20:20,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Ten people were killed and nine were seriously wounded in a shooting on Thursday at Charles University in central Prague, Czech emergency services said. The shooter, who was not immediately identified by officials, also died, the New York Times reports.
According to the source, the police said the shooter had been “eliminated’’.
The Academy has announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 96th Oscars in March 2024, with The Taste Of Things (France), Fallen Leaves (Finland), The Zone Of Interest (UK), Totem (Mexico), and Amerikatsi, Armenia’s first entry on the shortlist, among those making the cut in the international feature film category.
The international contest also sees Pawo Choyning Dorji’s drama The Monk And The Gun becomes Bhutan’s second film to make the shortlist after his Oscar nominee Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom from two seasons ago.
A strong showing by European films besides the aforementioned comprises J.A. Bayona’s Society Of The Snow representing Spain; Leonie Benesch’s The Teachers’ Lounge for Germany, Nikolaj Arcel’s Danish entry The Promised Land, Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano for Italy, Mstyslav Chernov’s Ukrainian documentary 20 Days In Mariupol, and Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland (Iceland), which premiered in Cannes 2022.
Asmae El Moudir’s Moroccan documentary The Mother Of All Lies and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Tunisian documentary hybrid Four Daughters fly the flag for Africa.
Wim Wenders’ Japanese submission Perfect Days starring Cannes best actor winner Koji Yakusho is the other Asian representative alongside Amerikatsi, Michael A Goorjian’s Armenian comedy drama which premiered in Woodstock Film Festival.
Lila Aviles’s Mexican entry Totem is the only film from Latin America to advance.
In total six shortlisted films premiered in Cannes: Jonathan Glazer’s grand prix winner The Zone Of Interest; best director winner Tran Anh Hung’s The Taste Of Things; Perfect Days; Un Certain Regard entry The Mother Of All Lies; Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves; and Four Daughters.
Three premiered in Venice: Silver Lion winner Io Capitano, Society Of The Snow, and The Promised Land.
Lila Avilés’s Totem and The Teachers’ Lounge premiered in Berlin. 20 Days In Mariupol premiered in Sundance, and The Monk And The Gun debuted in Busan.
Shortlists were announced for documentary feature, documentary short film, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live action short film, sound and visual effects.
Documentary titles advancing to the nominations voting stage include 20 Days In Mariupol, American Symphony, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Beyond Utopia, The Eternal Daughter, and Four Daughters.
Barbie secured five places on shortlists overall on Thursday, more than any other film. It has three in contention for music (original song) category, while there are two in that category from The Color Purple, two from Flora And Son, and one each from Asteroid City, Killers Of The Flower Moon and Past Lives, among others.
Films moving forward in the visual effects category include Poor Things, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Napoleon, Society Of The Snow, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire.
Nominations voting runs January 11-16, 2024, and nominations will be announced on January 23, 2024.
The 96th Oscars will take place on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Fifteen films will advance in the category. There were 167 eligible films. Members of the documentary branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
American Symphony
Apolonia, Apolonia
Beyond Utopia
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
Desperate Souls, Dark City And The Legend Of Midnight Cowboy
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
In The Rearview
Stamped From The Beginning
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
A Still Small Voice
32 Sounds
To Kill A Tiger
20 Days In Mariupol
Fifteen films will advance. There were 114 eligible films. Members of the documentary branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
The ABCs Of Book Banning
The Barber Of Little Rock
Bear
Between Earth & Sky
Black Girls Play: The Story Of Hand Games
Camp Courage
Deciding Vote
How We Get Free
If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Last Song From Kabul
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
Oasis
Wings Of Dust
Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting. Films from 88 countries and regions were eligible in the category.
Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Armenia, Amerikatsi
Bhutan, The Monk And The Gun
Denmark, The Promised Land
Finland, Fallen Leaves
France, The Taste Of Things
Germany, The Teachers’ Lounge
Iceland, Godland
Italy, Io Capitano
Japan, Perfect Days
Mexico, Totem
Morocco, The Mother Of All Lies
Spain, Society Of The Snow
Tunisia, Four Daughters
Ukraine, 20 Days In Mariupol
United Kingdom, The Zone Of Interest
Ten films will advance category. All members of the Academy’s makeup artists and hairstylists branch will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on January 14, 2024. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
Beau Is Afraid
Ferrari
Golda
Killers Of The Flower Moon
The Last Voyage Of The Demeter
Maestro
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society Of The Snow
Fifteen scores will advance. There were 148 eligible films. Members of the music branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The scores, listed in alphabetical order by film title, are:
American Fiction
American Symphony
Barbie
The Boy And The Heron
The Color Purple
Elemental
The Holdovers
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Saltburn
Society Of The Snow
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Zone Of Interest
Fifteen songs will advance in the category. There were 94 eligible films. Members of the music branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony
“Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven)” from Asteroid City
“Dance The Night” from Barbie
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
“Keep It Movin’” from The Color Purple
“Superpower (I)” from The Color Purple
“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
“High Life” from Flora And Son
“Meet In The Middle” from Flora And Son
“Can’t Catch Me Now” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers Of The Flower Moon
“Quiet Eyes” from Past Lives
“Road To Freedom” from Rustin
“Am I Dreaming” from Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Fifteen films will advance in the category There were 93 eligible films. Members of the short films and feature animation branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
Boom
Eeva
Humo (Smoke)
I’m Hip
A Kind Of Testament
Koerkorter (Dog Apartment)
Letter To A Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Once Upon A Studio
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
Pete
27
War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John & Yoko
Wild Summon
Fifteen films will advance in the category. There were 187 eligible films. For the first time, Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
The After
The Anne Frank Gift Shop
An Avocado Pit
Bienvenidos A Los Angeles
Dead Cat
Good Boy
Invincible
Invisible Border
Knight Of Fortune
The One Note Man
Red, White And Blue
The Shepherd
Strange Way Of Life
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar
Yellow
Ten films will advance. All eligible members of the sound branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. Academy members will be invited to view excerpts from each of the shortlisted films beginning January 11, 2024, in the San Francisco Bay area, followed by London, Los Angeles and New York. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
Barbie
The Creator
Ferrari
The Killer
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
The Zone Of Interest
Ten films remain in the running. The visual effects branch executive committee determined the shortlist. All members of the visual effects branch will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on January 13, 2024. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Poor Things
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire
Society Of The Snow
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
The shortlist of 15 films set to vie for a Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination only has a few surprises in the mix.
Firstly, there are a couple of crossovers with films also included on the documentary shortlist: Ukraine’s 20 Days in Mariupol and Tunisia’s Four Daughters. At the same time, Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies, also eligible in documentary, landed a shortlist slot only in International Feature.
For Ukraine, this is the first inclusion on an International Feature shortlist. For a narrative feature, same goes for Armenia with Michael A. Goorjian’s Amerikatsi.
Bhutan, here with The Monk and the Gun, is a comer. After landing the country’s first advancement in 2021 with Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, director Pawo Choyning Dorji is again in the mix.
A surprise here is Iceland’s Godland, which debuted in Cannes in 2022 and is handled by Janus domestically. Hlynur Palmason’s movie “strikes that elusive balance of pace and pitch,” said Deadline’s review at the time.
We’re a little surprised to not see Bulgaria’s Blaga’s Lessons included, but the rest of the field essentially was expected.
Here is the full Oscar shortlist for International Feature Film:
Armenia, Amerikatsi
Bhutan, The Monk and the Gun
Denmark, The Promised Land
Finland, Fallen Leaves
France, The Taste of Things
Germany, The Teachers’ Lounge
Iceland, Godland
Italy, Io Capitano
Japan, Perfect Days
Mexico, Totem
Morocco, The Mother of All Lies
Spain, Society of the Snow
Tunisia, Four Daughters
Ukraine, 20 Days in Mariupol
United Kingdom, The Zone of Interest
https://deadline.com/2023/12/2024-oscar-international-feature-shortlist-movie-1235679936/
In an unprecedented achievement, an Armenian film, ‘Amerikatsi’, has reached the Oscars shortlist, marking a significant milestone for the Armenian film industry. Directed by Michael Gurbanian, the film is among the 15 international feature films selected for the shortlist, as announced by the National Cinema Center of Armenia.
This is the first instance an Armenian film has been shortlisted for an Oscar, creating a historic moment for Armenian film production. ‘Amerikatsi’, produced by Arman Nshanyan and directed by Michael Gurbanian, competes in the Best International Feature Film category. The producer, Arman Nshanyan, exuded confidence in the film’s universal narrative and expressed his expectation of success. Today, he considers this achievement a victory.
The shortlist for the Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination includes 15 films from diverse countries. This year, the list features unexpected entries and a few surprises, including debut inclusions from Armenia and Ukraine. Other countries on the shortlist comprise Bhutan, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom.
