Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The opening ceremony of the fifth SALAM International Youth Film Festival was held at the Nizami Cinema Center.

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

PASHA Holding is the festival's general sponsor, while the Nine Senses Art Center is the special partner of the cultural and educational programme. The festival is taking place at the Nizami Cinema Center from August 24 to 27, bringing together young participants, film industry professionals and international guests. The festival promotes the idea that cinema can help people understand one another, overcome cultural and social barriers and discover new talent, a Trend correspondent reports.

Guests and delegations from Indonesia, Turkiye, Moldova and Poland also attended the opening ceremony. Their participation highlighted the festival's role in promoting cultural exchange, professional cooperation and new connections in the film industry.

Speaking at the opening, festival General Manager Tamara Mammadova said SALAM is more than a series of film screenings. She described it as a space where children and teenagers can express their ideas, discover world cinema, meet film professionals, develop their creativity and create their own stories.

Mammadova also stressed that young participants are active members of the festival. They watch and discuss films, meet filmmakers, take part in masterclasses and gain practical experience in filmmaking.

ARKA Director General Rashad Azizov spoke about the importance of festivals focused on children and teenagers. He said such events help introduce young people to the film industry and may encourage them to pursue careers as directors, screenwriters or actors.

Children from the Tut Əlimdən Children's Social Rehabilitation Center also participated in the festival. They attended film screenings, discussions, masterclasses and creative meetings and interacted with other participants. Their participation reflects SALAM's aim to make cultural and educational opportunities available to every child.

The opening film was "Tegar" by Indonesian director Anggi Frisca. The film tells the story of a 10-year-old boy with a disability who dreams of going to school, making friends and living independently. It explores themes of dignity, acceptance, inner strength and the right of every child to participate fully in society.

After the screening, Frisca met with the young audience and answered questions about the film, its characters and the filmmaking process. The meeting ended with an autograph session.

The first day also marked the start of SINEMARAFON, a practical filmmaking programme in which participants develop their own short films from the initial idea and script through filming and editing to the final presentation.

This year's SINEMARAFON theme is "A Stranger Among Your Own, One of Your Own Among Strangers". The theme encourages young participants to explore belonging, loneliness, acceptance, the relationship between individuals and society, and the importance of staying true to oneself.

The first festival day ended with a screening of "The Crown Prince" by Swedish director Tord Danielsson.

The SALAM programme continues on August 25 with competition screenings, educational and creative meetings. The SINEMARAFON teams will also begin work on their film projects.

SALAM aims to support young talent, broaden cultural horizons and provide opportunities for children and teenagers to learn more about cinema. The festival also promotes cinema as a way to encourage education, dialogue and creative development.

The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, ARKA, international guests, film professionals and its partners.

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