Jivan Avetisyan

Jivan is an Armenian film director and a Berlinale Talents 2020. Jivan was born in Gyumri and raised in Artsakh. Jivan is based in the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia. Jivan grew up during one of the most violent conflicts in the caucuses and understands well the brutal consequences of war. And although his own childhood was stripped of playful mischief and was instead laden with responsibility to protect family and friends, Jivan did not abandon his dream and passion for filmmaking. Jivan's lifelong dream of storytelling, of chronicling history, and putting Artsakh on the world map has been realized through the art of filmmaking. Jivan has created well over twenty documentaries, short films, and three feature films, Tevanik, The Last Inhabitant, and Gate to Heaven. Jivan's first feature film, "Tevanik", has been recognized in over twenty international film festivals claiming over twenty awards including Best Feature Film. Jivan's second feature film "The Last Inhabitant" was screened at A class international film festivals including Shanghai and Venice and was considered for the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Score in the 73rd Golden Globe Awards; it won Best Feature Film and Best Actor Award at the Scandinavian International Film Festival in Helsinki, Finland. Lastly, the film was licensed by HBO Eastern Europe. Jivan's third film project, "Gate to Heaven" is making its round in the festival market. Jivan continues to thrive to tell stories about his hometown, and is in the development stage of his fourth feature film which is earmarked for production in 2021.

Jivan studied at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography in the faculty of Feature Films from five years. Jivan pursued his career and became the director of the TV programs. Jivan was quickly promoted to director of films and TV programs at Yerkir Media TV company, a very reputable TV station in Armenia. Jivan's accomplishments as a director led him to become chief director at Yerkir Media in 2009 for the next five years. In 2014, Jivan co-founded Fish eye Art Cultural Foundation and has served as the director of the foundation since its inception.