July 12 marks Golden Apricot 12th Yerevan International Film Festival

The first day was saturated and eventful. The week of the festival started with the traditional morning press conferences, the gaiff.am website reports.

During the press conference the Armenian Panorama National Competition participants Marine and Sona Kocharyans (How to cross (from Jiliz to Jiliz)), Vahram Mkhitaryan (The Shepherd’s song) and Alex Igitbashyan and EmiliMkrtchyan (Traversed) presented their films.

The second half of the day was the “GOLDEN APRICOT’s” non-official starting point with the traditional Apricot blessing ceremony, which was held in St. Anna church this year.

During the first day of the festival the famous Italian actress Ornella Mutihad a meeting with the press and the fans:

GOLDEN APRICOT paid a tribute to Henrik Malyan’s 90th anniversary with a star next to other Armenian prolific filmmakers on the Charles Anznavour square. Out of the “GOLDEN APRICOT’s” tribute stars, Henrik Malyan’s star is the 6th.

After the ceremony was the screening of the GOLDEN APRICOT’s opening film Don't Tell Me the Boy Was Mad by French- Armenian film director Robert Guediguian. The film, that had its international premiere during the 2015 Cannes Film festival’s out of competition program, partially talks about the Genocide and tells the story of the relived generation of the Genocide during 1970-1980.

In the evening the official opening was held at National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet after A. Spendiaryan. Honorary guests, the participants of the competition and non-competition programs walked through the red carpet ceremony.

The welcoming speeches were made by the “GOLDEN APRICOT” Yerevan International Film festival’s general director, Harutyun Khachatryan and the general sponsor for ten years Viva Cell- MTS’s general director Ralph Yirikian. Afterwards the participating films of the competitions and the members of the jury were presented. During the opening ceremony famous film stars Ornella Muti and Nastassja Kinski were given the ''Parajanov Thaler'' Awards.

With the first day of the festival opened the one-week long July event. The joyful energy of the city stirred from the Vardavar tradition, coincided with the first day of the festival.