The echo of the IV ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival in Sheki was held on November 23-25, 2021. The event took place at the ASAN Service Center of Sheki. During three days, the festival showed the best local and foreign animated films for children and adults.
“ANIMAFILM in Sheki” was held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Sheki City Executive Power.
During the event, the audience was given the opportunity to choose the best films. Thus, the films that received the most votes from children and adults were declared winners. The winning films are:
– Best Azerbaijani animated film: “Tig-tig and Her Friends in Search of Miracles. Gobustan”, director Sultan Abbasbeyli.
– Best animated films for children: “Splish Splash”, directed by Andra Fembriarto. Indonesia; “Tacet”, directed by Zachary Simon. USA.
– Best animated film for adults: “Navozande, the Musician”, directed by Reza Riahi. France.
– Best TV Series: “Mush-Mush and the Mushables”, directed by Joeri Christiaen. Belgium, France.
Notably, a master class for children “Make Your Own Santa Claus From Paper” was organized at the “ANIMAFILM in Sheki” event. The master class was led by Honored cultural worker of Azerbaijan, famous animation director Elchin Hami Akhundov.
Students of Sheki city schools and hundreds of city residents took part in the festival events. Hasan Hasanov, First Deputy Head of the Sheki City Executive Power and Sadig Yusifov, Deputy Head of the Department of Socio-Political and Humanitarian Affairs, Arzu Gojayev, Director of the Sheki “ASAN Service” Center, as well as Mirbala Selimli, Director General of the Sheki State Drama Theater attended the IV ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival in Sheki.
On the last day of the event, Director of ANIMAFILM Festival Rashid Aghamaliyev thanked the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Sheki City Executive Power for their support and noted that the 5th ANIMAFILM Festival will be held in Sheki next year.
ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival is the first international animation festival in Azerbaijan founded in 2018. Every autumn the festival showcases hundreds of local and foreign animated films. The festival features professional meetings, exhibitions, master classes for children and professionals. The main goal of the festival is to delight local and foreign audiences and professionals, as well as to stimulate the development of animation in Azerbaijan. This year the festival’s theme was dedicated to people with disabilities.