Within the framework of the 12th Apricot Tree International Film Festival (5–12 September 2026), a filmmaking workshop for children from rural communities is taking place in Debed village from August 29 to September 8, conducted by Italian director, screenwriter and educator Marta Violante.
During the workshop, the children work together to create a film, which is presented to the audience on September 12 at the festival's closing ceremony.
The workshop is organized by "Filmadaran" NGO with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Armenia, the Debed village administration, and the Pambak municipality.
The first Film School within the frames of the festival was organized in 2019 in the village of Ujan, where the festival took place in 2017–2022. Since then, around 25 short films have been made by children from various rural communities participating in the program.
Marta Violante
Born in Milan in 1991, Marta Violante studied Audiovisual Communication at the University of Valencia. She has lived in Mexico for several years, where she has co-directed the documentary “Lirio Mendoza” and has worked as an editing assistant. In 2020 she co-authored the short documentary “Africa Bianca”, which was screened and awarded at a number of film festivals, including Apricot Tree IDFF 2021. Violante is a member of the A.C. La Bandita collective of filmmakers.