Yerevan International Film Festival

Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival
Location Yerevan, Armenia
Founded 2004
Directors Atom Egoyan (Honorary Chairman)

Harutyun Khachatryan (General Director)
Susanna Harutyunyan (Artistic Director)

Mikayel Stamboltsyan (Program Director)
Producers "Golden Apricot" Fund for Cinema Development, Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists
Festival date July
Language Armenian, English
Website www.gaiff.am

The Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival (GAIFF; Armenian: «Ոսկե Ծիրան» Երևանի միջազգային կինոփառատոն, romanized"Voske Tsiran" Yerevani mijazgayin kinop'arraton) is an annual film festival held in Yerevan, Armenia. The festival was founded in 2004 with the co-operation of the "Golden Apricot" Fund for Cinema Development, the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists. The GAIFF is continually supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and the Benevolent Fund for Cultural Development.The objectives of the festival are "to present new works by the film directors and producers in Armenia and foreign cinematographers of Armenian descent and to promote creativity and originality in the area of cinema and video art".

History

Atom Egoyan at the third edition of the festival

The "Golden Apricot" Annual Film Festival was established in 2004 in Yerevan, by the "Golden Apricot" Fund for Cinema Development, the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and Benevolent Fund for Cultural Development. Canadian-Armenian director Atom Egoyan was named president of the festival since 2005.

The Festival is dedicated to the theme of Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations, and features a multitude of films representing various nations and religions, collectively depicting the richness of the human experience.

In 2005, the establishment of a network of filmmakers of the region entitled Directors Across Borders was initiated by the "Golden Apricot" Film Festival.

Since 2005 "Golden Apricot" has been functioning under the aegis of the European Cultural Parliament.

In 2010, the festival was awarded by the FICTS Plate D'honneur.

In 2017, festival organizers cancelled the screening of an off-competition program entitled, "Armenians: Internal And External Views", with no reasons given. LGBT activists took to social media to criticize the cancellation, with some claiming that two LGBTQ+-themed films — Apricot Groves and Listen to Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred — were the reason for the cancellation. Atom Egoyan and Arsinée Khanjian, prominent Armenian Canadian figures in cinema, denounced this cancellation. An open letter signed by filmmakers, activists, politicians, and others denouncing the cancellation was published, and LGBTQ+ rights organizations Pink Armenia and GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society strongly criticized the censorship. The EU's Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum called on Armenian authorities to fulfill their international commitments, stating that "The incident... runs contrary to the process of Armenia's joining the Creative Europe programme".

Awards and categories of competition

The major awards at the GAIFF are the Golden Apricot and Silver Apricot prizes for feature, documentary and Armenian panorama films. Lifetime achievement is recognized by the Parajonov's Thaler Award, named in honour of Sergei Parajanov.

The various categories and prize names are as follows:

International Feature Competition

1. "Golden Apricot" – Best Feature Film

2. "Silver Apricot" – Special Prize

International Documentary Competition

1. "Golden Apricot" – Best Documentary Film

2. "Silver Apricot" – Special Prize

"Apricot Stone" Short Film Competition

1. "Golden Stone" – Best Short Film

2. Special Prize

"Armenian Panorama" National Competition

1. "Golden Apricot" – Best Fiction Film

2. "Golden Apricot" – Best Documentary Film

3. "Silver Apricot" – Special Prize

Winners of the Grand Prix - Golden Apricot main prize for Best Feature Film

Awards GAIFF 2004

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Ararat Atom Egoyan Canada
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film Tale About Pegasus (Armenian: Հեքիաթ թեվավոր ձիու մասին) Armen Khachatryan Armenia
Short Film Competition Golden Apricot for Best Short Film Je m'appelle Stéphane Elmadjian France
Animation and Experimental Film Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film Freedub 1
Jury Special Prize Jury Special Prize for Best Feature Film A Place in the World Artour Aristakisian Russia
Jury Special Prize for Best Animation and Experimental Film Ligne de Vie Serge Avedikian France
Special Mention Special Mention for Best Documentary Film I Died in Childhood... Georgiy Paradzhanov Russia

