The Cinema Foundation of Armenia has announced that the French company Kissani Films, referring to an agreement signed in the 1990s, has made claims regarding exclusive rights to around 250 films included in Armenia’s national film heritage.
According to the foundation, due to the importance of the matter and the need for a comprehensive legal review, the Armenian programme planned for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival’s Annecy Classics section has been temporarily postponed.
At the same time, the Cinema Foundation of Armenia does not disclose further details. Its statement presents the situation in general terms, noting only that the claims are linked to a contract signed in the 1990s and concern alleged exclusive rights to around 250 films that form part of Armenian film heritage.
It should be noted that in the 1990s, Armenfilm, acting as the production company and owner of the Armenian film archive, independently managed the rights to films in its catalogue. During that period, long-term agreements were signed with organisations from different countries, and the legal consequences of those agreements may still affect the international presentation of Armenian cinema today.
The issue may have arisen in the context of the Annecy festival itself. Robert Sahakyants’s film The Axe had previously been presented at Annecy, while the festival’s archival data lists Kissani Films and Krikor Hamel in the film’s production information. This may explain why the legal question became relevant specifically in connection with the Armenian programme planned for Annecy Classics.
The Cinema Foundation of Armenia says that a comprehensive study of the situation will be carried out with the involvement of relevant professional and competent institutions. Based on the results of that review, the foundation says it will take the necessary steps in accordance with Armenian legislation and the principles of protecting Armenian film heritage and the public interest.
