The 23rd Yerevan “Golden Apricot” International Film Festival has kicked off.The main partner of the prestigious film festival is yet again Viva

The beloved and widely recognized film festival, the “Golden Apricot”, has kicked off in Yerevan for the 23^rd time. For guests arriving in Yerevan from abroad, the festival will be presented with new, interesting and multifaceted layers and will serve as a window opening in the cinema hall. The message of the next festival is unique and important: expect not an explanation from cinema, but a revelation. At its core is the desire to discover, feel and reinterpret the world from another, emotional perspective.

The main poster of the “Golden Apricot” Film Festival this year is dedicated to poetry. The Yerevan summer promises to turn into an honest and profound revelation of worldview through the combination of cinema and poetry. The author of the main poster is the world-renowned artist and designer Igor Gurovich, whose works have repeatedly been in the spotlight and have received international acclaim. Gurovich’s work suggests that cinema and poetry should be considered as a space of creative freedom and human sensitivity. Competition films from different countries of the world, including the most prestigious ones, Cannes, Berlin and other film festivals, will be screened for a week.

Representatives of various agencies, heads of partner organizations, cultural figures, the Founding President of the festival Harutyun Khachatryan, the festival’s Managing and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan, honored guests from abroad and others participated in the official opening of the 23^rd “Golden Apricot”.

For the 15th time, the main partner of the prestigious film festival, which brings a unique touch to the cultural events of Armenia, is Viva. The festival kicked off with Tamara Stepanyan’s film “In the Land of Arto”.

“The importance of art can only be articulated in the language of art. Humanity needs it not just for expression, but for development. The greats of all times remind us of this. Dante and Brodsky are separated by six centuries, but the two presented different sides of the same truth. Dante suggests that the world moves with the power of love, and Brodsky suggests that man strives for his highest calling through poetry. Art is the language of love. I am glad to note that Viva has been striving to convey an important message to people for 15 years through this film festival,” said Armen Avetisian, General Director of Viva.

“Poetry is not just rhyme and rhythm. It is a language of expression of human experience, feelings and thoughts, which allows us to see the world from a new perspective. With this year’s poster, the film festival invites the audience not only to watch art, but also to live within it, to be sensitive, curious and open to the world, to become a part of the poetic space of cinema,” said the festival’s Managing and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan.

During the festival, world-renowned authors, directors, actors and experts in the field will be in Armenia, to share their experience and art to the Armenian audience, creating an exclusive platform for dialogue, new ideas and cultural exchange.

The president of the 23^rd “Golden Apricot” International Jury is Jessica Hausner. Hausner’s films, who is considered one of the leading figures of contemporary Austrian cinema, have premiered in Cannes and Venice. They have been widely recognized for their innovative approach to genre cinema. The regional competition jury is headed by Mahmoud Kalari, a renowned cinematographer who has shot films by iconic Iranian directors Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi, and Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

The festival will be closed with the film “Once within a Time” by Godfrey Reggio. Until then, interesting screenings, cultural excitement, intensive work of the international jury, and heated discussions by the audience await.

The festival’s main sponsor is Yerevan Municipality. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.