The Academy has announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 96th Oscars scheduled for March 2024. The International Feature Film category sees ‘Amerikatsi’ as Armenia’s maiden entry. The category features 15 films, with 167 eligible films in total. The nominations are voted for by the members of the documentary branch, determining both the shortlist and the nominees. Nominations will be announced on January 23, 2024, with the Oscars taking place on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The other categories include Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music Original Score, Music Original Song, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound, and Visual Effects.
https://bnnbreaking.com/arts/armenian-film-amerikatsi-shortlisted-for-the-oscars-marks-a-milestone/
In a recent statement, Serzh Sargsyan, former President of Armenia, took to Twitter to articulate a profound assertion regarding the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The crux of his message affirmed that the resolution of such a deep-seated conflict cannot be enforced with a single person’s proclamation.
Amidst this political turmoil, Armenia’s relations with Russia have deteriorated significantly. The Russian embassy in Yerevan condemned the temporary suspension of the local branch of Russian broadcaster, Sputnik. The Armenian commission responsible for television and radio imposed a 30-day suspension on Sputnik Armenia’s license, sparked by offensive remarks made by a Russian TV personality. Sputnik, a state-run Russian media organization, has been accused of disseminating Kremlin disinformation.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s resolution sparked a wave of contrasting reactions. The announcement triggered jubilations in Azerbaijan, while Armenia was plunged into a political crisis. Angry protestors stormed government buildings and the parliament, leading to injuries and hospitalizations.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalated in 1988 when the Karabakh Armenians demanded the region’s transfer from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia, leading to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The recent conflict in 2020 led to a significant Azerbaijani victory, resulting in thousands of casualties and an armistice established by a tripartite ceasefire agreement. Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Republic of Artsakh has led to a humanitarian crisis for the population of Artsakh, violating the 2020 ceasefire agreement and international legal rulings.
In a recent interview, the Russian Ambassador to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin, shed light on the evolving bilateral ties between Russia and Armenia. Kopyrkin stated that the majority of contracts concerning military-technical cooperation between the two nations have been successfully fulfilled in a timely and quality manner. Furthermore, he revealed that discussions are underway regarding new agreements in the same field.
Russia and Armenia have been consistently nurturing their strategic partnership, focusing on shared interests and mutual benefits. Kopyrkin underscored their shared commitment to bolstering and expanding their interaction across multifarious sectors. The ambassador also highlighted the importance of maintaining an intensive dialogue, crucial for the resolution of any potential issues.
Despite Armenia’s conspicuous absence from the meetings of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Kopyrkin confirmed that Armenia does not intend to leave the organization. He stressed that the question of Armenia’s withdrawal from the CSTO is not currently on the agenda.
On the topic of Armenia’s potential accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Kopyrkin expressed Russia’s stance, suggesting that such a move would not be in Armenia’s best interests.
Lastly, the ambassador disclosed that Russia and Armenia have established operational communication channels to handle media issues on each other’s territories. This development is a significant step towards strengthening diplomatic ties and facilitating transparent communication between the two nations.
The leader of the Armenian separatists in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh has recently reversed his earlier statement regarding the dissolution of the local government. This unexpected turnaround has emerged amidst escalating tensions and ongoing territorial disputes. The region, although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, has been predominantly populated and governed by ethnic Armenians since the fall of the Soviet Union.
The separatist leader had initially proposed the idea of dissolving the local government as a response to increasing political and military pressures from Azerbaijan. This suggestion, however, was met with significant backlash from both the local population and the Armenian government. Concerns were raised about the potential ramifications of such an action on the already fragile situation in the region.
The leader’s retraction of the plan to dissolve the government comes as an apparent attempt to maintain a semblance of stability and self-determination in the face of these external challenges. The decision has been seen as a critical move to reassure the local population and the Armenian government. It also sends a signal to Azerbaijan and the international community that the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership is determined to uphold its governance and resist external pressures.
Despite this development, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains precarious. International efforts to resolve the conflict continue, but without a clear and definitive solution in sight. The region remains a hotspot of tension, where any misstep could potentially lead to a severe escalation of the conflict. As such, the decisions of the separatist leader and the reactions of the involved parties will continue to be closely watched.
https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/nagorno-karabakh-leader-retracts-dissolution-proposal-amid-tensions/
On December 15, Armenia and Russia signed a contract on modernizing and extending the lifespan of Armenia's Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) until 2036.
The renovations will be carried out by Rustatom Service JSC, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom, and will cost the Armenian government $65 million.
The deal is another reminder of the vast extent of Russia's influence over Armenia's infrastructure and economy amid Yerevan's efforts to politically distance itself from Moscow.
Metsamor plays a significant role in Armenia's energy landscape, contributing an average of 31 percent of the country's yearly electricity output.
