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 The 3rd SunChild International Environmental Festival that opened October 14 in Yerevan made Armenia again a platform for discussion of environmental problems by interested individuals and organizations giving them an opportunity not only to exchange ideas and experience, but also to find new fields of cooperation. SunChild has become a success greatly due to its main sponsor VivaCell-MTS.

The largest acquisition of the festival this year was the screening of more than 70 films from 30 countries at 11 cinema halls in Yerevan. The Festival had three competition programs – Wildlife Competition, Environmental Competition and Children Competition. This year it had also a special informational program. The audience was treated to a selection of environmental documentaries allowing a better understanding of the planet Earth, in particular, all the environmental problems that are facing the planet and its population. The Festival’s jury was composed of prominent experts. Details are available at www.festival.sunchild.org.

The SunChild attracted this year thousands of young people with about 6000 school children having watched the films. This year the festival was opened by Green documentary directed by French director Patrick Rouxel. The director was among the special guests of the Festival.

The SunChild ran through five busy days full with various events and actions, including open-air screening of documentaries, concerts, photo exhibitions, Animal Carnival Parade, discussions and an international conference on the role of civic societies and private sector in the preservation of wildlife in the South Caucasus. The Festival also featured a set of events marking the 70th anniversary of Yerevan Zoo.

The official ceremony started with Ruben Khachatryan, the Chairman of the Festival, announcing the winners of the competition programs.

“Let’s think over for a moment what we are leaving to our children: the wild nature being destroyed as a result of our intervention, by our own hands. Our health, the health of the future generations is threatened because of the water and atmosphere contamination. We have to realize and have to develop this understanding with our children that the human race is not the master of the nature, but only an element in it and that it is nature that has generously granted people life. The festival, the eco-clubs, the environmental films, and the marches – all are illustrative means to have the messages reach its target – to have old and young alike understand and realize the seriousness of environmental problems and at least stay back from activities that harm nature,” – VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said. Ralph Yirikian handed the winner of the Children Competition VivaCell-MTS’ award - a video cam worth of USD 1000. Additional USD 500 was provided to the winner of the best Wildlife film, and USD 500 was provided to the best Environmental film.

The Festival's closing film was The Cove, an Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary of 2009 directed by Louie Psihoyos.

The 3rd SunChild International Environmental Festival will be closed October 19 at Yerevan Zoo Garden. At 3 pm it will feature a special Garden of Peace art project dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Zoo and its results. The art project involves artists from several countries.