Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers (AUF) has announced the full-length feature film screenwriting contest titled "I Am a Woman", Azernews reports.

A total of 96 scripts were submitted for the competition, of which 71 were accepted for consideration.

Since January, regular masterclasses have been organized for participants. The noticeable increase in the number of female authors among the finalists indicates the effectiveness of the efforts carried out in this direction.

The winners of the competition are expected to be announced by August 2. The first-place winner will receive a cash prize of 5,000 AZN (2,950 USD), the second-place winner will be awarded 3,500 AZN (2,058 USD), and the third-place winner will receive 2,500 AZN (1,471 USD). All winners will also be presented with diplomas.

Taking into account the active role of Azerbaijani women in all spheres of society- economic, military, diplomatic, social, and cultural, the project aims to promote the increased representation of both female authors and female protagonists in cinema.

Founded in 2012, the Azerbaijan Film-Makers Union (AUF) focuses on the development of local cinema as an integral part of national culture and world cinema.

Azerbaijani cinema has come to be an internationally recognized modern art, enjoying huge popularity and recognition at international film festivals, which frequently award the national films.

Over the past years, more than 300 films and 1,200 documentaries, as well as hundreds of cartoons, were filmed.

The Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers is a member of the Confederation of Unions of Cinematographers of the CIS and Baltic States.

The history of the film industry in Azerbaijan spans over 100 years. Over this time, the local film companies have produced hundreds of films.

Following the Lumiere brothers' invention of the cinematograph in 1895, Russian photographer and cameraman Alexandre Michon began filming motion pictures showcasing daily life in Baku.

The first silent short film of the Azerbaijani cinematography titled "You are caught", premiered in Baku in August 1898, marked the birth of Azerbaijani cinema.

At the beginning of the last century, foreign film companies such as Pathé, the Pirone Brothers Society, and Film opened their branches in Baku and began producing films.

In 1916, a short film called "In the Kingdom of Oil and Millions" was shot based on the novel of the same name by writer Ibrahimbek Musabayov, and in 1917, "The Cloth Peddler" was produced based on the operetta by Uzeyir Hajibayli.

After the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan in 1923, the Azerbaijan Photo and Film Administration (APFA).

The first state film factory started operating on April 28 of the same year. The first film shot here was the feature film "Maiden Tower", based on a folk legend.

Today, local film companies are producing dozens of films that have gained international acclaim.

The film production industry in the country is rapidly expanding, making it possible for a multitude of filmmakers to express themselves in different ways.