Awards GAIFF 2005

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film The Sun Alexander Sokurov Russia, Italy, Switzerland, France
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film 4 Ilya Khrzhanovsky Russia
Los Muertos (The Dead) Lisandro Alonso Argentina, Netherlands, France
Jury Special Mention Paradise Girls Fow Pyng Hu Netherlands
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film 3 Rooms Of Melancholia Pirjo Honkasalo Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film Moskatchka Annett Schutz Latvia, Germany
Oh! Man Yervant Gianikian, Angela Ricci Lucchi Italy
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film Hammer & Flame Von (Vahan) Pilikian United Kingdom
Under the Open Sky Arman Yeritsyan Armenia
The Road Naira Muradyan Armenia
Jury Diploma Born in Fire Suren Ter-Grigoryan Armenia
Planet Zorthian Arno Yeretzian, Sevag Vrej, Harout Arakelian, Lisa Tchakmakian United States
One Balloon Aram Hekinian, Aruna Naimji United States
One Fine Morning (Un Beau Matin) Serge Avedikian France
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award Abbas Kiarostami Iran
Krzysztof Zanussi Poland
Nikita Mikhalkov Russia
Prize of the Armenian Filmmakers Union for the Best Director Long Gone (Documentary) Jack Cahil United States
Prizes of the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists for the Best Feature Film My Father is an Engineer Robert Guédiguian France
Waiting for the Clouds Yeşim Ustaoğlu Turkey
Hrant Matevosyan Fund Prix for the Best Script in Armenian Panorama The Road Naira Muradyan Armenia

Awards GAIFF 2006

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Three Times Hou Hsiao-hsien Taiwan, China, France
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film The Legend of Time Isaki Lacuesta Spain
Trip To Armenia (Le voyage en Arménie) Robert Guédiguian France
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film Workingman's Death Michael Glawogger Austria
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film Estamira Marcos Prado Brazil
Jury Special Mention Ljudmila & Anatolij Gunnar Bergdahl Sweden
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film The Dwellers of Forgotten Islands Hrant Hakobyan Armenia
Jury Special Mention Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award Ara Vahuni Armenia
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award Artavazd Peleshyan Armenia
Marko Bellocchio Italy
Tonino Guerra Italy
Mohsen Makhmalbaf Iran
Godfrey Reggio United States
Awards for Emerging Filmmakers The Genocide in Me Araz Artinyan Canada
My Name is Happiness Vardan Hakobyan Russia
The Lighthouse Maria Sahakyan Russia, Armenia
Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists Prize Summer in Berlin Andreas Dresen Germany
Returner Serge Avedikian France

Awards GAIFF 2007

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Import/Export Ulrich Seidl Austria
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film Nuovomondo Emanuele Crialese Italy, France
Jury Diploma Flanders Bruno Dumont France
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film A Story of People in War and Peace Vardan Hovhannisyan Armenia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film The White She-Camel Christiaens Xavier Belgium
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film Screamers Carla Garapedian United Kingdom
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Armenian Film A Story of People in War and Peace Vardan Hovhannisyan Armenia
Jury Diploma Graffiti Igor Apasyan Russia
Seven Indian Boys Ashot Mkrtchyan Armenia
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award Paolo and Vittorio Taviani Italy
FIPRESCI Award A Story of People in War and Peace Vardan Hovhannisyan Armenia
Ecumenical Jury Awards A Story of People in War and Peace Vardan Hovhannisyan Armenia
Screamers Carla Garapedian United Kingdom
Wishing-Tree Prize Dinner Time Gor Baghdasaryan Armenia

Awards GAIFF 2008

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Mermaid Anna Melikian Russia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film Lemon Tree Eran Riklis Israel, France, Germany
Wonderful Town Aditya Assarat Thailand
Jury Diploma End of the Earth Abolfazl Saffary Iran
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film Women See Lot of Things Meira Asher Netherlands
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film Lakshmi and Me Nishtha Jain India, United States, Finland, Denmark
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film The Blue Hour Eric Nazarian United States
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Armenian Film Gata Diana Mkrtchyan Russia
Jury Diploma Jrarat, Miniatures Mariam Ohanyan Armenia
Parajanov's Thaler – Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni Italy
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award Wim Wenders Germany
Dariush Mehrjui Iran
Special Silver Apricot – Pour l’Audance Artistique et Humaine Catherine Breillat France
FIPRESCI Award My Marlon and Brando Huseyin Karabey Turkey
Ecumenical Jury Award The Blue Hour Eric Nazarian United States
Jury Diploma My Marlon and Brando Huseyin Karabey Turkey

