 |
| |
 About Festival / Impressions About Festival
Guests and Participants about
| 2005 |
 Thanks to you and to all who together with you put their energy into your festival! You could organize such a festival about which I couldn’t even dream a month ago. I couldn’t imagine that such a festival could exist in Yerevan. You made a very pleasant surprise to me and I think to all your guests. I congratulate you with your big step forward, a step which most of the festivals manage to make in many-many years… Or maybe you have wings and your wings brought you to amazing results and success? …
…Today in Europe films are spoken about only as products for sale, as source of money. But we want to see a film as an artistic value. So thanks to such film directors as Abbas Kiarostami and Harutyun Khachatryan, thanks that they exist…
Ludmila Cvikova, film-critic, Rotterdam International Film Festival Programmer, The Netherlands
|
“I wanted to thank you so much for the Yerevan Golden Apricot Festival. You made us feel so welcome, and it was like heaven to be in a city the size of Yerevan, full of such activity, after the monster that is Tehran. It was a fascinating week and an excellent time to explore.”
Abbas Kiarostami, film director, Iran
|
|
“I congratulate you on a terrific event, which showed no signs of being such a new kid on the block, and thank you for your incredible hospitality. I had a really good time, love Yerevan and definitely want to see more of Armenia.”
Sheila Whitaker, film critic, Great Britain
|
 “Just a short letter to thank you for the fantastic week I was given in Yerevan. Especially of my birthday you made an unforgettable event!
Please send my best regards to everybody involved and especially to the mayor, the presidents and all the others. I foresee a big and beautiful future for your nice and sympathetic festival.”
Jos Stelling, film director, International Jury member, The Netherlands
|
|
“It was a fantastic opportunity for me to be part of the 2nd Golden Apricot. I thank all the fantastic people who were working to make this festival
become a success. Thanks to all the volunteers.”
Suzanne Khardalian, film director, Sweden
|
“It is difficult to find the words to explain our feelings. We are very proud and excited for this award.”
Yervant Gianikian & Angela Ricci Lucchi, film directors, Italy
Jury Special Prize winners
|
 “Wanted to thank you for the most wonderful festival and providing us an opportunity to see your beautiful country and culture. Our road trip in the countryside of Armenia was, to say the least, amazing.
Can't wait to come back again. Meanwhile hope to meet you again sooner than next year!”
Nishtha Jain, Smriti Nevatia, film directors, India
|
“It took me a long time and still am not sure i am fully recovered from the so overwhelming experience of Golden Apricot. I don't have the words to describe my feelings and especially my thanks to you and all the good people who hosted me so generously in Yerevan. The materials I gathered while filming in Yerevan and in the countryside and the surprising meeting with the new Armenia, its people, culture and history may place Armenia well into my new documentary project on the last century of Genocides - as a brilliant example of resilient and unbelievably proud nation that overcame Genocide and operation for so long and is still thriving and living and exploring new horizons with even greater strength and free spirit.”
Erez Yanuv Barzilay, film director, Canada
|
“I would like to express my best grateful for your kind hospitality in very impressive Golden apricot film festival. I can’t forget Yerevan as center of beauty and kindness, as a city of Parajanov, as city of protagonists of world cinema.”
Siddiq Barmak, film director, Afghanistan
|
“Thank you for the award letter.
I am very glad being in Yerevan. I had very nice important experiences there. Please thank for me to everybody????
Hoping to colaborate and share many things in future.”.
Yesim Ustaoglu, film director, Turkey
Prize of the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists for the Best Feature Film
|
|
 “Congratulations for making a very successful festival in only your second year and we wish you all the very best for the third. I really did enjoy the competition selection, it was indeed of a very high standard. Thank you too for a marvelous jury. You are doing very important work!
Thank you too for all the generosity and friendliness of your staff ! We felt very well looked after at all times.”
Simon Field, producer and festival programmer, Great Britain
|
|
“I am thrilled to hear the news about my award, and my excitement is matched only by my dismay that I was not present at the festival to receive it.
This is a great honor for me and an enormously important acknowledgment both personally and professionally.”
Vaughan Pilikian, film director, Great Britain
Winner of the Best Documentary Film - Golden Apricot
|
 “The second Yerevan Golden Apricot Film Festival brought a strong response from the international fest crowd, portending a bright future for the event, held July 12-17 in the Armenian capital. Though still small in scale, it has already positioned itself as a regional contender in the Caucasus and a link with Russia and the Mideast.”
Deborah Young, Variety film critic, USA
|
| 2006 |
 Words fail me, but I want to let you know how honored I was to participate with so many gracious and intelligent people at the festival in Yerevan. Thanks so much to yourself, Harutyun, and the extraordinary crew — I can only say that in my opinion, it was an outstanding success, and the only disappointment was that I had to leave! I hope we can stay in touch.
Godfrey Reggio
|
 Marziyeh and I would like to thank you for your hospitality during our stay in your lovely festival.
We enjoyed spending time in such a energetic City with lots of fans of cinema.
I wish you and your festival all the bests.
With warmest regards,
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
|
 It is me who has to say thank you to all of you great people there at the Golden Apricot Festival! It was a wonderful time with you in Yerevan and I was really happy to be there, to meet nice and friendly people and (last but not least) to win these great prize!
So, thanks to you for your work, everything worked so well! Thanks also to the whole festival crew and specially to Harutyun!
All the best to you and I hope to see you again at one of your next festivals!
A nice summertime to you and best wishes!
Andreas Dresen
|
 Dear Harutyun,
We finally got back to Berlin to plunge in a heat wave worse that the hot weather of Yerevan, but full of great memories from Armenia. Indeed, our participation at your festival, not to mention the rediscovering of a free Armenia, has been one of the most rewarding experienced for us in a long time. You treated us like kings, so much that we felt a bit guilty about it and hope we did not abuse of your generosity or that of your colleagues. We would like to thank you from the deepest of our heart for this marvelous experience.
We miss Armenia now,
Moritz and Erica de Hadeln
|
| |
|
|
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS |
|
 |
 |
Nearest Screening
FIST IN HIS POCKET
RETROSPECTIVES
Script/Dir.: Marco Bellocchio, Dir. of Phot.: Alberto Marrama, Compos.: Ennio Morricone, Prod. Design.: Gisella Longo, Edit.: Silvano Agosti, Prod.: Enzo Doria.
Cast:. Lou Castel, Paola Pitagora, Marino Masé, Liliana Gerace, Stefania Troglio, Jeannie McNeil.
On a rural estate live three brothers, a sister, and their blind, religious mother. Three of the siblings have epilepsy, the fourth and eldest, Augusto does not, and he's about to break away from the family: he's in love with Lucia and planning to move to the city. Augusto's sister Guilia tries to frustrate the lovers, while another brother, Alessandro, hatches a far-reaching plot to free himself of his mother's demands and other family responsibilities, to give Augusto the wherewithal to leave with Lucia, and, perhaps, to pursue incestuous impulses with his sister.
Awards
Silver Ribbon - Best Original Story, Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, 1966; Silver Sail, Locarno IFF, 1965. |
Nearest Screening
ARCANA
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Documentary Films
Script/Dir./ Dir. of Phot./Prod.: Cristobal Vicente, Compos.: Carlos Canales, Toto Alvarez, Sound: Mario Diaz, Rafael Huerta, Cristobal Vicente. Edit.: Cristobal Vicente, Carlos Klein.
This film presnts a record of the last working year of the old prison of Valparaiso, which closed in 1999. It is a homage to the prison and to the values and customs of the men, who have secretly lived within it during its 150 year history. |
|
|
