17 September 2020
Run Time
86 mins
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Maria Saakyan (1980, Yerevan, Armenia) was born and grew up in Armenia. In 1992, she moved to Russia with her parents and graduated from Moscow’s VGIK film school in 2003. During her studies she shot several short animated and experimental films. From 2003 to 2006 Maria worked as a creative producer for the Andreevsky Flag Production Company, and in 2009—alongside Victoria Lupik—she founded Anniko Films, where she developed her second feature I’m Going To Change My Name, an independent international co-production which was awarded Best Pitch from B2B, Belgrade and DAB at Golden Apricot International Film Festival, Yerevan. In 2010, Saakyan was selected for Berlinale Talent Campus. Her films have screen world-wide at IFFR, International Film Festival Telluride (USA); Premiers Planes (France), Film Festival Oberhausen (Germany), Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Sofia International Film Festival, among others. Her directorial debut The Lighthouse has been awarded Special mention at Premiera Film Festival (Moscow), Best Debut at ̈Golden Apricot (Armenia), Grand-Prix at Split International Film Festival and First Prize at Moscow Human Rights Festival.
Entropiya (2013), Alaverdi (I’m Going to Change My Name, 2012), Mayak (The Lighthouse, 2006), The Farewell (2003), The Game (2000)