Armenia GOLDEN APRICOT festival receives 1,600 film submissions

June 26, 2015 By administrator

The GOLDEN APRICOT 12TH Yerevan International Film Festival presented its competition programs at the press conference held on 26th of June.

This year the festival has received around 1,600 film submissions from 105 countries. 76 films are selected for competition programs, from which 12 films will be vying in the International Feature, 13 in the International Documentary, 17 in the Armenian Panorama and 34 films in the “Apricot Stone” Short Film competitions. The geography of the competing films includes 26 countries.

“Regrettably, not all festivals have short film competitions,” Vardan Hakobyan, a selection committee member, told reporters on Friday.

L.A. Film Festival to screen first Armenian-themed film

June 13, 2015 By administrator

“Aram, Aram” Director Christopher Chambers works on set with actor Levon Sharafyan

‘Aram, Aram’ is slated to premiere Sunday at Los Angeles Film Festival.

By Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Filmmaker Christopher Chambers grew up alongside the Armenian community in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t until he met an Armenian working on the set of a horror film more than 10 years ago that he learned about that nation’s history and culture.

The friendship sparked his curiosity, leading him to write and direct a film about a 12-year-old Armenian boy sent to live with his grandfather in Little Armenia in Los Angeles from his native Beirut after a family tragedy.

Premiering on Sunday, “Aram, Aram” is the first Armenian-themed story selected to screen at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Chambers said.

Chambers wrote the first draft of the script about five years ago and spent the last year revising it and shooting the film, drawing on interviews with about 150 area Armenians — some of whom owned shoe stores like the grandfather in the film, played by Glendale resident and actor Levon Sharafyan. They all had something to add to the story.

“I wanted to do justice to the people in the Armenian community who shared their stories with me,” Chambers said.

What helped John Roohinian, the 14-year-old who plays Aram, was putting himself in the shoes of the title character, who in the film struggles to choose between right and wrong as he settles into his new identity in America.

“I just can’t wait to see the reaction,” Roohinian said, adding that during an early screening, the film “brought tears to everyone in the room.”

For more information, visit www.lafilmfest.com.

Sheep Shearing Festival kicks off in Armenia

June 8, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – The second Sheep Shearing Festival has kicked off in Armenia’s Syunik Region on Saturday at Halidzor station of TaTever aerial tramway. (photos)

Residents of eight settlements participated in the festival organized by the Tatev Revival Foundation together with the Homeland Development Initiative, Strategic Development Agency, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports.

Many tourists, Syunik Governor Surik Khachatryan, Norway’s Honorary Consul in Armenia Timothy Straight, head IDeA foundation Armen Gevorgyan, China’s Ambassador to Armenia Tian Erlong attended the festival.

The MIDEM musical festival opens in Cannes France.

June 5, 2015 By administrator

June 5 to 8, this French city will be filled with Armenian music. Armenia is participating in the festival as an honored guest.

At a press conference at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Armenia’s Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan presented the program of Armenia’s participation in the festival.

“It was important for us to be present at this festival as an honored guest. I think you all know that this year is symbolic for Armenia. We are commemorating the Armenian Genocide. This is an opportunity to recall our tragedy and demand recognition and condemnation of last century’s first genocide. It is a question of principle for us to be present here and introduce ourselves to the world not as a victim, but as strong and talented Armenians that survived genocide and revived,” Ms Poghosyan said.

“The purpose of our participation is to show the audience and experts Armenian voices,” Ruben Tonikyan, Director of the ProArt company said as he presented the program.

Armenia is presenting its concept “Armenian elements of music” at the festival. The pomegranate with four different colors representing earth, air, water and fire is the symbol of the festival.

“This year is a special year for us – a year marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. We have formulated certain symbols for this year. There are four of them: our memory, gratitude to our supporters, international struggle for admission of the Armenian Genocide by the perpetrator-state and, finally, the concept of revival. I think this concept of revival is the slogan of our participation in the MIDEM festival. We are displaying our musical culture, which has been preserved and re-created since the Armenian Genocide. We marching toward the future with this culture,” Ms Poghosyan said.

“We are living in a country where we feel the government’s support. We have a State Youth Orchestra, which means we have young musicians and our government is supporting them,” Sergey Smbatyan, Art Director of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, told the reporters.

Cannes, which is hosting numerous tourists, is adorned with the colors of the Armenian national flag, with billboards reading ‘Armenia is an honored country’ in the streets. The front billboard of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is dedicated to Armenia.

Armenia is participating in the MIDEM festival with the sponsorship of the State Commission for Coordination for Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide centenary, Armenia’s Ministry of Culture and Tashir Group company.

Different Armenian compositions – classical music, jazz, rock – will be performed at concert halls and on open-air stages. Lectures will be delivered on Armenian culture and Armenian folk instruments, composer Komitas, as well as on compositions by world-famous composers who were inspired by Armenia.

The jazz band Katuner (Cats), Acoustic Colors quartet, ‘Mikael Voskanyan & friends’ ethnic jazz band, Dorians rock band, and Ambassador traditional music group will perform at the opening evening at the InterContinental Carlton Cannes.

The Hover state chamber choir will give a concert at the Evangelical Church in Cannes, on June 6.

The State Youth Orchestra of Armenia will give a concert with the well-known cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan’s participation at the Debussy hall, on June 7.

MIDEM will pay tribute to the great Armenian composer Komitas on the 80th anniversary of his death.

The InterContinental Carlton Cannes hotel will host an exhibition of paintings by Tigran Dzitoghtsyan and designer Vahan Khachatryan.

