Armenia hosts Internet film festival "DebutFest"

The festival "DebutFest", held in Armenia, was to be finished on August 15; however, screening of films within the film festival will continue till late August. This was reported by Araik Manukyan, Director of the Company "A.M. Media Production".

The festival cycle "Kinofest"-"RetroFest", "EkoFest" and "DebutFest" is being conducted by the Company "A. M. Media Production" and TV website "webtv.am" starting from March 15. The project is being developed as a part of the programme "Alternative Information Resources", which is being implemented with the assistance of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the organization "Internews Network" and Cooperation Foundation "Eurasia".

According to Araik Manukyan, the Internet film festival is being held without a jury, that is, films will not be assessed by professionals. According to him, the aim of the festival is to promote the films, and "that is why no 'deadline' for submitting films has been indicated, and some film directors, for whatever reason, just recently submitted their works."

The film festival "DebutFest" presents about 20 films of young film directors of the first and second years of the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema. According to the Director of the Company "A.M. Media Production", among the films of the festival there are very interesting films, and they are devoted to different themes. Araik Manukyan has highlighted the film "Dream" of Emil Khachatryan, a 17-year-old film director, which discloses the social theme: the story of a young girl, who follows the lives of rich people living next to her.

In September-October 2012, the Company "A. M. Media Production" and the TV website "webtv.am" will organize online film festival "WebApricot".