With the support of Ucom, the 14th SunChild International Environmental Festival under the theme “Every Species Has a Story” has kicked off at KinoMoscow Cinema in Yerevan. Ralph Yirikian, General Director of Ucom delivered a welcome speech at the opening ceremony. The festival aims to raise public awareness of environmental challenges and promote a responsible attitude towards nature.
This year's festival is dedicated to biodiversity conservation and is being held in parallel with the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), hosted by Armenia. From October 23 to 30, the festival will bring together filmmakers, environmentalists, experts, and nature enthusiasts from around the world. Through film screenings, discussions, and educational activities, the festival will draw attention to pressing environmental challenges and potential solutions.
The opening ceremony featured a screening of the documentary Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope, which highlights successful conservation initiatives and reminds audiences that positive change is possible even in the face of the most serious environmental challenges.
“At Ucom, we believe that a company's responsibility goes beyond providing high-quality services. We also care deeply about the environment we live in and the future we leave for the next generations. As a technology company, we strive to put our capabilities and expertise to work for nature conservation as well. One of the key areas of our longstanding cooperation with SunChild is environmental education and awareness. We want young people, in particular, not only to understand environmental challenges but also to recognize that each of us can contribute to addressing them. After all, protecting nature is a shared responsibility, and meaningful change begins with knowledge and translates into action,” said Ralph Yirikian, General Director of Ucom.
Ucom's longstanding cooperation with the SunChild environmental NGO encompasses both environmental education and public awareness, as well as practical conservation initiatives. In partnership with the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), Ucom implements projects focused on reforestation, renewable energy, and the use of technological solutions to protect wildlife.
“This year, SunChild has a special mission: within the framework of COP17, we are demonstrating how cinema and art can become powerful drivers of global environmental change. Under the theme ‘Every Species Has a Story,’ we want to remind everyone that every living being on our planet is irreplaceable. We are delighted that, with the support of our like-minded partners, including Ucom and Yerevan Municipality, we can expand the festival's geographic reach and its impact on environmental education,” said Sona Kalantaryan, President of the SunChild Environmental NGO.
The SunChild International Environmental Festival was founded in 2006 through the initiative of the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets and the SunChild NGO. Over the years, it has become an important platform for environmental education and awareness, encouraging responsible attitudes towards nature through film and culture.
This year's program features documentary and feature film screenings, meetings with filmmakers, public discussions, and environmental activities. The film lineup includes several notable works by internationally acclaimed directors. On October 23, Moscow Cinema will screen Dandelion’s Odyssey, an animated film by Momoko Seto that received the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The film follows the journey of dandelion seeds searching for a new home after the destruction of Earth. On October 24, audiences will have the opportunity to watch Whispers in the Woods, a documentary by Vincent Munier celebrated for its breathtaking wildlife cinematography. Both screenings will be followed by discussions with the directors. On October 25, the Cinema House will screen Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, an animated film by world-renowned Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki exploring the relationship between humanity and nature.
On October 25, the festival's traditional Animal Masquerade Parade, featuring costumes inspired by animals and plants, will also take place in central Yerevan.
All festival events are free to attend. The full program is available at sunchild.am.