Awards GAIFF 2009

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film The Other Bank Giorgi Ovashvili Georgia, Kazakhstan
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film Scratch Michał Rosa Poland
Jury Diploma Autumn Özcan Alper Turkey, Germany
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film Burma VJ - Reporting from a Closed Country Anders Østergaard Denmark
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film The Living Sergey Bukovsky Ukraine
Jury Special Mention Supermen of Malegaon Faiza Ahmad Khan India, Singapore, Japan
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film With Love and Gratitude Arka Manukyan Armenia
Jury Diploma Caucasian Niece Levon Kalantar Armenia
A World of Our Own Frédéric Balekdjian France
Special Prize "Master" Kōhei Oguri Japan
Rob Nilsson United States
Sergei Solovyov Russia
FIPRESCI Award Autumn Özcan Alper Turkey, Germany
Ecumenical Jury Award The Other Bank Giorgi Ovashvili Georgia, Kazakhstan

Awards GAIFF 2010

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Cosmos Reha Erdem Turkey, Bulgaria
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film My Joy Sergei Loznitsa Ukraine, Germany, Netherlands
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film Together Pavel Kostomarov Russia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film The Woman With Five Elephants Vadim Jendreyko Germany, Switzerland
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia Arman Yeritsyan, Inna Sahakyan Armenia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Armenian Film Down Here Comes Chahbazian Belgium, France
Jury Special Mention Uncle Valya Nikolay Davtyan Armenia
Parajanov's Thaler – Tribute to Henri Verneuil Armenia, France
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award" Theo Angelopoulos Greece
Claudia Cardinale Italy
Special Prize "Master" Claire Denis France
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson Iceland
Lee Chang-dong South Korea
Stanislav Govorukhin Russia
FIPRESCI Award On the Path Jasmila Žbanić Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Croatia, Germany
Ecumenical Jury Award Don’t Look in the Mirror Suren Babayan Armenia
Jury Diploma How I Ended This Summer Alexei Popogrebski Russia
British Council Award Lernavan Marat Sargsyan Lithuania
Hrant Matevosyan Award

Awards GAIFF 2011

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film A Separation Asghar Farhadi Iran
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film The Journals of Musan Park Jung-bum South Korea
Jury Special Prize The Prize Paula Markovitch Mexico, France, Poland, Germany
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film The World According to Ion B. Alexander Nanau Russia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film Summer Pasture Lynn True,

Nelson Walker III,

Tsering Perlo

United States, China
Jury Special Mention Magnificent Nothing Ahmad Seyedkeshmiri Iran
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot for Best Armenian Film Loading My Life Haroutyun Shatyan Armenia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Armenian Film The Spaceship Emil Mkrttchian Sweden
Jury Special Mention The Last Hippie of the Pink City Anastasia Popova Russia
Apricot Stone Golden Apricot Glasgow Piotr Subbotko Poland
Jury Special Mention Bicycle Serhat Karaaslan Turkey
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award Béla Tarr Hungary
Fanny Ardant France
Roman Balayan Ukraine
Special Prize "Master" Nuri Bilge Ceylan Turkey
Wojciech Marczewski Poland
Alexei Uchitel Russia
FIPRESCI Award Mandoo Ebrahim Saeedi Iraq
Ecumenical Jury Award Europolis Cornel Gheorghita Romania, France
Jury Commendation Steel Gates Armen Khachatryan Armenia
Armenian National Film Academy Award The Prize Paula Markovitch Mexico, France, Poland, Germany
Armenian Filmmakers Union Award Loading My Life Haroutyun Shatyan Armenia
British Council Award Loading My Life Haroutyun Shatyan Armenia
Hrant Matevosyan Award The Spaceship Emil Mkrttchian Sweden

Awards GAIFF 2012

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film In the Fog Sergei Loznitsa Belarus, Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film It Looks Pretty From a Distance Anka Sasnal, Wilhelm Sasnal Poland
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film 5 Broken Cameras Emad Burnat

