The Nizami Cinema Center has hosted the awards ceremony of the 16th Baku International Film Festival, organized by the Young Filmmakers Center with the support of the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the Azerbaijan Film Agency, Azernews reports.
Over five days, 78 films from 34 countries were screened, with all screenings open to the public.
“The festival annually brings together filmmakers and representatives from different countries, encourages contemporary authors, and creates opportunities for creative development, showcasing works, and exchanging experience. Since last year, the festival has included a feature film competition and offers four competitive programs, each evaluated by a separate jury,” said the festival director Fehruz Shamiyev.
In the international program of debut feature films, 10 entries were judged by a jury consisting of Nadir Badalov (Azerbaijan), Niki Karimi (Iran), Zeynep Atakan (Turkiye), and Igor Sukman (Belarus).
The international short film jury included Faruk Guven (Turkiye), Rufat Asadov (Azerbaijan), and Carmen Gray (New Zealand).
The jury for the Talents of Asia competition featured Ali-Sattar Guliyev and Daniel Guliyev (Azerbaijan), and Roman Dorofeev (Russia).
Within the national competition, 16 short feature and documentary films, along with 5 student works, were presented. The jury consisted of Fariz Ahmadov, Reza Siami, Farida Jalilova, and Sevda Sultanova.
Audiences also enjoyed out-of-competition screenings. Under the program Our Language, films shot in Azerbaijani by compatriots living abroad were showcased. Cooperation with the British Council enabled special screenings of BAFTA candidate films.
The festival’s main award was the Golden Pomegranate (Qizil Nar). In addition, winners in various categories received special prizes and diplomas.
Winners of th 16th Baku Internatinal film Festival:
International Competition of Debut Feature Films
Best Film – The Lesson Learned / Director: Bálint Szimler / Hungary
Best Director – Karst / Director: Yang Suiyi / China
Best Screenplay – Bonds, Roots and Passions / Screenwriter: Ferit Karahan, Director: Sunay Terzioglu / Turkiye
Best Cinematography – Guardian of the Field / Cinematographer: Morteza Ghafouri, Director: Seyed Mohammad Reza Kheradmandan / Iran
Jury Special Prize – The Kiss of the Grashopper / Director: Elmar Imamov / Germany, Italy, Luxembourg
International Short Film Competition
Best Fiction Film – . Baadarane / Director: Samah El Kadi / Lebanon
Best Documentary – When the Land Leaves / Director: Frederico Lobo / Portugal
Best Animation – Profitable Place / Director: Alex Maksimov / Belarus
Best Director of a Fiction Film – The Spectacle / Director: Balint Kenyeres / Hungary, France
Jury Special Mentions:
– The Last Sunday of May / Director: Alejandro Bordier / Luxembourg
– Village of Ballet Dancers / Director: Fatih Diren / Turkiye
Talents of Asia Competition
Best Film – The Mould / Director: Mohammad Reza Nourmandipour / Iran
Jury Prize – The Deer’s Tooth/ Director: Saif Hammash / Palestine
Jury Special Mention – A Day in Life / Director: Ye Ouyang/ China
National Competition Winners
Best Fiction Film – Early Feelings / Director: Nurlan Hasanli
Best Director – In the Gorge / Director: Abulfaz Iskandarov
Best Documentary – Palaces of Memory / Director: Metleb Mukhtarov
Best Student Film – The Trial / Director: Orkhan Babayev
Jury Diploma – Loca Tacentia/ Director: Rena Ahmadova
Jury Special Mention – Vusala Gasimova, cinematographer of “I Returned” / Director: Mahammad Mammadov
Jury Special Mention – Nigar Suleyman, “For original music and productive contribution to cinema”
Within Baku Cinema Breeze 2025, Cinema Days of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan were also held.
Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, and Milli.Az.