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The 9th SunChild International Environmental Festival press conference revealed details about various exciting events within the framework of the festival program. The speakers at the press conference were VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian, World Vision Armenia Country Director Zhirayr Edilyan, Founder of SunChild International Environmental Festival Ruben Khachatryan, Director of SunChild Festival Sona Kalantaryan, and Films’ Coordinator Varvara Hovhannisyan, VivaCell-MTS said in a press release. 

The press conference presented the agenda of the SunChild 9th International Environmental Festival and information about the films included in the screening progrma. The festival's founder Ruben Khachatryan spoke about the idea of establishing the festival and its importance, and Ralph Yirikian, the chief of a company which has been a permanent supporter of the festival, talked about the reasons why VivaCell-MTS supports the environmental festival, and the importance of the private enterprises’ support the development of nature conservation. 

“It is hard to overestimate the importance of the “SunChild” Festival. It has been established over the years, and it’s evolving more and more, becoming more participatory, more beloved and more influential in raising the awareness about the nature conservation. It is heartwarming that the festival is popular, especially among young people. It is a very important platform for rooting our caring attitude towards the nature as a core value,” Yirikian said. 

Zhirayr Edilyan, Director of World Vision Armenia & FPWC’s partner emphasized the importance of moving the Festival to regions making it accessible for remote communities. “People living in regions & communities also had the chance to participate in the Festival. Last year during the Festival, the films were screened all over Vayots Dzor region, that activated the rural life and involved local people from communities as well. We recorded more than 3000 visitors during the festival, and moreover, schoolchildren from 15 communities learned how to film the environmental issues in their communities and were included in the eco- clubs of Sunchild.”

The SunChild 9th International Environmental Festival is being held in Yerevan from the 22 to the 25 October. 

The festival aims to raise awareness about environmental issues and the level of wildlife conservation, especially among the youth. The 2019 is proclaimed the year of the Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica), so joining the state initiative aimed at conservation and awareness-raising about the Leopard, the Caucasian leopard will be the main theme of the festival.

Within the framework of the 9th SunChild International Environmental Festival, more than 30 environmental films from all around the world will be screened in Yerevan with Armenian subtitles; several interesting workshops on environmental and filmmaking will take place; as well as a photo exhibition on environmental issues.

During the festival days you can also meet the Caucasian leopard in different parts of Yerevan. The leopard will roam the streets of the capital in the evening, but there is no need to be cautious, as the leopard will be on screen-display only. Throughout the footages of the Caucasian Leopard captured by the trap cameras installed at the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge (CWR), we’ll be able to see in Yerevan all the beauty of our wildlife.

The 10th jubille edition of SunChild International Environmental Festival will take place in 2020. In preparation for the coming event, the announcement about establishing two awards for major contributors to biodiversity studies and nature conservation will be made at the closing ceremony of the festival, to be granted during next year’s festival – Botanical Award After Eleonora Gabrielyan and Nature Conservation Award.