27 January 2023
By official invitation Shushanik Mirzakhanyan, director of the National Cinema Center of Armenia, Film Commissioner Melikset Karapetyan, Head of the International Department Naira Gevorgyan, as well as six Armenian film producers took part in the WHEN EAST MEETS WEST (WEMW) Co-Production Forum 2023, held in Trieste, Italy.
WHEN EAST MEETS WEST 2023 kicked off on January 22-25, in collaboration with the Trieste Film Festival (January 21-28). The East & West countries in focus for 2023 were Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine & Spain, Portugal and Latin America. It’s also worth mentioning that WEMW brings together more than 500 film professionals from around 40 countries every year.
Within the framework of the WEMW co-production forum Shushanik Mirzakhanyan, director of the NCCA, had a series of productive meetings with the Deputy Director of the Georgian National Film Center (GNFC), the Director of the Film Centre of Montenegro (Montenegro), the Coordinator of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and the representative of the Selection Committee of the Venice International Film Festival. During the meetings, issues related to the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Armenian cinema (in 2023) and Sergey Parajanov's 100th anniversary (in 2024) were discussed.
As part of the WEMW, a panel “Focus 2023, EAST & WEST 2023 Spotlight Territories” took place bringing together representatives of three public agencies from Armenia, Georgia and Moldova to present their public funding structures, coproduction strategies and key priorities in international cooperation.
Film Commissioner Melikset Karapetyan spoke on behalf of the NCCA on the topic “The strategy of the National Cinema Center of Armenia in financing European co-productions with Armenian participation ”.
On January 25, at the 34th Trieste International Festival, the screening of Aurora’s Sunrise directed by Inna Sahakyan took place. The film director, who also participated in the WEMW Focus 2023 pitches with the state-supported film project Shakesphere goes Armenian (Bars Media Production), was granted a free accreditation to participate in the European Film Market (The DAE Talent Development Award in cooperation with EFM).
Participation in this prestigious film platform is aimed at strengthening the international relations and activities of the NCCA, which will contribute to the dissemination and popularization of the Armenian film heritage, classic and modern films.
