The Golden Apricot Film Festival

 

The annual Golden Apricot International Film Festival was born in 2004 in Yerevan, Armenia. It was established by the Golden Apricot Fund for Cinema Development and the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the Benevolent Fund for Cultural Development. Internationally acclaimed Canadian-Armenian director Atom Egoyan was named President of the festival in 2005.

The festival carries the theme of Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations․ It welcomes films representing diverse ethnic groups, religions and nations that depict human experience, the daily lives of people, ordinary and extraordinary, their troubles and their joys as they try to find meaning in a changing world and struggle to redefine themselves in a global context that recognizes fewer and fewer boundaries.

 

Tumo and Golden Apricot International Film Festival joined forces this week for a pair of public lectures headed by some of the most prolific names in international film and media.

The first installment on Monday featured award-winning director Atom Egoyan, communications specialist Patrick Sarkissian, and transmedia expert Daniel Calabuig, as they spoke before a capacity crowd about Transmedia—the emerging use of various devices and platforms to tell a single story.

"It was a great opportunity for us to team up with the Golden Apricot Festival and host this panel that links filmmaking to other platforms like game and web development" said Pegor Papazian, a member of the Tumo Board of Advisors and moderator of Monday's panel. "Hearing such a unique combination of voices from different disciplines and countries is critically important in expanding the horizons of our future creative professionals."

Participants in the panel exchanged views on a host of thought-provoking issues, including the changing role of audiences in relation to film and media.

"Audiences have always wanted more participation in stories, and technology today allows for that," said Calabuig, who Skyped into the discussion from Spain. "But the problem here is how much do we want the audience to participate in the narrative?"

Despite diverging opinions, all three panelists agreed that the advent of social media and technological innovation is drastically changing the way stories are presented. The forum was followed by a special honorary lecture and film screening with renowned experimental documentarian Godfrey Reggio.

"When I was 13, I decided to leave home and pursue what I wanted," said Reggio in his opening remarks, encouraging the audience of students, film enthusiasts and dignitaries to follow their passion. "If there is something you wish to do, don't think about it. Leap and the net will appear."

His provocative talk grappled with the role of art and technology in the modern age, with his views meant to stimulate thought and debate. "Technology is the single most misunderstood subject on the planet today," insisted Reggio. "It is not neutral. It is the very environment of life itself, not just something we use."

The sharp critique presented was coupled with a message of hope from the veteran filmmaker who ended by saying "The future is yours to create. Create your own world rather than live in the world of someone else."