9th International Film Festival for Children and Young People

9th International Film Festival for Children and Young People was held in Yerevan from 1st to 5th of November, 2013. It was organized by Armenian Rolan Bykov Foundation with the support of the President and Ministry of Culture of RA and Yerevan Municipality.

The Festival Program included 113 films from 34 countries.

This year the format of Children Jury was changed: teenagers from Lori province (Alaverdi, Shnogh, Teghut and Shahumyan), from “Trchunyan Tun” orphanage (Gyumri), from “Bridge of Hope” NGO, from “TUMO” Center for Creative Technologies, as well as pupils of “YEREVAK” educational center and basic school №162 after Siamanto became Children Jury members and direct participants of the Festival.

3 new nominations, established by Armenian Rolan Bykov Foundation, were added to the traditional Festival nominations:

1. Nomination of patriotic films “I Have the Honor”. Its aim is, by means of cinematography, contribute to ideological education and raise of moral spirit of soldiers. The best festival films will be shown in all military units during the whole year. On Festival days meetings with famous film directors and sportsmen were held in military units. The idea of creation of a new nomination was welcomed and encouraged by Ministry of Defense of RA.
2. Nomination of sports films “Sport is My Choice”. The main goal of this nomination is, by means of cinematography, promotion of mass sports, its role and significance among Armenian children and youth.
3. Nomination of music films

In the frames of the festival the following projects were implemented:

“9th Festival as a Platform for Cross Border Cultural Dialogue for Youth”

The main goal of the project was to create necessary conditions for cultural dialogue for the youth of the countries involved in conflict, by using the festival as a platform and cinematography as a means.

For the first time young cinematographers/students from Black Sea Region countries: Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Germany, Armenia, etc. were invited to Armenia. International Conference on the theme “Cinema as Language of Tolerance” and Workshop on the topic “Better to Live in Peace!” were organized in the framework of the project.

“South African Day” in the frames of which the following activities were held:

• Joint exhibition titled “Peace”, at which were exhibited the best art works by students of Fine Arts studio-college of National Center of Aesthetics and by children from Nagorno-Karabakh.

• Screening of the film “Street Kids United” directed by Tim Pritchard.

“We are all different, we are all equal”

Cooperation between Armenian “Rolan Bykov” Foundation and UNICEF-Armenia continued at the 9th edition of the Festival as well. In the frames of the project “I Have Rights!” a new program titled “We are all different, we are all equal!” was implemented which once again highlighted the problems of children with disabilities who live isolated from the society, and who are often unable to get education. The aim of the project is, by using the festival as a platform, to promote the national campaign on inclusion of children with disabilities organized by UNICEF-Armenia.

Within the framework of the 9th edition were also organized festival opening and closing ceremonies, press conferences, film screenings, premieres, creative meetings, master classes, meetings at universities, secondary and art schools, workshops, round tables, exhibitions, as well as cultural, educational and social projects.