Winners of “Azerbaijani Family-2015” Film Festival are awarded
“Azerbaijani Family-2015” 7th Film Festival, held with joint organizational support of the State Committee for Family, Woman and Child Issues (SCFWCI), the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and UN’s Population Fund, came to an end.
On this occasion, a closing ceremony of the Festival took place, November 6, at the International Mugham Centre.
“Azerbaijani Family” Film Festival was launched on 24 December 2014 in the assembly hall of the Azerbaijan Culture and Art University, with participation of professors, persons of art and students. A photo-competition called “From life to picture” also took place within the framework of the Festival, for the second time. This year, 30 films and 94 photos presented by 24 contestants participated in the “Azerbaijani Family” Film Festival competition, with 9 films being from abroad.
The works presented for the competition were assessed by a jury comprised of Azerbaijan’s eminent science and cultural figures, and winners were established on 6 nominations (“Best film”, “Best student’s work”, “Best foreign film”, “Best TV project”, “Best social trailer” and “Best photo”). According to main awards, 12 films and 5 photos were assessed by relevant state bodies as specially distinguished works.
Primary objective of the Festival was promotion of family, national and moral values among the youth, using cinematography. One of the main targets was to look for ways of solution of existing problems in the society in this sphere, by shedding light on them, and seek strengthening of the family institute. These films reflect, along with positive features, also pressing issues such as early marriage, deviation of children – especially girls – from education, human trafficking, psychological situation in a family, and reintegration of people with retarded health condition into the society.
At the ceremony, first was demonstrated a trailer comprised of films and photos presented to the Festival.
Then chairperson of SCFWCI, professor Hijran Huseynova took the floor and said our state’s stable development following democratic principles has, in general, led to improvement of our country’s prestige. Of course, a family stands at the foundation of this stability. A human is formed, along with a school, a workplace, also in a family where he/she grows up. This is to say, a human’s social environment is the family. As in mutual relations in the society, in a family too, every human being is obliged to follow the status, rules and principles of his own. The society cannot develop without a family. As President Ilham Aliyev said: “A strong family means a strong state”. H. Huseynova said the Festival has turned into a tradition, and the scale of this respected competition extends and goes out beyond the country’s boundaries.
Hijran Huseynova thanked Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as UN Population Fund, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Azerbaijan State Culture and Art University for the support provided, which secured the high-level holding of the festival.
It was noted that our state has been making great efforts towards preserving our national and moral values and conveying them to future generations. With the foundation laid by national leader Heydar Aliyev, the state-family policy is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev. Relevant decrees and resolutions signed by the Azerbaijani President aiming at developing families and improving their social conditions further, the programmes he has approved are an obvious sample of the state care shown towards this sphere.
It was emphasized that Mehriban Aliyeva’s activities in this sphere as a tireless advocate of the family model combining national values and contemporariness is exemplary. It was informed that during the period past, some 210 films were presented to the organizing committee, with 22 directors being foreign nationals. This shows that there is an increasing interest towards the festival.
The committee head mentioned that none of the contestants joining the festival loses, as participation is most important. All films presented for the Festival are used in the committee’s enlightenment works.
Chief advisor of the UN Population Fund’s Azerbaijani Office Farid Babayev, chairperson of the Azerbaijan Cinematographers Union, People’s Artist Shafiga Mammadova, chief director of the Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Jamil Guliyev, making a speech, underscored the significance of this Festival in terms of strengthening the family institute and moral values, at the same time, promoting and immortalising national family traditions, as well as promotion and development of national movie art.
Speakers highly appreciated SCFWCI’s activities in this field. The committee management was thanked for the high-level organization of the festival.
Songs were performed at the event by well-known singers.
At the end, winners of the “Azerbaijani Family-2015” Film Festival and “From life to picture” photo-exhibition were presented diplomas and prizes.
