Iranian-Armenian film director Anahid Abad is serving as a juror in the 21st Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival, launched in Armenian on July 7.

According to The Iran Project, Abad, 61, was born in Tehran. She received her primary and secondary education in Tehran. She pursued her university education in the field of Armenian language and literature. She took a film production course at the Islamic Center of Film Production, after which she began her cinematic career as a programmer and assistant director, collaborating with several Iranian directors such as Ali Reza Davoodnejad, Ahmed Reza Darvish, Homayoun Asadian, Varouj Karim Masihi, and Kamal Tabrizi. Later, she directed her own film.

Her 2017 drama “Yeva” was selected to represent Armenia at the 90th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category. The film was a joint production of Iran and Armenia. It was co-produced by Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation and the National Cinema Center of Armenia.

“Yeva” won the best film award at the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in 2018. It also won the best film award at the Arpa International Film Festival in Los Angeles in the same year.

In this year’s edition of the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival, a short documentary by an Iranian filmmaker is present in the Regional Panorama section.

An Iran-Germany joint production, “Khabur” is directed and produced by Nafiseh Fathollahzadeh. Running for 30 minutes, the flick was made in 2023.

“Khabur” is the longest tributary of the Euphrates, a transboundary river crossing the border between Turkey and Northeastern Syria. Climate crisis, prolonged drought periods, the ongoing war, embargo, water policies, and dam building across the border by the Turkish state are among the reasons contributing to the drying up of the Khabur River and the water crisis in the region.

Years of passion and love for cinema resulted in the establishment of the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in 2004.

The film festival's name refers to the apricot, a fruit native to Armenia. A popular symbol of the country, the warm color of the apricot is even found on the tricolored Armenian national flag.

Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival carries the theme: “Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations”.

The 21st Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival will run until July 14.