28 May 2024
With the state financial support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, the National Cinema Center of Armenia operated an Armenian booth this year, continuing its tradition from previous years. Armenia's ongoing participation in the Marché du Film helps to strengthen the international relations and activities of the Cinema Center, providing a significant boost to the dissemination of both Armenian film heritage and contemporary films.
Shushanik Mirzakhanyan, director of the National Cinema Center of Armenia, had numerous meetings with international partners in the film market, detailed below.
On May 16, a meeting was held with Eric Thoresson, a representative of the Göteborg Film Festival (Sweden). Mr. Thoresson expressed interest in organizing a screening of Armenian films (with English subtitles) for the Draken Films SVOD platform. A preliminary agreement was reached to send a list of films, after which the Cinema Center will await their proposal.
During the meeting with Bernd Buder, Head of Programs at the Cottbus Film Festival, a preliminary agreement was reached to organize the "Country in Focus" segment within the festival's Close-up program. It was proposed to present modern Armenian films, which will be selected from the film catalogue provided by the Cinema Center.
On May 17, a meeting was held with a representative of the South Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The Korean Film Council, which operates under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, supports the participation of Korean film institutions in film markets and runs an educational academy. Possible cooperation between the two organizations was discussed with Jeon Cho, Head of International Relations at KOFIC. A preliminary agreement was reached that KOFIC would mediate in establishing contact with the Busan International Film Festival in 2025, with the aim of organizing a special screening of Armenian films at the festival.
On May 17, the traditional Happy Hour reception was held at the Armenian booth in the Marche du Film. The event was attended by many guests, including representatives from international partner organizations, foundations, and film institutions.
On May 18, a meeting took place with Sonal Mathur and Irfan Faraz, representatives of the National Film Development Corporation, at the Indian Pavilion. During this meeting, a preliminary agreement was reached to cooperate in three areas: encouraging Armenian producers to apply for participation in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), organizing a special screening of Armenian classical films as part of the IFFI, as well as cooperation in order to promote Armenian-Indian joint production.
Ways of further cooperation and the possibility of distributing Armenian classical films were discussed with Jacques Jagou and Frédérique Rouault, representatives of MK2.
A meeting was held with Rayed Faridzadeh, Head of International Affairs at the Farabi Cinema Foundation, and Mohammad Tayeb, Director of Iran’s Art and Experience Cinema Group. During the meeting, Mohammad Tayeb expressed interest in the joint production of Armenian-Iranian documentaries. In response, the Cinema Center committed to informing Armenian documentary filmmakers about this organization and supporting them in establishing contact.
To add, a mourning area was established in the Iranian booth to commemorate the tragic death of the President of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi. The delegation from the National Cinema Center of Armenia visited the Iranian booth on May 20 to convey their condolences.
The representatives of the National Cinema Center of Armenia participated in the panel discussion “Gender Diversity in Film Production,” organized by the Film Center of Montenegro.
On May 19, the possibilities for cooperation in the context of the 100th anniversary of Sergey Parajanov were discussed with Irina Kuporenko, a representative of the Ukrainian Film Institute.
The potential for cooperation between the Cinema Center and the "Focus" platform was discussed with Joanne Tait, a representative of London’s "Focus" platform. Focus is a market for service providers in the film production field and is one of the most prestigious markets in the industry.
The possibility of organizing training sessions, seminars, and workshops in various fields of Armenian film production was discussed with Filipe Pereira, a representative of the Fest Film Lab (FFL) educational platform. The organization provides its services both online and offline.
On May 20, a meeting was held for the first time with Alberto Barbera, the Artistic Director of the Cinema Department at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival. During the meeting, the Cinema Center presented its activities over the past seven years, the programs it has implemented, as well as recent productions and projects. The aim was to explore opportunities for further cooperation.
The possibility of holding a special screening of Armenian classical films during the 2025 San Sebastian International Film Festival was discussed with Roberto Cueto, a representative of the festival.
Dimitris Korkinos, Head of the Tributes section at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, visited the Armenian booth to acquaint himself with contemporary Armenian films and promote their participation in the festival. The films were presented to him using the annual Armenian Film Catalogue from the Cinema Center.
A meeting was held with Elena Saubanova, the Director and Vice President of the French "Bridge of Festival," who expressed interest in modern Armenian films and showed enthusiasm about including them in the festival program. Contemporary Armenian films, along with the 2023-2024 film catalogue, were presented to Saubanova. It was agreed that she would review the films and contact the producers of those most suitable for the festival, using the contact information provided in the catalogue.
Michael Harbauer, the director of the "Schlingel" International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences, expressed interest in Armenian feature, short, and animation films for children and young audiences. Films were introduced through the 2023-2024 Film Catalogue.
