NEWS

The picture of the Azerbaijani film director and actress Tahmina Rafaella - Qadin ("Woman") is included in the program of the Palm Springs International Film Festival (USA). The film competes in the "Best Foreign Film" nomination.

The source of inspiration for the filming were generations of women in her family, said Tahmina.

The work is dedicated to the director's mother.

Tahmina was not only a director, but also a screenwriter and producer of the film. She was also a leading actress in the film.

Also starring in the film were Zaur Shafiyev, Saeed Mammadov and Vidadi Hasanov.

The language of the film is Azerbaijan and Russian with English subtitles. Music is by Ugur Safarov.

Movie overview:

“A young, modern mother struggles to find her place in Baku, Azerbaijan, a place simultaneously Muslim and secular, progressive as it is traditional, and, like her, at a crossroads of seeming contradictions. Navigating the trappings of both conventional and modern female roles, she straddles the space between choice and responsibility, where in the course of one day she can be a mother, a daughter, a wife, and still be herself.”

In connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the festival is held online from 19 to 24 June. Its program includes works by directors from different countries, which will be evaluated by famous foreign filmmakers.

An Azerbaijani short film on the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenians has won a number of international awards in prestigious festivals.

The screenplay has won nominations for best leading Actor, artist work, best make-up, Best Film about Women and much more.

It has won several awards in Turkey as well as the Crown Wood International Film Festival in India, and is expected to receive prestigious awards in the United States and Europe. “Andromeda” and Hollywood independent cinematographers’ festivals are among them.

The film named is named "26.02.92" and has been created by the Azerbaijani Television (AZTV).

According to the film director Elvin Ahmadoglu, participation in such festivals is important not only to promote Azerbaijan on the international arena, but also to inform the international community about  the atrocities committed by Armenians against Azerbaijani civilians during the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the early 1990s.

In an interview to a local channel, leading actress Munavvar Aliyeva noted perfect technical and creative team of the film and expressed her gratitude for the collaboration and working with them.

Moreover, she emphasized that the image created in the firm, which was made by AZTV and broadcast in Armenian, reflected her inner world. She felt Khojaly pain deeply as her relatives were among hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis expelled from their homes during the Karabakh war.

The actress said that the film was result of the joint labor of art lovers.

The scriptwriter and director of the film is Elvin Ahmadoghlu, artist Faridbay Karimov, makeup artist Eldar Israfilov, video editor Ahmad Gasimov, visual graphics specialist Rovshan Abiyev, assistant director Novruz Mammadov, executive producer Zamig Alovsatoghlu, project manager Ranar Musayev.

Egyptian film “Hazihi Laylaty” (This is My Night) won the golden award in the official competition of the Geneva International Oriental Film Festival (FIFOG) in Switzerland, according to Egypt Independent.

An online version of the festival was held between June 8 and 14 under the slogan “Resistance, feminine.”

The festival included selections from oriental films aiming to highlight women’s creativity, the rejection of violence in all its forms, and the hope for a better tomorrow.

The jury stated that the award was given for the brevity of the film and its narrative boldness, especially as it explored the urban scene of a large city in Egypt and its many contradictions. The jury also cited the quality of music and the power of the dream-like film.

Last year, the film had its world premiere at Gouna International Film Festival, and also screened at the Clermont Ferrand Festival and Luxor Festival for African Cinema.

The film received a grant from UNICEF.

The film revolves around a poor woman accompanying her child, who has down syndrome, to buy ice cream and enjoy the day. They head to one of the high-end areas of Cairo, and face unforeseen suffering, but the mother insists on seizing moments of happiness for her child.

The film stars Nahed Al-Sebaei, Sherif al-Desouky and Amr Hesab. The film is written by Ehab Abde Warth and Youssef Noman, and directed by Youssef Noman.

“My Little Prince”, animated film by Azanfilm Studio, has won the BRIGHT FUTURE nomination at the 8th Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival (GUKIFF) in South Korea.

The online awards ceremony of the festival will be held on July 8.

