Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival kicks off

The 22nd edition of the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival officially launched on Sunday. This annual celebration of cinema is taking place from July 13 to 20. Once again, the festival will showcase competition films from around the world, along with selections from the most prestigious film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and others. Renowned figures from the global film industry have arrived in Armenia to share their experience and artistry with local cinephiles.

Festival founder and president Harutyun Khachatryan paid tribute to recently deceased Armenian filmmakers. At his invitation, the two other co-founders — Susanna Harutyunyan and Mikayel Stamboltsyan — joined him on stage to officially open the festival together.

The opening film of this year's festival was “A Simple Incident” by Jafar Panahi, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in May. Panahi visited Armenia last year and shared emotional reflections during his speech:

“Every time I come to Armenia, I return with the best memories, but tonight is different — it is the most memorable. I want to talk about someone whose presence demands deep respect. When I was a student, there was a cinema near our university. One day, I saw this great man cleaning the cinema windows himself to hang posters for his film. I stood and watched him for half an hour. From him, I learned that when you make a film, you must care about even the smallest details — and do everything yourself. Some people don’t just make films — they create paths. I’ve always dreamed of being near this great man. He taught me resilience. Tonight, I want to pay tribute to one of the greatest Iranian directors — Master Amir Naderi.”

Panahi presented the Parajanov Thaler Award to Amir Naderi, honoring his immense contribution to world cinema.

“Panahi is one of the most important directors in Iranian cinema, alongside Abbas Kiarostami, in paving a path forward. This award is very meaningful to me because Parajanov is one of my favorite filmmakers. I dedicate this award to the young filmmakers of Iran, in hopes that they will also pave paths like Panahi,” Naderi said.

The president of the International Competition Jury of the 22nd Golden Apricot is Abderrahmane Sissako, Cannes and César award-winning Mauritanian director, known for his cinematic voice advocating for human dignity, compassion, justice, and tolerance. For the first time in the festival’s history, an African director is being honored. 

Other jury members include:

• Eric Nazarian, Armenian-American screenwriter and director, Golden Apricot laureate, participant in San Sebastián and Turin festivals;
• Athina Rachel Tsangari, co-founder of the Greek New Wave, early collaborator of Yorgos Lanthimos, director of the acclaimed film Attenberg, and stage director of the Athens Olympic Games ceremonies;
• Adilkhan Yerzhanov, a leading figure in contemporary Central Asian cinema, known for his genre experimentation and dark irony;
• Ada Solomon, one of Romania’s top producers, winner of the Golden Bear in Berlin and Oscar-nominated film producer.     

Amir Naderi is the guest of honor and president of the Regional Competition Jury. Jury members include:

• Kira Kovalenko, winner of Cannes' Un Certain Regard award and one of Alexander Sokurov’s best students;
• Karen Karagulian, Armenian-American actor known for his long-term collaboration with director Sean Baker.

The festival will conclude with the screening of “The Last Station”, a film by Harutyun Khachatryan.

The main sponsor of the 22nd Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival is the Yerevan Municipality, and it is supported by the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.