The winners of the GAIFF Pro Co-Production Market have been revealed. The GAIFF Pro educational and production platform of the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival once again took place this year within the festival’s framework.
The GAIFF Pro Co-Production Market included 17 selected projects this year — 12 in development stage and 5 in the works-in-progress stage. The projects came from over 10 countries, including Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Among the producers were also participants from France, Germany, Lithuania, Canada, and the USA.
The Grand Prix of the Co-Production Market was awarded to two projects:
The Special Jury Mention went to the project “UXXR: Is There Sex After the USSR?” by Lilit Movsisyan (Armenia).
The Post-Production Special Mention was awarded to “The American Dream: The Return of Captain Kabonga” by Amir El-Shenawy (Egypt, Saudi Arabia).
Two projects received Development Market Special Mentions:
The third edition of Short Cuts Nest, dedicated to the development of Armenian short films, aimed to encourage higher quality in local short film production and to support emerging filmmakers. The six selected teams participated in individual workshops and will present their projects competing for technical equipment prizes provided by Kinoket company.
The Best Short Film Project was awarded to “The Window” by Vahan Grigoryan (Armenia).
A Special Mention went to “Aran Leaves” by Alexis Pazoumian (Armenia, France).
This year’s GAIFF Pro selection was highly competitive, with the selection process carried out by independent international experts.
The special guests and jury members of the 2025 Co-Production Platform included:
The GAIFF Pro Co-Production Market included 17 selected projects this year — 12 in development stage and 5 in the works-in-progress stage. The projects came from over 10 countries, including Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Among the producers were also participants from France, Germany, Lithuania, Canada, and the USA.
The Grand Prix of the Co-Production Market was awarded to two projects:
- “Yerevan Disease” by Ovsanna Gevorgyan (Armenia)
- “Wolfgang” by Saleh Kashefi (France, Iran, Switzerland)
The Special Jury Mention went to the project “UXXR: Is There Sex After the USSR?” by Lilit Movsisyan (Armenia).
The Post-Production Special Mention was awarded to “The American Dream: The Return of Captain Kabonga” by Amir El-Shenawy (Egypt, Saudi Arabia).
Two projects received Development Market Special Mentions:
- “In Coffee Grounds” by Sofia Sahakyan and Luiza Kalagian (Brazil, Argentina, Armenia)
- “The Process” by Sona Khachatryan (Armenia)
The third edition of Short Cuts Nest, dedicated to the development of Armenian short films, aimed to encourage higher quality in local short film production and to support emerging filmmakers. The six selected teams participated in individual workshops and will present their projects competing for technical equipment prizes provided by Kinoket company.
The Best Short Film Project was awarded to “The Window” by Vahan Grigoryan (Armenia).
A Special Mention went to “Aran Leaves” by Alexis Pazoumian (Armenia, France).
This year’s GAIFF Pro selection was highly competitive, with the selection process carried out by independent international experts.
The special guests and jury members of the 2025 Co-Production Platform included:
- Alec Von Bargen, Scientific Director of TorinoFilmLab’s ComedyLab, Creative Consultant for Cannes Makers, Visual Consultant for Venice Biennale College, and Expert at Talents Sarajevo
- Alessandro Raja, Co-founder of Festival Scope Pro and Festival Scope, Programmer at Sarajevo Film Festival
- Eleni Chandrinou, Film Policy Consultant and Greece’s Representative at Eurimages
