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Yerevan Golden Apricot 11th International Film Festival: winners announced

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The Golden Apricot Yerevan 11th International Film Festival has come to its end, the official website reports.

Golden ApricotThe Boards of Juries of International Feature, International Documentary, the Armenian Panorama and the Apricot Stone short film competition as well as the FIPRESCI and ECUMENICAL accordingly have announced this year’s competition results at the official closing ceremony of the festival on July 19 held at the Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Yerevan.

Below is the list of winners:

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE COMPETITION

GOLDEN APRICOT (1st Price): The Tribe, dir.: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (Ukraine)

SILVER APRICOT (Runner Up): Blind Dates, dir.: Levan Koguashvili (Georgia)

Special Jury Mention: Still Life, dir.: Uberto Pasolini (UK/Italy)

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

GOLDEN APRICOT (1st Price): The Stone River, dir.: Giovanni Donfrancesco (Italy/France)

SILVER APRICOT (Runner Up): Domino Effect, dir.: Elwira Niewera, Piotr Rssolowski

APRICOT STONE SHORT COMPETITION

GOLDEN APRICOT (1st Price): Though I Know the River is Dry, dir.: Omar Robert Hamilton, (Palestine/Egypt/Qatar/UK)
Special Jury Prize: Red Hulk, dir.: Asimina Proedrou, (Greece)

ARMENIAN PANORAMA

GOLDEN APRICOT (1st Price) Fiction Feature-Length: Tevanik, dir.: Jivan Avetissyan, (Armenia/Lithuania)

GOLDEN APRICOT (1st Price) Fiction Short-Length: Milky Brother, dir.: Vahram Mkhitaryan, (Poland/Armenia)

SILVER APRICOT (Runner Up): Fiction Feature-Length: Romanticists, dir.: Areg Azatyan & Shoghik Tadevossian, (Armenia)
Special Diploma: Please, Be Normal, dir.: Hayk Kocharian (USA)

Hrant Matevossian Special Prize for Best Script: Milky Brother, dir.: Vahram Mkhitaryan (Poland/Armenia) Script: Vahram Mkhitaryan, Aleksandra Majdzińska

FIPRESCI JURY PRIZE

The Tribe, dir.: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (Ukraine)

ECUMENICAL JURY PRIZE

The Abode, dir.: Lusine Sargsyan (Armenia)

Special Commendation – Blind Dates, dir.: Levan Koguashvili (Georgia)

SPECIAL AWARDS

Queen Nuard Special Award of the National Union of Cinematographers:

Please, Be Normal, dir.: Hayk Kocharyan, (USA)

Andin Armenian Journey Chronicles, dir.: Ruben Giney, (China/Armenia/Russia/India)

ARMEN MAZMANIAN SPECIAL AWARD

Resurrection, dir.: Alain Manoukyan, (Armenia)

The closing ceremony was celebrated also with two special awards granted by the festival to two of this year honourable guests. More specifically, GOLDEN APRICOT was pleased to grant Jia Zhangke, a renowned Chinese filmmaker with special Parajanov Thaler Award for the contribution in the world cinematography. Marco Muller, a distinguished film critic and the Chairman of the Feature Competition Jury at GOLDEN APRICOT this year was also awarded with Parajanov Thaler Award for the contribution to the world film festivals’ development.

At the start of closing ceremony the festival management awarded Mrs. Hasmik Poghosyan, the Minister of Culture of the RA with special Parajanov Medal. The ceremony was closed with festival management granting the Mayor of Yerevan, Mr. Taron Margaryan with special Mantashyan Knight Gold Medal.
Source: tert.am

Yerevan’s new highway appreciated

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highwayNot only drivers, but also Yerevan residents have appreciated the new highway connecting Leningradyan Street with Admiral Isakov Avenue, which was put into operation last Saturday.

“It is very convenient. We spare both time and our nerves. We also save fuel,” drivers say.

