Zoroaster Award Italian - Azerbaijan Film Festival ()

Festival start: 18 February 2021      Festival end: 21 February 2021

Zoroaster Award (Italian-Azerbaijan Film Festival) aims to promote the past, present, and future of cinema in Italy and Azerbaijan. By showcasing the film industries of both countries, in their similarities and their differences, this festival will help bring them to the forefront of international film discourse, and stimulate international market presence.

Organized by IMAGO GROUP and the publisher SANDRO TETI EDITORE, the Italo-Azerbaijan film festival will be held for 5 days in Baku. The festival will open with an anthology of classic Italian and Azerbaijani films, screen a selection of contemporary films from both countries on multiple projections, and culminate with an award ceremony on the final evening.

Many important figures from both countries will be feature prominently in this event. In the leadership positions, First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and president of the Aliyev foundation Mehriban Aliyeva will serve as the Honorary President of the festival, while art direction shall be handled by Italian screenwriter and director Claudio Rossi Massimi. The actor and director Remo Girone, well-known throughout the former soviet-bloc region for his portrayal of Tano Cariddi in the serial “La Piovra”, will headline the festival, and many other Italian/Azerbaijani actors and directors will take part in the screenings. The program will be enriched by workshops, networking events, and commercial exchanges between the film industries of the two countries.

Best Italian film
Best Azerbaijan Film
Best International Film
Best Italian documentary
Best Azerbaijan Documentary
Best International Documentary
Best Italian Short
Best Azerbaijan Short
Best International Short
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Screenplay
Best Short Screenplay
Best Director
Best First Time Director
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Soundtrack

1. ORGANIZERS
The "Zoroaster Award" (Italian-Azerbaijan Film Festival) is powered and organized by IMAGO Group and by the Sandro Teti Editore publishing house.

2. OBJECTIVES
The festival, through the cinematographic language, promotes the knowledge of the two Italian and Azerbaijan cultures and, at the same time, opens up to other international cinematographic realities. Moreover, the Fesival is aimed at leavering the attention and knowledge of new authors and innovative cinema trends.

3. DATES, DURATION, PLACE OF VENUE
The organization will communicate events dates, scheduling and places on its official website.

4. FESTIVAL SECTIONS
Festival sections are as follows:
-Italian and/or Azerbaijan films longer than 60 minutes;
-Italian and/or Azerbaijan documentaries lasting less than 50 minutes;
-International films longer than 60 minutes;
-International documentaries not longer than 50 minutes
The Board reserves the right to admit to the Festival, aside to the competition:
a) works submitted but not selected for the final competition
b) works of significant value and/or cultural interest
c) works of any kind upon invitation of the Festival Board.

5. SELECTION OF WORKS
The works will be examined by a jury of experts and the Board will get in touch with the authors of the selected works by at least fifteen days before the Festival opening. Selected authors will be then required to send one or more copies of the film (via shipping or by mean of www.wetransfer.com website). Such expenses will be out of sender’s pocket.

6. ESTABLISHED AWARDS
Established awards are the following: Best Italian film, Best Azerbaijan Film, Best International Film, Best Italian documentary, Best Azerbaijan Documentary, Best International Documentary, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Soundtrack, Best Director, Best First Time Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing.
* All winners will receive an official laurel and a free certificate (PDF/JPG file, ready for print).

7. COPIES SUBMISSION
To join Festival first selection, contact persons should provide a link (with password), as duly explained in the relevant registration form.
In case the work is selected, a copy in Blu-ray, DCP or DVD is to be send at the following address:
Eventually, for the final screening, it is mandatory to send at least one high quality picture of the film, the movie trailer and the relevant poster.

8. FILMS PROJECTION
Selected films will be broadcasted during Festival days and the organization will take care to provide all the needed info and details in due course.

10. GENERAL RULES
a) Submitting the application to the Festival means unconditioned acceptance of this Regulation
b) The Festival Board is allowed to sort out issues that are not covered in this Regulation
c) Shipping costs are always at sender’s expense
d) Movie/documentary copies received will not be returned
​The organization ensures maximum security and the strict application of the international rules on copyright for all the material received.