Guy Davidi

Palestine
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film The Tundra Book. A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock, Aleksei Vakhrushev Russia
Jury Special Mention Bakhmaro Salome Jash Georgia (country), Germany
Armenian Panorama Competition Best Armenian Fiction Film - Golden Apricot If Only Everyone Natalya Belyauskene Armenia
Best Armenian Documentary - Golden Apricot Armenian Rhapsody Cassiana Der Haroutiounian

Cesar Gananian, Gary Gananian

Brazil
Silver Apricot for Armenian Panorama Nana Valerie Massadian France
Apricot Stone Golden Apricot When We Die At Night Eduardo Morotó Brazil
Jury Special Mention Insignificant Details of the Accidental Episode Mikhail Mestetsky Russia
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award" Víctor Erice Spain
Agnieszka Holland Poland
Eldar Shengelaia Georgia (country)
Award of the Apostolic Church of Armenia – "Let There Be Light" Alexander Sokurov Russia
FIPRESCI Award The First Rains of Spring Yerlan Nurmukhambetov

Sano Shinju

Japan, Kazakhstan
Ecumenical Jury Award If Only Everyone Natalya Belyauskene Armenia
Jury Commendation Future Lasts Forever Özcan Alper Turkey
Armenian National Film Academy Award Grandma's Tattoos Suzanne Khardalian Sweden
British Council Award Armenian Rhapsody Cassiana Der Haroutiounian

Cesar Gananian, Gary Gananian

Brazil
Armenian Filmmakers Union Award With Fidel Whatever Happens Goran Radovanovic Serbia
Hrant Matevosyan Award Bad Father Tigrane Avedikian France

Awards GAIFF 2013

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Circles (film) Srdan Golubović Germany, Serbia,France, Croatia, Slovenia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film Parviz(film) Majid Barzegar Iran
Jury Special Mention Araf – Somewhere In-Between Yeşim Ustaoğlu Germany,Franc, Turkey
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film The Last Black Sea Pirates Svetoslav Stoyanov Bulgaria
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Documentary Film A World Not Ours Mahdi Fleifel United Kingdom
Armenian Panorama Competition Best Armenian Fiction Film - Golden Apricot I Am Going To Change My Name Maria Sahakyan Armenia, Russia, Denmark
Best Armenian Documentary - Golden Apricot Saroyanland Lusin Dink Armenia,France,Turkey
Apricot Stone Golden Apricot Welcome and… Our Condolences Leonid Prudovsky Israel
Jury Special Mention The Mother Łukasz Ostalski Poland
The Swing of the Coffin Maker Elmár Imánov Germany
Jury Diploma Rhino Full Throttle Erik Schmitt Germany
Parajanov's Thaler – Lifetime Achievement Award" Charles Aznavour France, Armenia
István Szabó Hungary
Margarethe von Trotta Germany
Jos Stelling Netherlands
Nerses Hovhannisyan Armenia
Special Prize Master Ulrich Seidl Austria
Award of the Apostolic Church of Armenia – "Let There Be Light" Artavazd Peleshyan Armenia
British Council Award for the Armenian Panorama Competition Embers Tamara Stepanyan Armenia, Lebanon, Qatar
Armenian Filmmakers Union Award A Mere Life Sanghun Park South Korea
Hrant Matevosyan Award for the best script in the Armenian Panorama Competition Broken Childhood Jivan Avetisyan Armenia

