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For the past week, “Golden Apricot” Festival had turned Yerevan into a world cinematography center featuring colorful cultural events, renowned film-makers and honorable guests, and films in a variety of genres, VivaCell-MTS reports in a released statement.

According to the source, the closing event of the 13-th “Golden Apricot” International Film Festival was marked by the awarding ceremony. Director Roman Balayan received a special “Eghici Luys” («Եղիցի լույս») award for outstanding contribution to Armenian cinematography.

The festival week was full of events: “Armenian Cinema: Modern Times” program dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia; round table discussions; master classes held by director and cinematographer Fred Kelemen (Germany), director Želimir Žilnik (Serbia), documentary filmmaker Vitaly Mansky (Russia), famous actor Homayoun Ershadi (Iran), director Andrey Loshak (Russia); an evening in honor of the Chairman of the Cinematographer’s Union in Armenia Ruben Gevorgyants; screenings of Želimir Žilnik’s and Fred Kelemen’s retrospective programs, and much more.

Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform (ATCP) Project Development Workshop was held in the frames of the festival. Directors Arnaud Khayadjanian (“Welcome to Anatolia”) and Inna Sahakyan (“Aurora’s Sunrise”) were awarded a prize of 7,500 Euros by European Union and a prize of 5,000 USD established by the Embassy of the United States in Armenia. Among the honorable guests of the festival was renowned actress Jacqueline Bisset who has starred in movies of many famous directors. The GAIFF audience had an opportunity to watch three films in the frames of Jacqueline Bisset’s retrospective program.

13-th “Golden Apricot” paid tribute to recently deceased friend of the festival, famous director Abbas Kiarostami. Kiarostami’s “Taste of Cherry” was screened in “Moscow” Cinema, and his “Road” photo exhibition was presented at Dalan Art Gallery.

13-th “Golden Apricot” International Film Festival also featured “French New Cinema”, “German Cinema Day”, “Shakespeare Lives in Film”, “Polish Cinema Day” programs, organized in partnership with Foreign Missions in RA. Premieres of a number of films took place in the frames of “Yerevan Premieres” program. General Director of “Golden Apricot” International Film Festival Harutyun Khachatryan and General Manager of GAIFF’s General Partner VivaCell-MTS Ralph Yirikian announced the closing of the one-week festival. The GAIFF closing event was wrapped up by the screening of the Dardenne brothers’ “The Unknown Girl” (Belgium).

“Just another “Golden Apricot” has come to end, but its mission will persist in our hearts. The popular Armenian festival leaves film-lovers with their impressions, thoughts and memories till the next year. Did the festival succeed in inspiring the audience to think, work and live beautifully? Time will show. In the course of 13 years, “Golden Apricot” has become a true ambassador of human values and a crossroad of different cultures,” noted VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.