Festival rain in Azerbaijan

In August and September, a series of festivals with a focus on art and films captivated audiences. These diverse events included Citi-zen, Sevil International Women's Film Festival, Anima Film Festival, and Hello Film Festival.

Citi-zen, a unique festival held in Ganja, embraced a camping format from August 25th to 27th. The festival's primary objective was to unite individuals passionate about art and introduce emerging art forms to a broader audience. Festival-goers were provided with opportunities to showcase and sell their handicrafts. Murad Nabiyev served as the festival's main organizer and emphasized the collaborative effort that went into its creation, involving groups specializing in construction, theater, and sewing.

The construction team played a pivotal role in preparing and designing the festival area, while various captivating performances unfolded throughout the event. New musicians explored fresh musical genres, contributing to the festival's dynamic atmosphere. Nabiyev noted that challenging weather conditions were among the main obstacles faced during the festival.

A noteworthy aspect of the festival was the clothing used in performances, crafted by the sewing laboratory using second-hand fabrics and garments. Additionally, the event emphasized the importance of fostering an environmentally friendly environment, culminating in a tree-planting activity on the festival's closing day.

Sevil International Women's Documentary Film Festival, founded by Aygun Rashidova in 2020, marked another significant cultural event, taking place from September 15th to 22nd this year. The festival's opening attracted a substantial audience, with ambassadors of France and Britain expressing their support during a vaccination drive. Of particular note was the British Ambassador's commencement of his speech in Azerbaijani, which added a memorable touch to the event. The ambassadors highlighted the festival's significance.

The films showcased at the festival were either directed by women or centered around women's contributions to the queer community. A diverse selection of foreign and domestic films graced this year's festival, culminating in the announcement of the winning films. Notable winners included "The Birth of a Woman" and "This is Such Love" in the International Short Documentary category, "Self-Portrait Along the Border" and "We Live with Balkes" in the Full-Length Documentary category, and "Hadith" and "In the Shadow of the Plane Tree" in the Local Documentary category.

In addition to film screenings, the festival facilitated engaging discussions with directors and protagonists from the featured films. Various masterclasses were also conducted, including "Women with Cameras" by Anyes Godard, "Making a Film in the First Person" by Anna Dziapshipa, and "Women Through the Lens of Rena Efendi" by Rena Efendi.

This year, the festival introduced the "Dok Atelier" documentary film masterclass, spanning from September 16th to 21st, under the mentorship of German director Kety De Han.

Lala Aliyeva, Matlab Mukhtarov, and Aygun Jahangirova also led training sessions. Sevil Festival pledged to support select ideas for implementation, providing a valuable platform for emerging talents in the documentary film arena.-0--