"Alagoz" reaches final of film projects contest in Ukraine

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani film "Alagoz" has reached the final of the 16th competitive selection of film projects held by the State Film Agency of Ukraine. Only 6 works out of 16 scripts has been selected for the final.

The film by Maria Ibrahimova tells the story of a Karabakh refugee who is looking for his beloved horse. 

The expert commission of the State Cinema Committee of Ukraine voted for the script, noting its originality.

The jury praised the dramatic story about a man and his beloved horse. They noted the choice of style for describing the main characters, the artistic veracity of conflicts and their resolution, as well as the clarity of the structure and flowery storylines that reveal the essence of the characters.

The project will be presented in Kiev by producer and director Maria Ibrahimova. Along with the Turkish film company Zeyno-Film and producer Zeynep Atakan, the Ukrainian side is represented by Evos Film and producer Olga Matat.

Speaking about the film, Olga Matat said that the project is interesting to the Ukrainian audience.

"The history of Azerbaijan resonates with the reality of Ukraine. We genuinely feel and understand Azerbaijan. The victory of Azerbaijan and the liberation of its territories  give us hope for the future," she said. 

In case of winning the competition in Ukraine, "Alagoz" project will be partially funded by the State Film Agency of Ukraine. Moreover, Ukrainian film specialists will participate in the film production.

It should be noted that it is not the first time when the project joins  international competitions and platforms.

So, the project has already won a victory in Portugal at the FEST New Directors / New Films festival. It was presented at a pitching at the International Film Festival in Odessa, and was chosen to participate in the Berlin Film Festival in the Co-Production Market in the Talents section.

In addition, the script of the feature film has recently won first place at the national script competition "Karabakh. Person. Victory" organized by the  Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers.

The competition focused on scripts that reflect the National Army's heroic struggle for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. 

The jury members selected scripts in the following nominations: "Best script for a feature film", "Best script for a documentary film", "Best script for a short film", "Best Screenplay for an Animated Film". The winners were awarded cash prizes.