First ever Italian-Azerbaijan Film Festival wraps up

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Winners of the Italian-Azerbaijan Film Festival have been announced.

First ever Italian-Azerbaijan Film Festival was held in Baku on January 25-30.

The project aimed to identify young talents, to create a platform for the exchange of experience between directors from different countries.

The festival program was also full of seminars, creative debates, master classes and interesting meetings.

The event was organized by the Imago Group and Sandro Teti Editore, the United Culture Center, with the support of the Culture Ministry of Azerbaijan.

The film screenings took place at Nizami Cinema Center and the Landmark's Cine Club, Trend Life reported.

The event was organized by the Imago Group and Sandro Teti Editore, the United Culture Center, with the support of the Culture Ministry of Azerbaijan.

The festival presents the work of both beginners and famous directors from around the world.

The film screenings were divided into three parts - Italian, Azerbaijani and international.

The award ceremony was attended by members of the jury.

President of the festival, jury chairman of Zoroaster Award Remo Girona and his spouse  Argentinean actress of Italian origin Victoria Zinny, festival's artistic director, filmmaker and screenwriter Claudio Rossi Massimi, head of Imago Group Lucia Machaleni, honored cultural worker Yusif Sheikhov, employee of the State Film Fund of Azerbaijan, film director Fehruz Shamiyev, as well as Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Minister of Culture Vagif Aliyev, Honored Art Worker, film expert Ayaz Salayev, director of Azerbaijanfilm studio Mushfig Khatamov and United Cultures Head Paola Casagrande attended the event.

The winners were awarded in various nominations.

"L Assoluto Presente" by Fabio Martin was named "The Best Italian Feature Film", "Nabat" by Elchin Musaoglu won in the nomination "The Best Azerbaijani Feature Film".

The film "The Bra" by Veit Helmer was named "The Best Feature International Film".

"The Best Italian Documentary" became the film "Appenino" by Emiliano Dante, while "Chovgan" was named "The Best Azerbaijani Documentary".

"The Orphanage" by Matthew Haag won the prize in "The Best International Documentary" nomination.

Special prize Solidarity and Social Commitment offered by "Regno dei Santi Pietro e Paolo" - "Figliodi" was given to Alberto Vanacci and Filippo Maria Jory.

Gabriele Dentoni, "Vengo Anchio" Corrado Nuzzo and Maria di Biaze were named "The Best Actors", director John Helberg  ("Mousse" film) became "The Best Film Maker".

"The Best Cameraman" are Maxim Drozdov, Mirbaly Salimli  ("Red Garden" film).

Firudin Allahverdiyev won in "The Best Music" nomination ("Pomegranate Garden" film").

Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az.