5TH GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL KICKED OFF IN YEREVAN JULY 13
PanARMENIAN.Net
14.07.2008 18:15 GMT+04:00
Honorable guests and participants, accompanied with journalists and
photographers, walked through the red carpet to the Red Hall of Moscow
Cinema to open the 5th Golden Apricot Film Festival on July 13.
This year is an anniversary for the Golden Apricot. 5 years ago it was
founded by 3 originators; film-director, now general director of the
festival- Harutyun Khachatryan, film-critic, now the art director –
Susanna Harutyunyan and film-critic, festival’s program director –
Michayel Stamboltsyan.
166 films from 65 countries will be screened. July 14 will be the
day of French films; July 16 will be dedicated to Dutch films.
The festival’s opening ceremony started with the shots that presented
chronicles of the route that Golden Apricot has passed.
Singer and song-writer: Rouben Hakhverdyan greeted the Golden Apricot
with his well known song "This is Yerevan".
Ralf Yirikyan, the executive director of VivaCell, in addition general
sponsor of Golden Apricot also welcomed the festival. The festival’s
general director – Harutyun Khachatryan mentioned that it’s the first
time in the history of Armenia that a prize is given to a sponsor:
"Mantashyan Knight Prize" was given to VivaCell’s general director.
Harutjun Xachatryan gave "The tallers of Parajanov" to the prominent
Iranian film-director and festival’s head of jury Dariush Mehrjui.
With a minute of silence the hall respected the memory of the famous
film-director Michelangelo Antonioni. Furthermore, Wim Wenders,
the honourable guest of the festival, awarded posthumous prize
to Michelangelo Antonioni. The prize was accepted by the widow of
Antonioni, Enrica Antonioni.
Russian film-maker Vladimir Mashkov and оur compatriot film-maker
Roman Balayan also gave speeches. Roman Balayan greeted all the
guests, mentioning that realizing this kind of a festival is a great
courage. After Roman Balayan’s speech, his film "Birds of Paradise"
was screened.
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan
and other high-level guests attended the ceremony, gaiff.am reports.
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