V4+ARMENIA, EAP/GEORGIA, UKRAINE, BELARUS/:

ENHANCING INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC

09.01.2021-20.01.2021

PROJECT

On 9-20 of January 2021 in Yerevan, in the regions of Armenia (Shirak (Gyumri), Lori (Vanadzor), Gegharkunik (Gavar)), Armenian Rolan Bykov Foundation plans to implement a special project “V4+Armenia, EaP/Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus/: Enhancing Intercultural Dialogue in COVID-19 Pandemic” in the frames of the 16^th “Rolan” IFF for Children and Youth. The project aims to provide necessary conditions to enhance/deepen intercultural dialogue between V4-RA-EaP/Georgia, for the first time Ukraine, Belarus/ considering COVID-19 situation through Innovative Methods /SMM strategy/ for recognizing V4 among maximally large audiences using 16th Rolan IFF for Children/Youth as a powerful platform. Due to the restrictions posed by the pandemic in the world and Armenia the 16^th “Rolan” IFF for Children and Youth and the Special Project are planned to be held in online/offline format. The Special Project is held under the slogan "We will win COVID-19 together".

Current project is continuation and development of the three projects (2017, 2018, 2019) implemented by Armenian Rolan Bykov Foundation supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

Project partners from Visegrad countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland) are “Association of Slovak Film Clubs” (Slovakia), “Superfilm” production (Slovakia),  “ARCHiMERA” NGO (Slovakia), “Kid’s Eye Art Association” (Hungary), “HumanDoc” International Documentary Film Festival (Poland), “JUNIORFEST” International Film Festival for Children and Youth (the Czech Republic), “ART FABRIKA” art studio (the Czech Republic), as well as the “National Youth and Children’s Palace” (Georgia), International Animated Film Festival “KROK” (Ukraine), «Illusion films» (Ukraine), National Film Studio “Belarusfilm” (Belarus).

In the frames of the Project from 40 presented films (produced in V4 countries and recommended by project partners) 21 films were selected for screening.

Within the scope of the project the following events will be implemented:

• “V4 Film Screenings” (online) in Yerevan, Gegharkunik (Gavar, offline) region, Lori (Vanadzor, offline) region.

Online and offline screenings of 21 films from Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland) will be held. Offline screenings of films from Visegrad countries will be organized at Gavar Orphanage (Gegharkunik region) and National Center of Aesthetics after Henrik Igityan Vanadzor branch (Lori region).

• Creation of a new competitive nomination “Best Visegrad Film” (for the first time)

Out of 21 films selected in the program of the Festival, 9 films from V4 countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland) were included in the nomination “Best Visegrad Film”. The jury of the nomination are the children of Gavar ophanage (Gegharkunik region).

• Webinars (master classes, discussions) with professional cinematographers/artworkers from V4, Belarus in Yerevan

The webinars will be attended by famous filmmakers from the Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland), Belarus, Ukraine who will hold online meetings, interactive master classes and discussions for Armenian children and youth. The webinars/online master classes will be held with the participation of the following educational institutions and schools (Ayb School, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Yerevak Educational Complex, Yerevan Basic School № 162 named after Siamanto, Yerevan Basic School № 7 named  after Vladimir Mayakovsky, Armenian State Pedagogical University’s Basic High school №57 after Khachatur Abovyan, other schools and interested audiences) creating opportunities for new exchanges of experience for possible further cooperation.

Project participants (webinars): Pavel Bednarik (Czech Republic) - Film historian, scholar, journalist, film education expert. Chairman of the Board, Association for Film and Audiovisual Education, Phd in Film Studies. Theme of the webinar - «The role of Czech Cinematography in the Context of World Cinema»; Tomasz Knittel (Poland) - Director of documentary movies and short films. Theme of the webinar - «How to choose a title for the film», Poland; Nandor Grosch (Hungary) - Founder of Kids’ Eye Public Art Association. Theme of the webinar - «Discussion of «Qoucha» short animation series created by the students  of TUMO Center for Creative Technologies»; Mikhail Tumelya (Belarus) - Animator, member of International Association of Animation Filzms, director and scriptwriter of more than 20 films. Theme of the webinar - «How the animation started»; Natalya Chernisheva (Ukraine) - Animator, director, scriptwriter. Theme of the webinar - «The tendencies of modern animation».

Within the framework of the Project, Online Exhibition/Contests (2) and Offline Exhibition (1) of children's artworks will be held:

• Online Exhibition/Contest “We will Win COVID-19 together” V4 (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic) +Armenia (Yerevan, Gyumri (Shirak region), Lori (Vanadzor region) /National Center of Aesthetics after Henrik Igityan Gyumri and Vanadzor branches/), EaP (Georgia, Ukraine) involving children from art-schools/basic and secondary schools from RA/ etc.
• Online Exhibition/Contest “Visegrad through the eyes of Children from Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine” of artworks created by children from Georgia, Ukraine (art-schools/secondary schools/individuals/etc.) and Armenia (artworks of children from National Center of Aesthetics after Henrik Igityan Vanadzor and Gyumri branches/Yerevan and different regions of Armenia/) as continuation and development of successfully implemented project results (2019) devoted to the V4 to support more productive promotion of culture and heritage of Visegrad countries in RA regions, and EaP countries (Georgia, Ukraine).
• Offline Exhibition of the best artworks of “We will Win COVID-19 together” and “Visegrad through the eyes of Children from Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine” Exhibition/Contests will be organized in National Center of Aesthetics after Henrik Igityan Vanadzor branch (Lori region) on 12.01.2021 at 14:00. The Exhibition will be open from 12.01.2021 to 30.01.2021.

The participants/jury members of the Exhibition/Contests: Mkrtchyan Christina (France) - painter, architect, decorator, designer; Tatevik Avetyan (Armenia) - painter-constructor, clothing designer, modeler; Rukhkyan Viktoria (Armenia) - linguist, philologist, pedagogue; Saribekyan Gayane (Armenia) - artist and fashion designer, pedagogue, lecturer; Sargsyan Inna (Armenia) - ecologist, psychologist, pedagogue.

All the works presented at the Exhibition/Contests will be available on the online platform of the Festival and included in special online catalogues. The international jury of Exhibition/Contests will select the best artworks. All participants of the Exhibition/Contests will receive international certificates of participation, and the winners will be awarded with prizes.

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Festival will be held in a special format -Virtual Opening (11.01.2021) and Closing (20.01.2021) Ceremonies - special video materials which will present the activities of the Project.

Promotion of the Project through appropriate Media Strategy, including strengthened SMM/online, offline/ will ensure promotion of the project in digital format (all planned activities) and engage maximally large audiences in COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The Press conference (online) will be held on 09.01.2021, at 13:00, "ARMENPRESS" news agency (Address: Yerevan, Saryan St. 22), https://armenpress.am/eng/

The 16^th Rolan International Film Festival for Children and Young People and the Special Project origanally were planned to be held on November 2-12, 2020. The Festival and the Special Project within the framework of the Festival were postponed due to the war in Nagorno Karabakh.

With a slight delay, the 16^th "Rolan" Festival and the Special Project activities will be implemented from 09.01.2021.-20.01.2021.

The project activities can be followed online via:

Official website of the Festival - http://rolanbf.com/

Official Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/ROLANIFF

Official YouTube page- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIIlgpra6rrgGI0arZ_G5LQ