The GAIFF Pro educational and production platform of the Yerevan Golden Apricot International Film Festival will take place this year within the festival’s framework, from July 14 to 19. This year, the GAIFF Pro Co-Production Market features 17 selected projects — 12 in development and 5 in rough cut stage. The projects come from over 10 countries, including Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Among the co-producers are also representatives from France, Germany, Lithuania, Canada, and the USA.
The third edition of Short Cuts Nest, dedicated to the development of Armenian short films, aims to foster the quality of local short filmmaking and promote the emergence of new voices. Six selected teams will take part in tailored workshops and present their projects for a technical equipment award established by Kinoket.
This year’s GAIFF Pro selection was highly competitive, with the evaluation process carried out by independent readers — leading international experts.
Alec von Bargen — Scientific Director of TorinoFilmLab’s ComedyLab, Creative Advisor at Cannes Makers, Visual Advisor at Venice Biennale College, and expert at Talents Sarajevo — joins as a special guest and jury member, alongside Alessandro Raja, Co-Founder of Festival Scope Pro and Festival Scope, and programmer at Sarajevo Film Festival, as well as Eleni Chandrinou, film policy consultant and Greek representative at Eurimages.
For the first time in the region, GAIFF Pro, in collaboration with Filmmakers Europe, will host an advanced casting workshop led by one of Europe’s most in-demand casting directors, Maurilio Mangano. He has worked with directors such as Joe Wright, Pablo Larraín, Luca Guadagnino, Angelina Jolie, and others. Mangano will work for three days with 16 selected actors from Armenia, Georgia, and Iran, sharing his experience and teaching tools and skills for succeeding in international casting sessions.
David Zitzlsperger, CEO of Denkungsart GmbH and founder of the Filmmakers Europe platform, will present the potential of digitalization and innovation in the industry, aiming to connect local professionals with the global market.
Among GAIFF Pro’s guests is Wouter Jansen, founder of the sales company Square Eyes, known for distributing bold, auteur-driven short and feature films. Previously, he served as Head of Programming at Go Short Festival for 10 years. As an expert at Locarno Open Doors and First Cut Lab, Wouter will share insights on festival and distribution strategies for short films.
The Armenian Guild of Cinematographers, in cooperation with the production platform and IMAGO, will organize a three-day open masterclass this year for all accredited professionals, bringing together leading names in the industry such as Phedon Papamichael, Evgenia Alexandrova, and Fred Kelemen.
