The 17th “ReA” International Animation Film and Visual Arts Festival will take place in Yerevan from October 19-25. The audience will be treated to a week filled with animated films, masterclasses, exclusive projects, and meetings with international industry leaders. The festival’s opening ceremony will be held on October 19 at the Cinema House, followed by the screening of the French-Belgian film The Glorious Life of Marcel Pagnol by renowned French animator and director Sylvain Chomet.
Over the week, the Armenian audience will have the opportunity to watch this year’s best competitive and non-competitive animated films.
A key part of the festival is the MarAni platform, designed for industry professionals. From October 22-24, the MarAni Forum will be held at the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), where international and local experts will share their experiences and knowledge, conducting panel discussions.
Special guests of the forum include Pascal Charrue, Cécile Ergo-Esseyme, and Aurélien Resancourt, members of the creative team behind Netflix’s world-famous Arcane series.
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This year, for the first time, ReA will welcome Madeline Sharafian, one of the directors of Pixar’s Elio, who will participate in the MarAni forum and hold a masterclass at the TUMO Center. Elio will also be specially screened for the Armenian audience.
Another special guest is Oscar-winning director Michaël Dudok de Wit, who will also present at the MarAni forum. His renowned works, such as The Red Turtle and the Oscar-winning Father and Daughter, will be screened for the audience.
Additionally, the CoReAct co-production platform will be held within MarAni, showcasing 11 projects from Armenian animators. The participants will present their works to international experts, who will select the best ones. The winners will receive monetary prizes. The program is supported by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.
This year, the festival will host several renowned figures in the animation and comics world. Famous Italian comic artist, writer, director, and illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti, who created the festival’s poster, will be attending. Festival-goers will have the chance to attend a Mattotti exhibition as part of ReA Comics.
Armenian-born animator and comic author Charles Berberian, one of the most prestigious figures in the art of comics, will also be in attendance. On October 20, Berberian will lead a workshop where participants will learn about his creative process.
Another anticipated guest is Spanish comic artist, illustrator, and animator Fermín Solís, who will hold a workshop on October 22.
The festival will also host Spanish animation director and artist Javier Recio Gracia, who will conduct a masterclass on October 24 at the Union of Cinematographers of Armenia.
The ReA Comics National Competition will feature 15 comic projects, which will be showcased from October 21-26 at the National Center of Contemporary Art. The jury will select the winning projects, which will receive financial support from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Armenia.
As part of ReA Comics, five graphic novels have been translated into Armenian, with their presentations taking place during the festival:
Misak, Meliné, and the Manouchian Group: The Suicide Fighters of the Red Poster by Jean-David Morvan and Thomas Cherkezian
-Eastern Upbringing by Charles Berberian
-Bunuel in the Labyrinth of Turtles by Fermín Solís
-Fires and Whispers by Lorenzo Mattotti
-Mkhitarank by Lena Deruntsi
The festival’s main sponsor is the Yerevan Municipality, and its key supporter is the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Armenia.
Tickets for the screenings are available on Tomsarkgh.am.
For inquiries, please contact: 093 48 36 68
PR Manager of the “ReA” International Animation and Visual Arts Festival