Public archives in Yerevan

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Agos

Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University in the United States from the Center for Ümit Kurt, Armenia to the terms of his research at the National Archives wrote to 1413Agos. Kurt, the Prime Minister often voiced “Our archives are still open, closed Armenian Government Relations. They’re also open archive “rhetoric does not reflect reality, unlike Turkey, Armenia says that the archive is open to all researchers.

Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University in the United States from the Center for Ümit Kurt, his research in the National Archives of Armenia has occurred in the conditions under which wrote to Agos. For two weeks of intensive work in various archives in Yerevan Kurt, Prime Minister Erdogan frequently voiced “Our archives are still open, closed Armenian Government Relations. They’re also open archive “rhetoric does not reflect reality, unlike Turkey, Armenia says that the archive is open to all researchers.

My doctoral thesis two weeks so I’m Yerevan’d the capital of Armenia. America is about to finish her PhD thesis in Yerevan as a researcher in the archives doctor regarding problematic for two weeks with no pressure, prejudice and ill-treatment in a comfortable position without having tried.

Everyone was helpful

Into Turkish Armenia National Archives’ (Hayasdan Azkag the Arkhivner of), translated as the archive center on my research demanded all I document, document and image archive materials, archives center employees are great zeal and with the assistance without any problems I have achieved.

Even for Turkish passport holder, I said I was allowed to meet privately with the director of the archive center. He illustrated archive of all facilities in the meantime I found in the archives of the matters to be dealt with me giving employees specific instructions provided.

There were other Turks

Besides printed books, monographs, classical Armenian books, periodicals and newspapers, where the Armenian National Library (Azkaine the Kıratar) and Madenatar the so-called library in an extremely comfortable environment to work I had the opportunity. In this library, by then my Turkish researchers who spend hours working out and had.

At the same time, the National Archives of Armenia also had the opportunity to benefit in every way. So I see a very important primary source for my research archive documents, materials, printed books, newspapers, written and visual materials, including testimony for nearly a historian ‘blessing’ I have obtained documents will be considered. During my two-week research what any archive in the center of a safety investigation, nor did encounter a situation of double standards. Armenia as an ordinary researchers in their national archives and libraries in a comfortable environment with a highly efficient research period spent.

In essence, Armenia’s national archives here in no way be closed to researchers and very comfortable to work in a way that an archive center in the heat of this experience as one would like to specify lived.

Yerevan’s landmark Sport and Concert Complex put up for auction

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May 20, 2014 – 12:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Karen Demirchyan Sport and Concert Complex (SCC), one of Yerevan’s architectural landmarks, has been 179046put up for action, according to the official website of the Service for the Mandatory Execution of Judicial Acts of Armenia’s Ministry of Justice.

The bidding price for the Complex built in 1983 was set at AMD 19,350,000,000 (around $47 million). According to the website, the auction closes on May 29.

The description of the auction lot says that the complex situated in Yerevan’s Kentron district is a seven-storied building with a total area of 46335.7 square meters and other auxiliary structures and territories. It says that the building was an object of mortgage, Armenia Now reported.

The SCC owners were rumored to have taken out a $20 million loan secured on 75% of the Complex.

Participants of torchlight vigil to Armenian Genocide Memorial gathering in Liberty Square (Video)

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Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

April 23, 2014 | 19:17
Armenian Genocide 99 yerevanYEREVAN. – The participants of torchlight vigil to Armenian Genocide Memorial are already in Liberty Square. (photo)

The action is organized by youth branches of ARF Dashankstutyun, Nikol Aghbalyan student union.

The participants have brought the flags of Turkey and Armenia, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports.

The flags of countries that had recognized Armenian Genocide are brought to the square. The participants are holding “ Recognize Armenian Genocide,1.5 mln” poster.

As reported earlier, the participants will head to the president’s residence to hand over a letter demanding withdrawal of signature from Armenia-Turkey protocols for the sake of justice, condemnation and continuation of the efforts aimed at Armenian Genocide recognition ahead of the 100th anniversary next year.