The principal objective of GUKIFF is to present the most outstanding films for children, youth, and families produced in all over the world.

Established in 2013, GUKIFF is striving to encourage young generations who will lead the film industry and support them to get various opportunities.

GUKIFF realized the importance of culture that all the family members can share. GUKIFF wants to introduce various genres of domestic and foreign films dealing with children, family, and dream themes.

"My Little Prince" film was inspired by the works of young artist Maryam Alakbarli, dedicated to the same name novel.

Maryam Alakbarli has nearly 30 works inspired by the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s work "The Little Prince". These paintings were demonstrated in a number of prestigious exhibition halls. The animated film was created under the influence of these works.

A very talented creative team worked on the animated film, including director Arif Maharramov, scriptwriter Iman Ismayil, art director Elchin Efendiyev, designer Amil Guliyev, composer Azer Hajiaskarli and producer Mushfig Khatamov.

"The Little Prince" has captured the hearts of readers around the world since 1943. The novella is the most famous work of the French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The tale was inspired by his experiences in the French Air Force.

Since its first publication, the novella was adapted to numerous art forms and media, including audio recordings, radio plays, live stage, film, television, ballet, and opera.

Azerbaijani sweets will be among other patterns to be demonstrated at the 14th International Good Taste Festival, due to be held in Poznan, Poland, from August 13 to 16.

The festival will offer visitors an opportunity to see the culinary side of many corners of Poland, try cheese from Wielkopolska, Kashubia or Podhale, infusions from Lubelszczyzna, fish from Pomerania and Mazuria, meats from Podlasie or Lower Silesia and craft beers from all the country, as well as sweets from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia, teas of Sri Lanka or spices from the whole world.

The Good Taste Festival is a foodie holiday with an international food fair, culinary shows and workshops, concerts, and competitions. The Fair attracts tens of thousands of Poznań residents and tourists. The stands display artistic handicrafts, kitchen accessories and culinary books.

Baku Music Academy invites you to join the 1st International Online Competition of Musicians-Performers.

Initiated by professor of Baku Music Academy Tarlan Seidova, the contest is timed to the 40th anniversary of the Specialized Secondary Music School-Studio.

According to the rules, the contest participants will show their best in three music genres: academic, folk and jazz music.

The 1st International Online Competition of Musicians-Performers is open for musicians of all ages.

The contest will feature a large variety of solo and ensemble nominations: Piano", "String Instruments", "Wind and Percussion Instruments", "Folk Instruments", "Vocal", "Instrumental and Vocal ensembles ".

The jury will be chaired by the People’s Artist of the USSR and Azerbaijan, rector of Baku Music Academy Farhad Badalbayli. Applications will be accepted until September 30, 2020.

For more information, please visit:

Baku Music Academy

Baku Book Center will hold a virtual event in support of the Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Bahram Bagirzade. 

As part of the project, Trend News Agency's correspondent Vugar Imanov will read out Bahram Bagirzade’s books for children for students on June 20. The event will be streamed on Baku Book Center's social networks.

Bahram Bagirzade is in an intensive care unit in a hospital in Baku where he is being treated for COVID-19. 

Bagirzade is a member of the Azerbaijan Union of Artists, the Union of Cinematographers as well as Association of Photographers and Society of Cartoonists. 

He is the author of more than thirty books about prominent public and art figures such as Gara Garayev, Vagif Mustafazade, Sakit Mammadov and others. 

Founded in 2018, Baku Book Center encourages people in reading book as a bearer of cultural, spiritual values and useful knowledge.

Here booklovers can also take part in presentations of books, literary and musical evenings, meetings with cultural and art workers, thematic master classes and much more.

The Center also organizes events with the participation of international organizations and diplomatic missions.

By the decision of the CIS Executive Committee, Baku Book Center has been awarded the diploma "For the great work in development of domestic book distribution and international book exchange in 2018."

House museum of Azerbaijan’s philanthropist, oil baron Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev was opened on June 17 in Baku after restoration and reconstruction work.

