French Minister of Culture visits OnOff studio at "ReA" International Animation Film Festival in Armenia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS.Within the framework of the 15th edition of ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival, in the Sergei Parajanov Museum in Yerevan, the representatives of OnOff animation studio met the delegation led by the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, the Ambassador of France to Armenia, Olivier Decottignies, the Minister of MoESCS of the Republic of Armenia, Zhanna Andreasyan, the Mayor of Yerevan, Tigran Avinyan, and Catherine Trotman, President of Eurimages, the largest European fund for co-production, film rental and exhibition support.

At the meeting, OnOff's co-founder, film director Tigran Arakelyan, along with the studio's executive producer, Susanna Khachatryan, introduced the animation film, ZAKO, directed by OnOff Studio and the ongoing activities regarding the film. The film is dedicated to the life story of artist Sargis Mangasaryan, who survived the Second World War thanks to his paintings. ZAKO is one of those exceptional films that gained the attention of the international animation community, even during its design and filming stages. In June of this year, OnOff signed an agreement with the prominent French company Sacrebleu during the ANNECY International Film Festival, marking a significant step towards co-producing this film. Therefore, the delegation of the French Ministry of Culture expressed their desire to learn more about the project. It's worth noting that OnOff also signed a memorandum of cooperation with another French entity, TCHACK, within the framework of the ReA Animation Film Festival.

Participants of the meeting highly appreciated the close collaboration between Armenia and France, particularly in the realm of cultural endeavors, including the production of animated films. Once again, the vital role played by the ReAnimania International Film Festival in nurturing such initiatives was underlined.

It's important to acknowledge that Yerevan Municipality serves as the main sponsor of the 15th edition of ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival and the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports is the primary supporter. The French Embassy in Armenia and the French Institute in Armenia have also played a crucial role in supporting the "ReA" film festival.