Film festivals in Armenia have raised questions of national identity and humanitarian issues.

In Spitak, the FRESCO arts and film festival has begun, with key themes of the presented films and performances addressing issues of national identity, humanitarian values, and inclusivity. In the coming weeks, the documentary film festival "Apricot Tree" will also take place, traditionally held in the villages of Armenia, and the country's most famous film festival, "Golden Apricot," has this year made it onto the list of the 50 largest festivals in the world.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", at the 22nd film festival "Golden Apricot" in Yerevan in 2025, the main prize was awarded to the film "Fiume or Death" by director Igor Bezinovich.

30 films will be presented to the audience as part of the FRESCO arts and film festival

From August 21 to 28, the Children's Creative Center of Special Purpose, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, will hold the XIII International Inclusive Festival of Contemporary Art and Spiritual Films FRESCO, reports "Armenpress".

The festival brings together theater, cinema, music, photography, and creative educational programs on one platform.

The central opening event on August 21 in Spitak is a theatrical dance performance "Tirukhiner" (Mistresses) performed by the State Ensemble of Song and Dance "Orovel" from Vanadzor. The performance "Mistresses" will reveal the images of five outstanding queens of Armenian history - Zaroui, Satenik, Parandzem, Khosrovanuysh, and Keran, showcasing their strength, wisdom, self-sacrifice, and exceptional role in preserving Armenian statehood and national identity. Through the images of great queens, the strength, dignity, and wisdom of Armenian women are emphasized, as well as their invaluable contribution to the formation and preservation of national identity, statehood, and culture.

The eight-day festival program includes concerts, international film screenings and discussions, master classes, theatrical performances, and creative meetings. One of them is the project "Exclusive Concert in Complete Darkness." Audiences will be able to forgo visual perception and look at the boundaries of music perception in a new way. As part of the festival, there will be a meeting for experience exchange with Anna Skotchdopolova — a representative of the Czech International Human Rights Film Festival "One World." She will present a report on the topic: "Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Ensuring Inclusivity: Ethics, Cinema, and Cultural Festivals."

During the festival, 30 films from 12 countries will be shown, dedicated to important social issues, humanitarian values, and inclusivity.

The 13th International Festival "Fresco" will conclude on August 28 in Vanadzor with a performance of "The Dancer" by the Youth Theater of Gyumri, informs News.Am.

The International Documentary Film Festival "Apricot Tree" is held with the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Armenia, and this year it is scheduled for September 5-12 in Debed, Lori region; this is already the 12th festival. As of today, the program for this year is not presented on the festival's website. 1

"Golden Apricot" has received a new status

The "Golden Apricot" festival, the most famous of Armenian film festivals, took place this year in July, marking its 23rd festival.

This year, the festival received a new international status, entering the ranks of fifty film festivals worldwide recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations FIAPF. Thus, the "Golden Apricot" has officially moved beyond a regional event, writes "Armenian Museum".

This year, interest in the festival was record-breaking. Organizers received about 600 applications from 90 countries, and the final program included 90 films from 40 countries. Screenings took place at the Cinema House, and the "Moscow" and "Nairi" theaters, and the program included feature films, short films, documentaries, a regional competition, retrospectives, and special screenings, reports Armenian Global Community.

In the international competition of feature films, the main prize — "Golden Apricot" — was awarded this year to the film "Currents" by director Milagros Mumentaler. The "Silver Apricot" was awarded to the film Past Future Continuous.

In the regional competition, the winner was the film Inside Amir, and the "Silver Apricot" went to the film Dry Leaf. In the short film competition, the main prize was awarded to the film Dialogues Solitaires, which also received a special award named after Gennady Melkonyan. The International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI awarded the film Dry Leaf with its special prize, as stated in the publication.

One of the honorary guests of the 23rd International Film Festival "Golden Apricot" was French-Armenian actor, director, and playwright Simon Abgariyan. He was awarded a medal from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia. A special screening of the historical drama "De Gaulle. Part 2. Freedom" (De Gaulle film 2: Liberte) by director Antonin Bodry took place. The world premiere of the first part "De Gaulle. Part 1. Resistance" (2026) had previously taken place at the Cannes Film Festival 4 . In the film, Simon Abgariyan played one of the key roles — General Charles de Gaulle. After the screening, the actor met with the audience, talked about working on the film, and shared thoughts on the significance of historical memory, emphasizing that Armenian identity remains an important part of his creativity, as stated in the message.

It should be noted that the "Golden Apricot" pays great attention to the works of Armenian filmmakers in addition to international projects. Thus, in 2024, the Grand Prix of the 21st International Film Festival "Golden Apricot" in Yerevan was awarded to the Italian film "The Gospel of Chiretta" by director Caroline van der Tan. Armenian filmmakers received awards in the categories of short films and "Regional Panorama".