Awards GAIFF 2014

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film The Tribe (2014 film) Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi Ukraine
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film Blind Dates Levan Koguashvili Georgia (country), Ukraine
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot for Best Documentary Film The Stone River Giovanni Donfrancesco Italy, France
[Domino Effect Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosołowski Poland, Germany
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot Milky Brother Vahram Mkhitaryan Armenia Poland
Golden Apricot Tevanik Jivan Avetisyan Armenia, Lithuania
Silver Apricot Romaticists Shoghik Tedevosyan, Areg Azatyan Armenia
Jury Diploma Please Be Normal Haik Kocharian United States
Apricot Stone Golden Apricot Though I Know the River Is Dry Omar Robert Hamilton Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, United Kingdom
Jury Special Prize Red Hulk Assimina Proedrou Greece
Parajanov's Thaler – For outstanding artistic contribution into world cinema Jia Zhangke China
Kim Ki-duk South Korea
Amos Gitai Israel
Otar Iosseliani Georgia (country),
Parajanov's Thaler – For outstanding contribution into world festival movement Marco Müller Italy
Special Prize Master Christian Berger Austria
Award of the Apostolic Church of Armenia – "Let There Be Light" Krzysztof Zanussi Poland
FIPRESCI Jury Award The Tribe (2014 film) Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi Ukraine
EcumenicalL Jury Award The Abode Lusine Sargsyan Armenia
Special Commendation Blind Dates Levan Koguashvili Georgia (country),
Armenian Filmmakers Union Award Andin: Armenian Journey Chronicles Ruben Giney Armenia, China, Russia, India
Please Be Normal Haik Kocharian United States
Hrant Matevosyan Award for the best script in the Armenian Panorama Competition Milky Brother Vahram Mkhitaryan Armenia Poland
Armen Mazmanian Special Award Resurrection Alain Manoukyan Armenia

Awards GAIFF 2015

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Embrace of the Serpent Ciro Guerra Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film End of Winter Kim Dae-hwan South Korea
Jury Special Mention Ixcanul Jayro Bustamant Guatemala, France
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot The Creation of Meaning Simone Rapisarda Casanova Canada, Italy
Silver Apricot A German Youth Jean-Gabriel Périot France, Germany, Switzerland
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot The Doctor Anna Goroyan Russia
One, Two, Three… Arman Yeritsyan Armenia, Germany, Norway
Jury Special Mention Back To Gürün Adrineh Gregorian Armenia
Apricot Stone Golden Apricot Everything Will Be Okay Patrick Vollrath Austria,Germany
Jury Special Prize Chelleh Davood Khayyam Iran
Jury Special Mention Family For Sale Sébastien Petretti Belgium
Parajanov's Thaler – For outstanding artistic contribution into world cinema Ornella Muti Italy
Nastassja Kinski Germany
Special Prize Master Patrick Chesnais France
Award of the Apostolic Church of Armenia – "Let There Be Light" Robert Guédiguian France
FIPRESCI Jury Award Moskvich, my love Aram Shahbazyan Armenia, Russia, France
Ecumenical Jury Award Moskvich, my love Aram Shahbazyan Armenia, Russia, France
Special Commendation Sivas Kaan Müjdeci Germany, Turkey
Hrant Matevosyan Award for the best script in the Armenian Panorama Competition The Road Gagik Madoyan Armenia
Audience Award Sanctuary Marc Brummund Germany,

Awards GAIFF 2016

Category Award Film Director Country
International Feature Competition Golden Apricot for Best Feature Film Ungiven Branko Schmidt Croatia
Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film Immortal Seyed Hadi Mohaghegh Iran
Jury Special Mention The Prosecutor, The Defender, The Father And His Son Iglika Triffonova Bulgaria, Sweden, Netherlands
International Documentary Competition Golden Apricot Across the Don Evgeny Grigoriev Russia
Silver Apricot Don Juan(film) Jerzy Sladkowski Sweden, Finland
Jury Special Mention Curumim Marcos Prado Brazil
Armenian Panorama Competition Golden Apricot Leopard's Silence France
Good Morning (Film) Anna Arevshatyan Armenia
Stony Paths Arnaud Khayadjanian France
Jury Special Mention 28:94 Local Time David Safarian Armenia, Germany, Netherlands
Parajanov's Thaler – For outstanding artistic contribution into world cinema Jacqueline Bisset United States
Želimir Žilnik Serbia
Ruben Gevorgyants Armenia
Special Prize Master Fred Kelemen Germany
Vitaly Mansky Russia
Award of the Apostolic Church of Armenia – "Let There Be Light" Roman Balayan Armenia, Ukraine
FIPRESCI Jury Award Ungiven Branko Schmidt Croatia
Ecumenical Jury Award Immortal Seyed Hadi Mohaghegh Iran
Hrant Matevosyan Award for the best script in the Armenian Panorama Competition 28:94 Local Time David Safarian Armenia, Germany, Netherlands
Festival's president Award About Love (Film) Anna Melikian Russia

See also