Biography

Film is Jivan Avetisyan's passion, and storytelling is his forte. Born in Gyumri, raised in Artsakh, and now based in Yerevan, Jivan has spent over a decade sharing the stories of Artsakh through the art of filmmaking, crafting narratives from both individual and collective experiences. He has pursued his dream of producing films that feature top-tier Armenian talent and an international cast of the highest caliber.

By collaborating with talented artists and technicians from around the world, Jivan seeks to create films that foster a deeper understanding of universal themes such as courage, resilience, peace, and hope. As he continues this journey, he remains committed to using the power of film to give a voice to the voiceless and place Artsakh on the world map.

Jivan is an internationally award-winning film director, a Berlinale Talents 2020 alumnus, and a voting member of the esteemed European Film Academy as of 2024, one of the most prestigious film institutions in Europe. Additionally, Jivan is one of 15 participants in the highly competitive CineLink Producers' Lab at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where his film slate was presented. As a Berlinale Talents 2020 alum, he was also selected as the subject of a documentary by Deutsche Welle.

Jivan has also directed over 10 documentaries and short films in the early stages of his career. He then co-founded the Fish Eye Art Cultural Foundation in 2014 and serves as its CEO. Through this foundation, he has produced three feature films, including Tevanik (2014), The Last Inhabitant (2016), and Gate to Heaven (2019). In 2021, he founded a production company, LifeTree Pictures LLC, with multiple projects in the pipeline, including his next feature, Revival (2025), which completed filming in Cyprus in June 2024. Jivan has participated in numerous international film festivals, where his films have won awards in the "Best Feature Film" and "Best Director" categories.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jivan Avetisyan