The 13th Tashkent International Silk Road Film Festival kicked off in Uzbekistan on September 28.
According to EDNews.net, the opening ceremony of the festival has been attended by 350 guests from around 50 countries, as well as representatives of government agencies, cultural and artists and journalists of Uzbekistan. At the opening ceremony of the festival, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Uzbekistan Aziz Abduhakimov read a congratulatory letter from President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Member of the Azerbaijani delegation Rufat Hasanov, head of the Cinematography Department of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, thanked the Uzbek side in his speech at the festival.
President of the International Eurasia Press Fund Umud Mirzayev, who attended the opening ceremony, met with prominent cultural figures of Uzbekistan. He emphasised that our Uzbek brothers have always been with us during the Second Karabakh War.
“We have received many messages of support from Uzbekistan. Your intellectuals have given the message that they are with us. Brothers from all over the world came to this great event in Uzbekistan. The Azerbaijani delegation also attended the event. An attempt was made to sabotage the festival, but it was prevented on time. Our delegation was very active. We had very interesting meetings and conversations with members of the media, civil society representatives and the elite of Uzbek cinema. I think from now on our further serious cooperation will begin."
Cultural figures, directors and actors of Uzbekistan sent greetings to Azerbaijan via Umud Mirzayev and congratulated our country on the victory in the Great Patriotic War and the liberation of Karabakh. Our Uzbek brothers noted that these days their hearts beat with Azerbaijan, the joy of their country is our joy, their sorrow is our sorrow.
Uzbek cultural figures said that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are very close in terms of nationality, religion, ethnicity and lifestyle. They expressed their prayers for the liberation of Karabakh from occupation in the war of rights of Azerbaijan.
They said that the Azerbaijani people are warm and the country's leader has a great intellect.
"When the head of state wore a military uniform and celebrated in Azerbaijan, we also celebrated here," said one Uzbek cultural worker.
Highly appreciating the films "Arshin mal alan", "O olmasin, bu olsun" and others that are considered to be the pearls of Azerbaijani cinema culture as üell as mugam, which is the national treasure of Azerbaijan, they said Azerbaijan is a land of great culture, which has brought up such great composers and poets as Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Nizami, Firdovsi, Fuzuli. They said that the festival unites the peoples of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, and the production of joint films will greatly contribute to the development of cultural ties between the two countries.
After the event, the residents of the capital together with the Azerbaijanis celebrated the great holiday of Karabakh in the central streets of Tashkent.
It should be noted that a total of 150 films will be shown at the festival, which will last until October 3. Films from Russia, Turkey, Korea, Italy, Poland, Azerbaijan, India, Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and other countries are shown at the World Film Days.
The Day of Azerbaijani Films has started within the festival on September 29. Films by Azerbaijani cinematographers are shown in Tashkent, Khiva and Nukus in Uzbekistan.
The delegation includes the head of the Cinematography Department of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, film director and screenwriter Rufat Hasanov, People's Artist, film director Vagif Mustafayev, director of the Azerbaijanfilm studio Fariz Ahmadov, director Afag Yusifli and others.
The program of full-length feature films at the festival includes directors Ismayil Safarli's "Fisherman's Daughter", Rufat Hasanov's "Inner Island", Ali Sattar Guliyev's "Olympia" and Ksenia Lagutina's "Farida". Orman Aliyev's film "We" dedicated to our glorious victory and Fariz Ahmadov's film "The Last" are included in the documentary program. The "5-day cinema" program includes Murad Huseynov's "Time of sandhill Cranes", Murad Huseynov and Saddam Mehdiyev's "Two Ways".
Famous actors and film directors of the world - Stephen Sigal, Nikita Mikhalkov, Timur Bekmambetov, Pavel Priluchny, Luke Besson, Mithun Chakraborty and other popular artists are also guests of honour at the Tashkent festival.