The museum’s opening is in line with the 100th anniversary of the National History Museum of Azerbaijan.

The large touch screen of the new exhibition of the museum provides information about business, social and charitable activities of Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, as well as his family.

The information is provided in three languages - Azerbaijani, English and Russian.

Additionally, the new exposition demonstrates the materials stored in the funds of the museum - paintings, documents, photographs, orders and books published on his manuals.

The museum’s director, academician Nailya Velikhanli opened the ceremony.

In 2020 the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan celebrates 100 years anniversary. The initial activity of the Museum is connected with the creation of the "Museum of Education of the native land" as a part of the Museum-Excursion Department by the order of the Department of Out-of-School Education of the People's Commissariat of Azerbaijan on July 15, 1920.

Since its establishment, this first state museum has functioned as a cultural, educational and research institution, engaged in demonstration, propaganda, collection, storage, research and publication of material values reflecting the history of the Azerbaijani people in expositions and exhibitions.

The museum's holdings contain more than 300,000 cultural monuments.

In 2007, at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, the museum was repaired and restored in accordance with world standards, and a new exposition reflecting the history of Azerbaijan from ancient times to 1920 was opened.

In nine halls of the museum there is also memorial museum of the owner of the mansion Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev.

Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev (1821-1924) is among the most generous philanthropists of Azerbaijan’s oil boom period. Among his many charity works, Tagiyev is also remembered for opening a school for girls in Baku, which became one of the first school of its kind among Muslim countries.

Tagiyev spent his fortune to set up industrial enterprises that served the country's socio-economic development, created jobs and provided thousands of people with stable salaries, jobs and housing; opened schools to educate the nation, assisted educational institutions and paid hundreds of students; considering the role of the press in shaping the public consciousness, sponsored the publication of newspapers and magazines; built a building for the theatre, which played an unprecedented role in the development of national culture, and supported the publication and translation of poetry works.

The National Museum of History of Azerbaijan is located in the palace where Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev once lived, books are published and various events are held.

Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibayli is going to hold first international online competition of musicians-performers dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the secondary special music school-studio - the base scientific and experimental laboratory of the musical higher education institution.

According to the terms of the competition, each participant has an unusual and difficult task to be able to prove himself in performing the program consisting of an unusual combination of three contrasting music genres - academic, folk and jazz music.

The competition, which performers of all ages take part in, will feature a large and diverse number of solo and ensemble nominations: "Piano", "String instruments", "Wind and percussion instruments", "Folk instruments", "Vocal", "Instrumental and vocal ensembles".

The performance of participants will be assessed by the prestigious international jury chaired by the People's Artist of the USSR and Azerbaijan, Rector of Baku Music Academy named after Uzeyir Hajibayli Professor Farhad Badalbayli.

The deadline for submitting documents is until 30 September 2020.

A new award for category “Best Azerbaijani Short Animated Film“ is established for the upcoming ANIMAFILM Festival in cooperation with the French Embassy in Azerbaijan, ​​the French Institute in Azerbaijan (IFA) and with the support of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. This year's winner of the ANIMAFILM Festival will have a chance to attend in the 2021 Annecy Festival in France and receive professional MIFA accreditation. Return flight to France and accommodation in Annecy of the winner will be covered by IFA.   ANIMAFILM Festival is also cooperating with Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan to present a new award for the winner of the category “Best Azerbaijani Screenplay for a Short Animated Film”. The winner will receive a valuable photo camera as a prize. The screenplay should be linked to one of the following themes: diversity, tolerance, multiculturalism, human rights, woman rights or climate change.   Deadline for applications: 30.06.2020 For more information: www.animafilm.az   III ANIMAFILM Festival will be held in two cities of Azerbaijan, Baku and Sheki, from 14 to 18 October 2020. This year festival will be dedicated to French animation. The Festival is supported by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture, Sheki City Executive Power, Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers, Embassy of the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan, Embassy of France in Azerbaijan, French Institute in Azerbaijan, Nizami Cinema Center, Mujru Publishing, Barat Abdullayev and other partners and sponsors.