YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenia is scheduled to participate in world famous Cannes film festival current year as well. Our country is going to be engaged both in competitive projects and in the film market, launched in the frames of film festival.  The Armenian National Cinema-Center head Gevorg Gevorgyan told Armenpress, Vigen Chaldranyan "Voice of Silence" movie has been introduced in the contest program. Efforts are being made in order to complete and introduce Armenian- French- Ukrainian joint project – "Parajanov: the Lover of the Beauty".

This time too Armenia has great expectations from the current year festival.  Among other things Gevorg Gevorgyan noted: "We shall make attempts to sign a new agreement with CNC company aimed at launching joint filming and funding program. It will contribute to the change of our films' status and make them meet European standards, which will further on enable a chance to take an advantage of relevant privileges." Besides a range of meetings are scheduled to be held and a number of the Armenian film projects are also scheduled to be presented.

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 15 to May 26, 2013. The President of the Jury will be American film director Steven Spielberg. The Cannes Film Festival has its origins in the late 1930s when Jean Zay, the French Minister of National Education, on the proposal of Philippe Erlanger and with the support of the British and Americans, set up an international cinematographic festival. In 1947, the festival was held as the "Festival du film de Cannes", where films from sixteen countries were presented. At that time the principle of equality was introduced, with a jury made up of only one representative per country. The festival is now held at the Palais des Festivals, expressly constructed for the occasion, although for its 1949 inaugural the roof was unfinished and blew off during a storm. The festival was not held in 1948 and 1950 on account of budgetary problems. Although its origins may be attributed in part to the French desire to compete with Autumn's Venice Film Festival, in 1951 Cannes was moved to Spring to avoid a Fall clash.

In 1955, the Golden Palm was created, replacing the Grand Prix du Festival which had been given until that year. In 1957, Dolores del Rio was the first female member of the jury as a Sélection officielle – Member. In 1959, the Marché du Film (Film Market) was founded, giving the festival a commercial character and facilitating exchanges between sellers and buyers in the film industry. Today it has become the first international platform for film commerce.