Organizers present program for 9th Yerevan Short Film Festival

The 9th International Yerevan Short Film Festival will bring together filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and industry professionals from June 25 to 29, showcasing a diverse selection of short films and expanding its reach beyond the capital.

Traditionally, in addition to Yerevan, the festival also includes another city with the aim of further activating cultural life in the regions. This time, Gyumri has been included in the program.

Festival director Guzh Tadevosyan said that the official opening ceremony will take place on June 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Hall of the Cinema House in Yerevan. The opening film of the festival is Haze Over, an Iranian production directed by Seyed Ali Ghasemi.

“The festival program will continue at the Cinema House in Yerevan on June 26 and 27. On June 28 and 29, the events will continue in Gyumri. Admission to all festival events is free. It is important to emphasize that expanding the festival to the regions is significant not only for activating cultural life. In addition, participants gain the opportunity to become familiar with filming locations in Armenia, while audiences will be able to watch award-winning short films from prestigious international film festivals,” said Tadevosyan.

The main sponsor of the festival is the Yerevan City Hall, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia is a supporting partner. Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Levon Hovhannisyan said that the festival holds an important place in the cultural calendar and has become a recognized platform in the international film community.

“Today, this festival is among those with Gold status on the FilmFreeway platform, which reflects its high professional level and international reputation. We have been the main sponsor for four years now, and this year the Yerevan City Hall has allocated 20 million drams,” said Hovhannisyan.

During the 9th International Yerevan Short Film Festival, creative meetings, screenings and discussions, masterclasses, presentations, experience exchange sessions, and opportunity showcases will take place. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia Daniel Danielyan emphasized the importance of the festival, noting that it reflects state policy and objectives.

“We emphasize the activation of cultural life in the regions, and this festival includes that component. It engages film lovers locally and plays an important educational and cultural role. Another important factor is that the festival is not isolated from the outside world; it has international significance, and we see the geography of participation expanding every year,” said Danielyan.

This year, the festival received submissions from 95 countries. Program director Artyom Baghdasaryan noted that 39 films from 22 countries have been selected for the competition program.

“This year we had a particularly strong selection of Armenian films as well. I remember that in the festival’s first year, only three or four films were accepted, and they were not even properly structured films. Today, I am proud to say that we have films of such quality that they stand alongside award-winning entries from A-list festivals such as Venice, Berlin, Cannes, and others. Notably, this is the first festival in the region to accept films created using artificial intelligence,” said Artyom Baghdasaryan.

The competition program includes three sections: International Program, National Program, and Student Program.