Cinema of Armenia
The cinema of Armenia was established on 16 April 1923, when the Armenian State Committee of Cinema was established by government decree. The National Cinema Center of Armenia, founded in 2006, is the governing body of film and cinema in Armenia. The NCAA preserves, promotes and develops Armenian cinematography and provides state financial support to full-length feature, short and animation projects. The Director of the NCCA is Shushanik Mirzakhanyan, and the headquarters are located in Yerevan.
History
The first Armenian film with Armenian subject called "Haykakan Sinema" was produced in 1912 in Cairo by Armenian-Egyptian publisher Vahan Zartarian. The film was premiered in Cairo on 13 March 1913.In March 1924, the first Armenian film studio: Armenfilm was established in Yerevan, starting with Soviet Armenia, an Armenian documentary film.
Namus was the first Armenian silent black-and-white film, directed by Hamo Beknazarian and based on a play of Alexander Shirvanzade describing the ill fate of two lovers, who were engaged by their families to each other since childhood, but because of violations of namus, the girl was married by her father to another person. The first sound film, Pepo was shot in 1935, director Hamo Beknazarian.
More recent directors include:
- Sergei Parajanov
- Henrik Malyan
- Artavazd Peleshian
- Hamo Beknazarian
- Edmond Keosayan
- Frunze Dovlatyan
- Mikhail Vartanov
- Levon Mkrtchyan
- Atom Egoyan
- Harutyun Khachatryan
- J. Michael Hagopian, for his acclaimed documentaries on the Armenian genocide, modern Armenian history, and historical Armenia
Film festivals
Film festivals held in Armenia include the following in Yerevan:- The Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival, since 2004
- The ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival of Yerevan, since 2005
- The Sose International Film Festival, held annually by the Zis Center of Culture since 2014