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Laman Ismayilova

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The 5th anniversary edition of the SALAM International Youth Film Festival will be held from August 24 to 27 at the Nizami Cinema Center in Baku.

The festival is organized by the Narimanfilm studio with the support of the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the Azerbaijan Film Agency (ARKA).

PASHA Holding is the general sponsor of the festival, while the Nine Senses Art Center is the special partner of the cultural and educational program, according to the organizers.

Grand Opening

The official opening ceremony will take place on August 24 at the Nizami Cinema Center, where the Indonesian film "Tegar" will also be screened.

The film tells the story of a boy who, despite developmental challenges and difficulties in life, seeks to explore the world independently, make friends, dream and lead an active, fulfilling life.

The actor who plays the lead role will attend the event. His participation is particularly significant, as Tegar's story addresses issues of acceptance, inner strength, independence and every child's right to be a full member of society regardless of physical or other differences.

Festival participants will have the opportunity not only to watch the story on the big screen but also to meet its main character in person. His example demonstrates how active, fulfilling and meaningful life can be when people see a person first and foremost for who they are, recognizing their abilities, dreams and goals.

SALAM Film Festival's Goals and Objectives

The festival serves as an international cultural and educational platform bringing together children and teenagers from different countries, filmmakers, actors and representatives of the creative industries.

This year, the festival will bring together 440 children and teenagers. Guests and delegations from several countries, including Turkiye, Moldova and Indonesia, will travel to Baku. The festival program will feature films from Azerbaijan, Indonesia, China, Poland, Norway and the United States.

Over four festival days, participants will attend international film screenings, meetings with actors and filmmakers, master classes, discussions, special educational events and a cultural program.

One of SALAM's key features is that children are not simply spectators. They will have the opportunity to discuss the films they watch, meet their creators, ask questions, take part in discussions and form their own views on the issues explored in contemporary cinema.

One of the festival's central themes is mutual respect and acceptance.

Particular attention will be given to relationships between children and teenagers, mutual respect, acceptance of individuality and being attentive to one another.

The festival seeks to use cinema not only to introduce younger audiences to world cinema but also to create an open and meaningful dialogue about relationships among teenagers, acceptance, empathy, respect for individuality and responsibility toward one another. During meetings and discussions, participants will also be able to address situations young people may encounter in everyday life, including rejection, psychological pressure and bullying.

International Cinema and Live Interaction

The anniversary program will introduce participants to cinema from different countries and cultures. International delegations, filmmakers, actors and special guests are also expected to visit Baku.

For SALAM, it is important that the experience of watching a film does not end with the closing credits. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss films, meet their creators and characters, ask questions, take part in master classes and discussions, and exchange opinions with their peers.

In this way, cinema becomes a universal language of international dialogue, allowing young people to discover different cultures, perspectives and life experiences from around the world.

Special meetings and discussions with invited guests will also be held as part of the festival.

One of the special guests will be Leonid Klyots, a well-known theater actor and performer at the Kaluga Drama Theatre, who has more than 25 years of stage experience. His participation in the festival has been organized as part of SALAM's cooperation with the Nine Senses Art Center.

Klyots will hold a special meeting with young SALAM participants focusing on communication, mutual respect, acceptance of individuality and relationships among teenagers. The meeting will provide a space for live dialogue, allowing teenagers to ask questions, discuss situations faced by their generation, share their thoughts and reflect on the importance of respecting another person's individuality.

The focus on mutual respect and acceptance is part of SALAM's broader mission to help young people better understand one another through cinema, art and direct communication, embrace differences and contribute to a culture of thoughtful and respectful relationships.

Cinemarathon Takes Participants from Ideas to Their Own Films

Another important part of the festival's educational program will be Cinemarathon, a practical initiative through which children will be able to experience the entire process of making their own short films.

Participants will be divided into teams and, over the four days of the festival, will go through all stages of creating a short film, from receiving a theme and developing an idea to filming and independently editing their projects.

Four mentors will work with the teams, providing practical filmmaking sessions and guiding participants through different stages of the creative process. They will help the young filmmakers turn their initial ideas into completed screen projects.

Cinemarathon will allow children not only to gain practical experience in filmmaking but also to learn how to work as a team, divide creative responsibilities, make decisions under time constraints and take responsibility for a shared result.

The short films created by the teams will be screened on the big screen at the conclusion of the festival. The participants’ works will be evaluated, and the best projects will receive awards in special categories.

SALAM Festival for Children from Different Backgrounds

One of the important aspects of SALAM's social mission is to ensure that children with different social and life experiences have access to the festival’s cultural and educational program.

This year, special participants will include children from social support institutions as well as children from socially vulnerable backgrounds.

Like other participants, they will be able to attend international film screenings, master classes, meetings with guests, educational events and cultural activities.

For SALAM, it is important to create an environment in which a child’s social circumstances do not become a barrier to access to culture, education, communication and new opportunities.

The festival aims to bring together children with different life experiences in one shared space where every participant is considered a full part of the dialogue.

Five Years of SALAM

In 2026, the SALAM International Youth Film Festival will celebrate its first major anniversary, marking its fifth edition.

Over the past five years, SALAM has established an international platform in Azerbaijan where children and teenagers can discover world cinema and meet peers from different countries, interact with representatives of the film industry, discuss issues important to their generation and gain new cultural and educational experiences.

During this period, the festival has developed its own philosophy, in which cinema goes beyond simply watching films and becomes a tool for communication, reflection, education and international cultural exchange.

In its anniversary year, SALAM will continue to develop this mission, expand its international program, welcome new guests and focus particular attention on socially significant issues affecting today's younger generation.

Cooperation with the Nine Senses Art Center, the special partner of the festival's cultural and educational program, will have a prominent place in this year's edition. The partnership includes cultural and educational meetings for young participants and strengthens SALAM's core values of mutual respect, acceptance and creative development.

SALAM is a space where children from different countries meet through cinema, communicate with one another and learn to better understand each other.

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