Opening ceremonies for the 14th annual Golden Apricot
International Film Festival (Yerevan) were held on Sunday, July 9, kicking off this year’s
festival amid controversy stemming from the organizers’ decision to
cancel an off-competition screening of 40 films showcasing work of
filmmakers from around the world, with some accusing organizers of
censorship.
Filmmakers who had submitted their work to be screened in an
off-competition program entitled, “Armenians: Internal And External
Views,” were informed Friday through an email from Golden Apricot
organizers that the screening of the entire slate of films was
cancelled, without elaborating on a reason for this decision.
