12th Apricot Tree International Documentary Film Festival to take place in Debed village

The 12th Apricot Tree International Documentary Film Festival will take place in Debed village in Armenia’s Lori Province from September 5 to 12, 2026. The festival is organized by the Filmadaran Film Culture Development NGO.

Debed village will become a hub for screenings of the best documentary films during the festival. The event is held with the support of Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, organizers said in a press release.

The Apricot Tree Festival aims to decentralize cultural life, bring documentary cinema closer to communities in the regions, and create a direct, open and creative platform for dialogue between local and international artists. Admission to all screenings is free.

The festival’s opening ceremony will take place on September 5 at the Debatun guesthouse and will conclude with a screening of Ten Minutes Older (1978), a legendary short film by documentary cinema classic Herz Frank. Before that, there will be a concert by local ensembles and a performance by the Ayrogi Shadow Theatre.

This year, the feature-length and short-film competition programs include 21 films from 20 countries, while the non-competition program features 10 films. The films will be screened outdoors every day in the garden of the Debatun guesthouse.

A film school for children from the village will also be held, continuing the festival’s tradition. Running from August 29 to September 12, 2026, the school will once again be led by Italian director and educator Marta Violante, as it was in 2025. The program is implemented with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Armenia. Films created as part of the film school will be screened at the festival’s closing ceremony on September 12 and will subsequently be available on Filmadaran’s YouTube channel.

A special workshop will be organized for emerging directors from Armenia, Georgia and Iran. It will be led by Portuguese filmmakers Daniel Baroca and Catarina Laranjeiro. The workshop, which will run from September 4 to 12, will culminate in the creation of a documentary film in Debed, which will also be screened at the closing ceremony and subsequently made available online.

This year’s festival jury comprises renowned Iranian documentary filmmaker Farhad Varahram, Dutch film editor, producer and post-production specialist Bart van den Broek, and Armenian film director Arman Yeritsyan.

Festival guests and participants will have the opportunity to discover the rich historical and cultural heritage of Lori Province through excursions to Sanahin, Haghpat, Akhtala and other historical monuments.