ANIMAFILM names selection committee members

By Laman Ismayilova

The 2nd ANIMAFILM Baku International Animation Festival will be held in the capital on October 18-20, bringing the best of world animation to the City of Winds.

The motto of the festival is "New view on tradition and development". The festival contributes to the animation art in the country.

During the three festival days, the audience will be presented with animated films shot for adults and the youngest viewers. Workshops and other events will be held as part of the festival. 

The members of the festival’s selection committee for animated films have been named. They include Rashid Aghamaliyev (Azerbaijan), Liz Mansresa (France), Vojtěch Kiss (Czech Republic), Nazrin Alizade (Azerbaijan), Piotr Ficner (Poland) and Ilenia Cotardo (Italy).

Famous writer Sevinj Azimova (Azerbaijan) is responsible for selection of screenplays.

The list of animated films and screenplays that will be included in the competition program has also been announced. The committee reviewed 268 applications from 50 different countries. Only 54 works will join the festival.

The international jury will be headed by Masud Panachi, famous Azerbaijani director and animator. The jury is composed of professionals from Germany, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, and the Czech Republic.

Members of the Jury for Animated Films include director and animation artist Masud Panachi (Germany), animation artist Jahangir Suleymanov (Russia), animation and film scholar Miroslava Janicatova (Czech Republic), artist who has been active in fields such as animation, painting, digital art and street art Samir Salahov (Azerbaijan), and script writer, director and host of the Palitra ART TV series on Azerbaijan State Television (AzTV) Afet Ilhamqizi (Azerbaijan).

The Jury for Screenplays is composed of People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, well-known screenwriter Ramiz Fataliyev, photographer, animation director and illustrator Zeynab Gurbani Faryad (Iran), literary critic, translator, member of Azerbaijan Writers’ Union since 1985, Honored Art Worker Intigam Gasimzade (Azerbaijan), editorial writer and screenwriter, member of Azerbaijan Writers’ and Cinematographers’ Unions Gulshan Tofiggizi (Azerbaijan).

Two international juries and one national kids jury will choose animated films and screenplays for the festival’s competition, which aims at further development of animation.

Every audience member has a chance to make his or her own contribution to the evaluation of animated films by voting on them. At the end of the voting, the Audience Favor Award will be presented to the winner. 

ANIMAFILM Organizing Committee also plans to award a Golden Boat trophy at the festival to the one who has made great contribution to the development of animation in Azerbaijan.

The members of the jury will also actively participate in the festival’s non-competitive and professional programs.

This year, the festival’s organizing committee decided to invite children to enter Kids Jury, which will determine the winner in the category Best Short Animated Film for Children. Only kids aged between 7 years to 13 years were eligible for joining the Kids Jury.

Members of the Kids Jury include Aydan Kerimli (Azerbaijan), Fatima Allahverdiyeva (Azerbaijan), Nilufar Azimzada (Azerbaijan), Zarif Gasimova (Azerbaijan) and Beril Karaoglu (Turkey).

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Laman Ismayilova  is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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