The 23rd “Golden Apricot” Yerevan International Film Festival, supported by the ESCS Ministry as part of its state budget program for the film sector, will be held from July 12 to 19.
This year's festival received approximately 600 applications from 90 countries, of which 90 films from 40 countries were selected for the official program.
Screenings will be held at the Cinema House, Moscow Cinema, and Nairi Cinema in Yerevan. The Yerevan Municipality is the festival's principal sponsor.
Ahead of the festival, a press conference was held at the Cinema House with the participation of ESCS Deputy Minister Tigran Virabyan, Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Levon Hovhannisyan, “Golden Apricot” founder and President Harutyun Khachatryan, CEO and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan, and Head of the International Department Varvara Hovhannisyan.
Greeting the attendees, ESCS Deputy Minister Tigran Virabyan stated that it was a great honour for him to attend the festival's press conference at the beginning of his tenure, noting that the festival has become a landmark cultural event for audiences both in Armenia and abroad.
“For many years, my colleagues, friends, and partners from the diaspora have planned their June and July schedules around the ‘Golden Apricot’ International Film Festival. This shows that the festival has become an important cultural destination that people take into account when planning their summer.”
The Deputy Minister thanked the festival's founders and organizing team, highlighting that while audiences experience the festival as a week of cinema, its organizers work year-round to prepare each edition.
“For the festival team, this journey began 23 years ago and continues to this day. After each year's festival, they prepare for the next event and their dedication and commitment have helped establish ‘Golden Apricot’ as one of the world's leading film festivals.”
Deputy Mayor Levon Hovhannisyan highlighted the festival's growing international reputation, noting that this had also prompted the municipality, as the principal sponsor, to significantly increase its financial support.
It was also announced that the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) has recognized “Golden Apricot” among the world's top 50 film festivals.
“Golden Apricot” festival Founding President Harutyun Khachatryan expressed his gratitude to all those who believed in the festival's success from the very beginning and supported the idea.
“We launched the festival to have cinema and today's vibrant film industry proves that we are on the right track.”
Presenting a brief overview of the festival’s program, CEO and Artistic Director Karen Avetisyan highlighted that the “Golden Apricot” festival has achieved significant regional and international influence, which is an important accomplishment. In this context, he touched upon the cooperation with the Cannes Film Festival.
As part of this collaboration, four co-produced short films, co-directed by Armenian and European filmmakers, will be created this year.
As Karen Avetisyan informed, the festival will open on 13 July with the screening of “In the Land of Arto”, a French-Armenian co-production directed by Tamara Stepanyan.
The International Competition Jury will be chaired by Jessica Hausner, one of Austria's leading contemporary filmmakers, whose works have premiered at both Cannes and Venice and received international acclaim for their innovative approach to genre film.
The Regional Competition Jury will be presided by renowned Iranian cinematographer Mahmoud Kalari.
This year's honorary Armenian guest is acclaimed French-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian.
“We are also honoured to welcome world-renowned Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski, an Oscar winner and recipient of numerous international film festival awards. His latest film, ‘Fatherland’, will be screened for Yerevan audience,” Avetisyan said.
As stated by Varvara Hovhannisyan, Head of the International Department, this year's edition will once again feature both competition and non-competition programs, screening films from around the world, including works previously screened at major international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and other leading film platforms.
The festival's official poster for 2026 adopted poetry as a core theme and was created by acclaimed artist and designer Igor Gurovich.