Armenian cuisine will be presented at the festival as well.

Armenia Wins Gold at Folk Music Festival

May 27, 2015 By administrator

SOFIA, Bulgaria—Armenian singer Hayk Mkhoyan has returned with golden medals from the 6th Bulgarian National Championship of Folklore, also known as “Euro Folk 2015,” held in Bulgaria from May 7 to 17. The festival featured participants from about 60 countries.

Mkhoyan was conferred an award in the “Individual Performance” category after he impressed the jury with an a cappella performance of “Horovel” by Komitas.

This was the first time Armenia participated in this international festival, which has been held for eight years.

“The songs I performed were translated so that the listeners and the jury can understand their meaning, and as a result reference was made to the Armenian Genocide,” Mkhoyan told a press conference.

According to him, it was important to raise the issue of the Armenian Genocide from an international podium, he said.

The singer believes this international competition will open new perspectives of cooperation.

Armenian Genocide film by Robert Guediguian screened at 2015 Cannes Film Festival

May 21, 2015 By administrator

The ripple effects of the Armenian Genocide on subsequent generations are felt in the 2015 drama Don’t Tell Me the Boy Was Mad by Robert Guediguian. The drama Don’t Tell Me the Boy Was Mad by Guediguian was screened in the Special Screenings section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes regular Guediguian, the social-realist chronicler of working-class Marseille, reconnects with his paternal roots in Don’t Tell Me the Boy Was Mad, an impassioned consideration of the Armenian genocide’s lasting impact on the displaced generations that followed, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The English-language title comes from the lyrics of a 1980 hit by French pop songstress France Gall. But the source material is an autobiographical novel by Spanish journalist Jose Antonio Gurriaran, who was semi-paralyzed in a bomb blast planned by militants from the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) in Madrid in 1981. During his recovery, he researched the Ottoman Empire’s extermination and removal of Armenians from their homeland during World War I, a crime against humanity still officially denied by Turkey. As a result, Gurriaran became an activist for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Buenos Aires to host Armenian festival

November 29, 2014 By administrator

An Armenian festival will take place at the Plaza Barrancas de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, November 29.

Armenian music, song and dances, art shows and Armenian cuisine will feature the event.

Argentinians will take part in the event thereby showing their attitude to the Armenian people.

“This festival will show Argentine’s appreciation of centuries-old Armenian culture. Lito Vitale and Juan Carlos Barreto will take part in the festival as well. Their performances will impart a special atmosphere to the festival,” Bartolome Ketchyan, Chairman of an Armenian cultural Center, told PrensaArmenia.com. The festival is one of the vents marking the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

6TH ANNUAL KURDISH YOUTH FESTIVAL POSTPONED DUE TO GROWING CONCERN OVER CURRENT SITUATION IN KURDISTAN

November 18, 2014 By administrator

see below Video complement of www.gagrule.net 2013 KYF

Kurdish Youth Festival Over the past several months, Kurdistan has been facing a serious threat from the terrorist militants of the group that calls itself the Islamic State. In addition to security concerns in the regions, the situation has led to a growing refugee crisis and increased hardships for the people living in Kurdistan. This is a perilous time for Kurds and Kurdish forces have put their lives on the line for the security and safety of the people of Kurdistan. Thousands have been killed and millions have been displaced from their homes. Kurds around the world have been watching with held breaths over the danger facing their fellow countrymen.

The Kurdish Youth Festival committee has made the decision to postpone the 6th annual Kurdish Festival that was originally planned for January 9, 10, and 11, 2015 in San Francisco, California to an indefinite future date. The committee believes that in the wake of current events, it would be irresponsible to hold an event in January while so many are facing unimaginable devastation and loss.

The Kurdish Youth Festival committee would like to apologize for the postponement, especially to those who have already made travel and accommodation plans. If you have already purchased air travel to attend the festival, please provide the committee with a copy of your airline receipt prior to October 26th, 2014. The Kurdish Youth Festival will reimburse attendees for the cancellation of any airline tickets booked for the January 2015 festival. Please send the airline receipt to kyf@kurdishyouthfestival.org.

Unfortunately, these circumstances are beyond our control but we intend to make the next Kurdish Youth Festival an unforgettable event. Please stay tuned to our social media for updates on the new dates for the next festival event.

In the immediate term, the committee members will focus their time and efforts on assisting the humanitarian efforts to help the refugees that have been affected by the crisis. If you would like to help, please contact us. We will be continuously announcing our efforts as they are confirmed.

The committee would like to thank all attendees and sponsors for their continued support. We hope to see you at the next festival and we are hopeful and optimistic that we will make it through these hard times by uniting and working together for our people.

Check back for updates!

While you wait for further announcement, check back from time to time to see the latest news about the new dates and other activities in which our committee and volunteers are taking part. We really hope to see you at the next festival! This is only a postponement as no threat can ever fully disrupt the pride we take in celebrating and sharing the Kurdish culture with the world.

Video complement www.gagrule.net Kurdish youth festival 2013 San diago

Nagorno-Karabakh to host wine festival

October 20, 2014 By administrator

The first wine festival will be held in Nagorno-Karabakh on October 18 in Tokh village of Hadrut Region.

The goal of the festival is to intensify development of communities located in the southern direction and to promote tourism development in NKR.

The festival was initiated by the NKR department on tourism and protection of historical environment, and has key importance in terms of revival of winemaking traditions of Karabakh.

This platform will enable Armenia and Karabakh wine makers to sell and promote their products and exchange experience.