Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan Names Its Laureates

Baku / 08/01/18 / Turan: The Secretariat of the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan announced the names of the winners of the annual film prize of the Union.

As it was said in the press release sent to Turan IA, this year's winners were People's Writer Anar - for outstanding services to the culture and cinematography of Azerbaijan, Composer Rauf Aliyev (posthumously) - for the music for the film Eviniz Abad (Peace to Your Home) directed by M. Agazadeh, Ramiz Abutalibov - for his services in covering the history of the Azerbaijan People's Republic in documentary filmmaking.

The aim of the awards of the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan is to emphasize the positive tendencies of the national cinema.

Prior to that, the winners were Fuad Poladov, Fikrat Aliyev, Firangiz Gurbanova, Nizami Abbas, Yuri Varnovsky, Fakhraddin Manafov and Mehriban Zeki.

The Secretariat of the Union regretted the small number of films made in the past year. Particularly alarming is non-execution of the state program for cinema development.

This year is the last one given for the implementation of the program, the good half of which was never realized.

The Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan hopes for taking urgent measures that will bring the country's cinema out of the current difficult situation.

Recall that a few years ago the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan faced a split. The authorities opened a criminal case against the head of the Union Rustam Ibrahimbekov, accusing him of economic crimes. After that, pressure began on the Union of Cinematographers, which was evicted from the premises in the Government House.

Further, the authorities created an alternative Union of Cinematographers whose members accused Ibrahimbekov of "politicization" of the cinema and turned away from him.

The main reason for Ibrahimbekov's conflict with the authorities was his opposition and his willingness to participate in the presidential elections as a single opposition candidate and opponent of Ilham Aliyev. -02D-