Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

An event dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Azerbaijanfilm studio named after Jafar Jabbarli has been held at the Nizami Cinema Center in Baku.

An amazing show was held before the official part of the event, as the actors presented a peculiar medley of excerpts from famous Azerbaijani films with the music of the mid-20^th century.

An exhibition of costumes and details of well-known movies was held at the lobby of the cinema, along with a performance by the Gaya ensemble led by Rauf Babayev.

Azerbaijani movie stars, actors and directors, writers and camera operators went on the red carpet toward the Nizami Cinema Center's building with an applause.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev, welcoming the guests during the official opening ceremony of the event, said that "today is a big holiday of the cinematographers of Azerbaijan - 90th years of the Azerbaijanfilm studio, which is marked in accordance with the decree of President Ilham Aliyev."

"Azerbaijani film has gone through several stages of development," Garayev said. "At the beginning of the 1990s the film industry fell into a decline, it was essentially ruined. The film industry was restored once again and gained a new life only with the return to power of national leader Heydar Aliyev. Particular care and attention is paid to cinema by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Thanks to the state program on the development of Azerbaijani cinema adopted in 2006, our cinema is on the path of new development."

"Films which successfully take part in the most prestigious film festivals of the world and screened in many countries are being shot, experience is exchanged with foreign countries and study abroad is arranged; young people also take an active part in this process along with veterans," he said.

Much attention is paid to the expansion of the network of cinemas and the creation of private cinemas, Garayev said.

He said a draft on reconstruction of the Azerbaijanfilm studio is being worked out on the basis of the experience of foreign film studios, which will become a major center for the film industry of the country. Currently the studio shoots about 10 films a year, and mostly historical films and documentaries are filmed.

Garayev also spoke about the cultural ties between filmmakers from other countries, and thanked the guests who arrived to celebrate the anniversary of the Azerbaijanfilm studio.

The event was attended by the chair of the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan, People's Artist Shafiga Mammadova, director of the Azerbaijanfilm studio Mushvig Hatamov, chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine Sergei Trymbach, president of the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio Valery Ruzyne, head of the Riga film studio Vents Horst, director of the Czech film studio "Barrandov " Peter Tikhiy, director of Uzbekfilm studio Rahman Usmanov and others.

20 filmmakers of the Cinematographers Union were awarded cash prizes.

Then a cultural program was presented; videos were shown on "The history of the Azerbaijan cinema", "Heydar Aliyev and cinema", "Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijani movie. A look into the future". Also, a concert was presented featuring the State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Teymur Goychaev, as well as performers Azer Zeynalov, Inara Babayeva, Anar Shushali, Khayyam Mustafazade and others.