Vardan Hovhannisyan was a freelance cameraman and covered the hot regions and ethnic conflicts related to the post-Soviet transition for the international news, from 1988 to 1991. He was twice captured as a prisoner of war during the Kharabagh war. In 1993 he established Bars Media Documentary Film Studio, one of the first independent film companies in Armenia.His film A Story of People in War and Peace is a powerful, personal understanding of the human costs of war. The film is an internation co-production with BBC, ARTE WDR, YLE and ITVS. The film has won over 20 other awards including the FIPRESCI prize, the Best Documentary Filmmaker Award at Tribeca FF (US, 2007), the Audience Award at Trieste FF(Italy 2007), the Special Mention Award at the ZagrebDox FF (Croatia 2007) and Docaviv FF (Israel 2007), and was nominated for the Joris Ivens award at IDFA (The Netherlands, 2006). In 2010, Vardan produced the documentary The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia, an international co-production with NHK, ITVS, YLE, SVT, TVP and TVE. The film was premiered at IDFA (The Netherlands, 2009).Vardan recently completed a humorous documentary, or more accurately, Donkeymentary about Lamu Island in Kenya, a place with 24,000 people, 6,000 donkeys, 2 cars, and a donkey racing champion who has no donkey of his own. A version of the film was aired on ARTE France/Germany and the festival version is just starting its festival life. His main project right now is Elephants Soldiers, and investigative documentary that begins in Kenya and follows a crazy British scientist to China where he will attempt to fight the international illegal trade of ivory and stop the poaching of elephants in Africa. Vardan is also developing documentary films in Africa, Russia, Armenia, such as Wild Moves and The Chosen Ones.Vardan is a certified sports-plane pilot and first-class parachutist, experienced in aerial film shooting. He is a member of the EDN and the IDA.
Armenia