mexico/France/Poland/Germany
• “The Solitude of Prime Numbers”, Saverio Costanzo, Italy/Germany/France
• “Nader and Simin, A Separation”, Asghar Farhadi, Iran
• “The Tree”, Julie Bertuccelli, Germany/France/Italy/Austria
• “Sweet Evil”, Olivier Coussemacq, France

The Documentary Competition includes:

• “The Art of Speaking”, Emmanuelle Demoris, France
• “The World According to Ion B”, Alexander Nanau, Romania
• “Summer Pasture”, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Tserihg Perlo, USA/China
• “The Boy Mir - Ten Years in Afghanistan”, Phil Grabsky, UK
• “El General”, Natalia Almada, USA
• “Waste Land”, Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, Brazil/UK
• “I Am Free”, Andrea Roggon, Germany/Cuba
• “Nora Is Still Alive”, Martin Jabs, Germany
• “Cranberry Island”, Elena Demidova, Russia
• “The Collaborator and His Family”, Ruthie Shatz, Adi Barash, USA/Israel/France
• "Steel Gates", Armen Khachatryan, Armenia

“Stone” nomination will be presented separately.

In the frames of 8th Golden Apricot IFF retrospactives of Edmond Keosayan, Dmitri Kesayants, Roman Balayan, Bela Tarr, Wojciech Marczewski, Bertrand Tavernier will be screened.

Within the frames of the “RISORGIMENTO” program dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Italian Unifiocation “Viva l’Italia” by Roberto Rossellini, “Allosanfan” and “San Michele aveva un gallo” by Paolo e Vittorio Taviani, “Arrivano i bersaglieri” by Luigi Magni and “I Vicerè” by Roberto Faenza will be screened.

“Armenia From The Eyes of Foreigners” propgram will embrace films about Armenians, recently filmed in Armenia by foreign directors.

In the spotlight of Golden Apricot are the educational programs. The films of Andrzej Wajda School (Poland), Sapir College (Israel), Russia State University of Cinema (VGIK)will be presented in the “Film Schools” program.

Taking into consideration the interest of professionals and audiences towards CIS produced films, in 2011 the “Golden Apricot” will present innovative out-of-competition program dedicated to the 20th anniversary of CIS countries titled “The Cinema of CIS Countries”. Films from Tajikistan, Ukraine, Russia and many other countries will be screened. The Oscar nominated film “The Edge” directed by Aleksey Uchitel will open the program.

The closing film of the festival is “Pina” directed by Wim Wenders in 3D format.

GOLDEN APRICOT 8th International Film Festival will be held on 10-17 July in Yerevan, again with the help of the true partners: the Ministry of Culture as a state support and VivaCell-MTS as the general sponsor.