On November 6, at the State Film Fund, Minister of Culture Adil Karimli met with representatives of the companies that won the film project competition organized by the Cinema Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ARKA) and the post-production support competition.
In the meeting, attended by officials from the Ministry of Culture, ARKA, and well-known film personalities, the agency’s competition for film projects to be produced in 2023-2024, the post-production support competition, and the current status of other supported films were thoroughly discussed, and the concerns of directors and producers were heard.
Minister of Culture Adil Karimli provided information about the activity of ARKA and noted that the main goal of the institution is to create a favorable ecosystem for film producers. He mentioned that the pitching phase of the works included in the competition of film projects announced by ARKA last year has been completed. During this phase, the projects were evaluated by the members of the Selection Committee and the representatives of the Council of Experts established by the Ministry of Culture to evaluate the content of cinematographic, digital, and other audiovisual works. As a result of the competition, more than 40 films were released for production.
The Minister noted that our country was successfully represented in international film competitions in 2023-2024 and said, "This is encouraging and makes us happy. However, the results are still not satisfactory for us, and probably for you as well, because there is a lot of potential in this field that we should use. That is why it is important to discuss the challenges and infrastructure issues that arise during filming.
The topics of the proposals included the creation of commercial and animated films, funding sources for film production, a unified government procurement contract, the development of film criticism, tax incentives for the film sector, greater involvement of mid-career directors, the revitalization of documentary studios, the support for sports films, the financing of TV films, etc.
In response to the issues raised, the Minister stated that any opinion or suggestion that would contribute to the overall development of cinema would be considered.
Various opinions, including critical feedback, were expressed at the meeting regarding the shortage of personnel in the cinema industry and the problems of film dubbing, with emphasis on the gaps in these areas.
The Minister stated that the shortage of personnel is evident in many areas of culture. He added that the Ministry of Culture attaches great importance to the training of cinema professionals and is working closely with the Ministry of Science and Education to address this issue.
It was noted that the Ministry of Culture has launched the "Special Scholarship Program for Culture and Creative Industries" as part of the "Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan 2022-2026," approved by the order of President Ilham Aliyev on July 22, 2022. Six young people, compared to one last year, are now studying abroad in the field of cinema with a grant from the Ministry.
Referring to the production of animated films in addition to feature and documentary films, the minister said that special attention would be paid to the development of this field.
At the end of the meeting, Adil Karimli expressed his satisfaction with the broad, professional, and friendly exchange of views with the film community and wished them success in their work.
