This year’s Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Armenia, set to take place from July 13 to 20, is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of legendary filmmaker Sergei Parajanov.

Festival Director Harutyun Khachatryan told members of the press today that all of Parajanov’s films will be screened as part of a retrospective program.There will also be films about the artist’s life and work, in addition to a special photo exhibition.

This year’s Golden Apricot, the eleventh annual festival, has garnered 1,500 film submissions from 95 countries, a marked increase over the 1,200 received last year. 59 films have been submitted from Armenia. 

As in the past, this year’s festival will offer four main competition categories: the International Feature Competition, the International Documentary Competition, the Armenian Panorama and the Apricot Stone (short film competition program held primarily for beginner filmmakers). 

Photo (from left): Michael Stamboltsyan (Golden Apricot Yerevan IFF Program Director), Harutyun Khachatryan (Golden Apricot Yerevan IFF Director)