It is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus, located about 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It consists of two units, Metsamor-1 and Metsamor-2, activated in 1976 and 1980, respectively. In 1989, the plant was shut down due to safety concerns after the devastating earthquake in Spitak in December 1988. In 1995, Unit 2 was reactivated due to energy shortages in Armenia, and since then has been the only nuclear unit in operation.
In 2021, Rosatom repaired and upgraded the NPP to operate until 2026. The modernization was implemented under a loan agreement signed between Armenia and Russia in 2015.
Under the new agreement, Rosatom will help to extend the lifespan of Unit-2 until 2036, after which it will be decommissioned.
The upgrading operations will be financed in the form of a "budgetary loan" provided by the Armenian government to the state-owned plant's management, which will subsequently enter into a contract with Rosatom. In 2023-2026, Rosatom will modernize Metsamor NPP in close cooperation with Armenian specialists.
As the reactor will be decommissioned in 2036, the Armenian government intends to build a new nuclear unit at Metsamor. Different estimates assert that the construction of a new nuclear power plant or unit will take 6-10 years, which means that construction works must be started in the next couple years.
It appears those construction works will be implemented by Rosatom, judging by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk's remark on December 15 that negotiations were underway regarding new nuclear power units.
Overwhelming energy dependence on Russia
The new Metsamor deal comes at a complicated time in Armenian-Russian relations. Resentment against Russia is high in Armenia Azerbaijan's military takeover – apparently with Moscow's blessing – of Nagorno-Karabakh in September.
Despite persistent efforts to diversify its political alliances and build closer ties with the West, Armenia's economy remains overwhelmingly dependent on Russia. Russia is Armenia's largest trade partner, and Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
And then there's energy dependence.
Russia supplies 87.5 percent of Armenia's gas (the rest comes from Iran), and Gazprom Armenia, the local subsidiary of the Russian state gas company, owns all of the country's gas distribution infrastructure.
Armenia says it generates 98 percent of the electricity it needs but that claim hides even more dependence.
That electricity is generated by hydropower and thermal plants and by the Metsamor NPP. Metsamor is entirely fueled by uranium imported from Russia while thermal power plants depend on (largely Russian) natural gas.
"Our self-sufficiency depends on the countries from which we import the gas and the uranium that operate our thermal and nuclear power plants. And when our government officials speak about our self-sufficiency, why do they forget to say how we maintain it?" energy expert Armen Manvelyan told the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), stressing that over 70 percent of Armenia's electricity depends on Russia.
And Armenia's energy demands keep growing. In 2022, Armenia's imports of Russian natural gas increased by 6.1 percent from the previous year, reaching 2.6 billion cubic meters.
Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, recently mused about the possibility of tripling or quadrupling Tehran's gas exports to Armenia. But such a move would require Russia's consent and facilitation, as Gazprom controls the gas pipeline to Iran.
Armenia is exploring the possibility of obtaining small modular nuclear reactors from the United States, France, and South Korea as part of its efforts to diversify its energy sector. But so far concrete progress on this front remains elusive.
By Lilit Shahverdyan via Eurasianet.org
https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/Armenia-Russia-Sign-Key-Deal-for-Metsamor-Nuclear-Plant-Modernization.html
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – The images are hard to forget. Thousands of families were forced from their homes in Nagorno Karabakh by Azerbaijani troops— escaping into the country of Armenia.
The refugee crisis was witnessed in early October when Fresno’s medical mission was there.
Now, an update.
“There are so many problems they have to face because they came without anything,” said Apo Boghigian, the director of CivilNet, an independent online media platform in Armenia.
Boghigian says his staff covers daily the challenges facing the 100,000 displaced Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh.
“All of them need final places you live— I mean houses, homes,” he said.
Boghigian says the Armenian government is providing some aid to these families, but the lack of decent housing makes resettlement difficult.
Help is coming from Armenians worldwide. Abandoned homes in Armenia’s eastern Tavush region are now being renovated.
“Money sent by Fresno Armenians we are renovating. We are constructing for eleven families,” said Tatul Hagopian, a reporter in Armenia assisting the Fresno project, Operation Hope. “After losing everything, now they feel that Armenians are trying their best to help them.”
“If there is a home that requires renovations, including making sure that everyone has a shelter number one, running water, hot water, ability to plant,” said Fresno’s Honorary Consul Berj Apkarian.
Apkarian launched the Operation Hope project in hopes of collecting thousands of dollars— every penny going to help the displaced families.
“This is really a time of giving. As we in the United States say, ‘Coming home for the holidays’, and these people don’t have homes,” Apkarian said.
If you would like to donate to Operation Hope, click here.
On December 22, Mr. FUKAZAWA Yoichi, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call by H.E. Mr. Areg HOVHANNISIAN, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows: