Armenian Panorama

Born in 1950 in Saint-Etienne. French actor of Armenian origin Jacky Nercessian graduated from the Department of Theology to become a Pastor in England, and was baptized in Saint-Etienne even though his parents were not Protestant. By a mere chance he played a key role in Pirates (TF1). Claude Miller noticed and offered him a role in The Little Thief. Since then he has played both in cinema and TV – including the role of Armenian Abgar in Herni Verneuil’s Mayrig, and Turkish Mustafa Ismael Faruki in Long Journey (Golden Lion for the Best Feature Film, Venice IFF, 2004). Thanks to his acquaintance with Josiane Balasko, Nercessian played in the Theatre of Renaissance for one season and later toured with the Last Call. In 2009 he starred in Everybody Loves Juliet at Splendid Theatre (written and directed by Josiane Balasko). In 2010, he appeared in Luc Besson’s blockbuster Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec.

Born in 1942 in Tbilisi. In 1946 together with his family moved to Yerevan. Between 1960 and 1964 studied in the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre, Acting Department. From 1964 to 1966 he was an actor and director in Zangezur Theatre named after A. Shirvanzade, and from 1966 to 1968, an actor in Arshaluys Youth Theatre. In 1970 he graduated from the Higher Courses for TV Directors (Moscow). From 1970 to 1993 Rafael Kotanjyan was an actor and director in Yerevan Drama Theatre named after Hrachya Ghaplanyan, played a number of roles that have been highly praised. Since 1994, he has been involved in a number of projects. In 2002 he received the title of People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia. In 2003 Kotanjian was awarded the Movses Khorenatsi Award and the Golden Medal of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia. Since 2008 he has been a member of the International Academy of Nature and Social Sciences. In 2009 the city of Gyumri, Armenia, and in 2010 Ukraine awarded him with the Honor and Dedication Medal.

He joined the British Council in 2006 as a Programmes Manager, overseeing projects in Education, Governance, Arts and Society. He holds PhD in Arts History. As a Guest Lecturer of Cultural Policy and Arts Administration he cooperated with Cincinnati University (Ohio, USA), Conservatory of Music Carl Maria von Weber (Dresden, Germany), Caucasus Institute, Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema, Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, and Russian-Armenian State University (Yerevan). He has more than 100 articles and publications in periodicals and magazines. He is a member of Eastern European Music Association, Society for Music Theory, European Society of Ethnomusicology, Culturelink Network, Union of Composers and Musicologists of Armenia, Union of Journalists of Armenia.

Writer, scriptwriter, born in 1959 in Gyumri. He graduated from the Yerevan State University’s Department of Armenian Language and Literature. He studied journalism in the Institute of Mass Media in India, and Hungarian Literature in State University of Budapest. He got his education in filmmaking by attending the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors in Moscow (2008). Worked as a journalist for newspapers, as a Program Director for political and information projects implemented by TV channels, and was a host of political and cultural TV programs. He is the author of two poetry collections, two novels, and collections of short stories. Based on his first novel Landslide (2000) the film Landslide was shot (director Mikayel Dovlatyan) of which he is also co-scriptwriter. The novel has been translated into many languages. He is conducting Master Classes in Yerevan State University Faculty of Journalism, and in Master School of Golden Apricot IFF.

Born in 1938 in Moscow. Graduated from the History of Film Department of Moscow All-Union State Institute of Cinema (VGIK) in 1960 and received a Master’s Degree in 1982. He is a member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, academician of All-Russian Academy of Cinematographic Arts, author of more than 200 publications and a number of books on cinema. He has been the Chief Executive of the Soviet Film Propaganda Agency and the Editor-in-Chief of Sovietski Film and Kinoiskusstvo magazines, as well as the Chief Deputy Chairman of Goskino, the head of Culture and Education Agency of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the Chairman of the Goskino of the Russian Federation. Since 1999 he has been the President of International Fund for Development of Film and TV film for Children and Youth, better known as the Rolan Bikov Foundation. He is the President of All-Russian Festival Window to Europe held in the city of Vyborg, and professor at VGIK. He has been honored with professional prizes in Russia and abroad. Among his latest awards are: the Nika Prize of Russian Academy of Cinematographic Arts, the Berlinale Camera Award of Berlin IFF, and the Prize of the Guild of Russian Film Experts and Critics.

Born in 1951 in Yerevan. In 1971 graduated from Yerevan Technical Secondary School, Department of Construction. In 1983 graduated from the Moscow All-Union State Institute of Cinema (VGIK), Department of Cinematography. He has worked as a Director of Photography for many full-length and short feature and documentary films, which have been recognized with the prizes and diplomas of various international film festivals. At present he is a professor and a head of cinematography workshop at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema.