The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia has proposed a new funding tool for the cinema sector, aiming to implement it starting in 2026 as a complementary support mechanism to existing competitive grants.
Minister Zhanna Andreasyan explained during a press conference that the model is based on the endowment concept, which was originally envisioned during the drafting of the Law on Cinematography. The fund’s framework has already been developed and discussed with industry professionals, according to Armenpress.
Andreasyan expressed hope that the mechanism would soon be submitted for government review and approval.
“We plan to launch this mechanism in 2026. It will allow funding for various programs in the cinema sector. The core idea is to ensure the sector’s financial self-sufficiency and to support programs that require continuity or debut works by young directors. The endowment must be regularly replenished.
The replenishment concept is crucial, as it views film production as a cycle—films are made, enter circulation, generate income, and part of that income should return to the endowment to fund new projects. The fund would also receive state contributions. This combined effort will enable diverse cinema projects to be financed,” she detailed.
The minister emphasized that this initiative does not replace the existing competitive grant system.
Highlighting recent achievements in Armenian cinema, Andreasyan mentioned director Tamara Stepanyan, whose documentary My Armenian Ghosts was selected for the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival, while her feature The Land of Arto opened the 78th Locarno International Film Festival.
“I’m pleased that we now have a state-run financial incentive program for artists achieving success at major international festivals. Tamara Stepanyan is one of its beneficiaries,” she noted.
Andreasyan also mentioned Winter is Endless, a short animated film by Natalia Mirzoyan, which was featured in the special program of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, winning third prize. It also won “Best Short Film” at the Sarajevo Film Festival and “Best Animation” at the Tehran Short Film Festival.
She further noted the debut animated film Snake Soup by Zakar Demirchyan and Raffi Movsisyan, which was featured in the “Perspectives” competition at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival and screened at the Bucharest Film Festival.
On the topic of preserving Armenia’s film heritage, Andreasyan reported that in 2025, thirteen films were digitized and restored with over 81 million drams allocated by the state.
“This is part of a long-term policy. We’ve developed an important project for the National Cinema Foundation focused on the preservation of our cinematic heritage. The current conditions are far from ideal, frankly, the situation is poor. We must invest properly to create suitable preservation environments. After extensive discussions, we’ll begin implementation next year,” she concluded.