Turkish Diaspora reps demand admission of Armenian Genocide

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A number of members of the Majlis of European Peace and Democracy (Avrupa Barış ve Demokrasi Meclisi – ABDEM), who introduce themselves as representatives of the Turkish Diaspora, held a press Turkish Diasporaconference in Yerevan, on Tuesday.

They announced their intention to visit the Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims in Yerevan on April 24 and make a statement, demanding that Turkey admit the Armenian Genocide and assume responsibility for it.

ABDEM member Rojda Yıldırım, who is a citizen of France, noted that the group is visiting Armenia to encourage the Armenian people and advocate for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“We are here for the sake of peace and we want a peaceful settlement to the issue. All the peoples that survived genocide are important for us, and we want the Armenian Genocide be recognized everywhere,” he said.

Turkey must admit its history. Otherwise, it will never be a democracy.

Founded in Europe and headquartered in Germany ABDEM has nothing in common with the Turkish government and has over 1m members in different countries.

“Our organization was founded in 2013. We want peace and democracy for Turkey,” Yıldırım said.

ABDEM does not see democratic Turkey without its admitting the Armenian Genocide.

Turkish citizen Aliekber Pektaş said:

“We recognize the [Armenian] Genocide and we are here now. We have come to bring the Alevis’ voice here as well as Alevis constitute a third of Turkey’s population.”

 

Source: Tert.am

Navasardyan: New PM can ensure stability better than anyone else

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First of all, the oligarchic elite and alternative political field contributed to the replacement of Armenia’s Prime Minister, President of Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan told reporters.

NavasardyanAccording to him, the elite is the most influential factor which is very sensitive to shocks.

Armenia’s new Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan perhaps better than anyone else can ensure stability in the country, he said.

Navasardyan then explained the meaning of the “alternative political field.”

“The matter concerns not only the party which has declared itself “an alternative force,” but also those parties which do not demand a change of the country’s policy, but rather demand the resignation of the government. So, we replace individuals, but do not propose any new political system,” he noted.

Source: Panorama.am

Yerevan, Baku Pledge Olympics Truce

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oliolioxenfreeThe Olympic flag on display in Sochi, Russia

YEREVAN—Armenia and Azerbaijan have promised to minimize ceasefire violations on their border and around Nagorno-Karabakh during the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, the Minsk Group Co-Chairs said on Thursday, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports.

“The sides stated their intention to strengthen observance of the ceasefire and avoid further escalation, particularly in light of the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi,” the U.S., Russian, and French mediators of the OSCE Minsk Group said in a joint statement issued after their latest visit to Baku and Yerevan.

James Warlick, the U.S. co-chair, also separately announced the “good news” on his Twitter page. “The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan recommitted to respecting the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire especially during Olympics,” he wrote.

Responding to James Warlick’s remarks, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian’s spokesman Arman Saghatelyan wrote on Twitter that the Armenian President has always advocated respect for the ceasefire.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group — Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the United States, along with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk — traveled to Baku and Yerevan from February 4 to 5.

In Yerevan, the Co-Chairs were met with protests by youth groups of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, demanding that the mediators end their false parity regarding Baku’s recent violations of the cease fire and condemn Azerbaijan.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs stressed in their statement the need for further progress “on the substance of negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Armenpress reports.

In Yerevan and Baku, the Co-Chairs met with Presidents Sarkisian and Aliyev. They also held consultations with each country’s minister of foreign affairs and defense. With the presidents, the Co-Chairs discussed the outcome of the foreign ministers’ recent meeting in Paris, and stressed the need for continuing negotiations at the highest level.

The Co-Chairs expressed their deep concern over the recent escalation at the border, and called on the sides to exercise restraint in their actions and rhetoric.

The mediators gave no dates for upcoming summits, but the statement concluded, “The Co-Chairs will continue consultations with the sides in the weeks ahead, in preparation of high level meetings.”