OMM Newsroom
The 17th edition of the Baku International Film Festival (BIFF), bringing together directors and cinema enthusiasts, has opened in Baku. The festival started on Wednesday and will run for six days.
Founded in 2004 by the Young Filmmakers Center, the festival began as an event for students and later developed into an international platform for emerging directors, AnewZ reports. Its programme gives special attention to short films and debut feature-length works.
More than 1,500 films from around the world are submitted to the festival each year. The selected works reflect cultural, political and social developments in Azerbaijan and internationally.
The festival programme traditionally includes international short films, debut feature-length works, the “Asian Talents” competition and a national competition showcasing Azerbaijani cinema. The filmmakers behind selected works compete for the festival’s top prize, the “Golden Pomegranate.”
BIFF aims to increase interest in short films and debut features, promote them as an important foundation of Azerbaijan’s film industry, encourage local directors and support their creative work. The festival also offers opportunities to connect with film professionals and present films to new audiences.
BIFF Director Fahruz Shamiyev said: “We are proud to present a diverse selection of films that bring together the cultural, political and social events taking place around the world and in our country, as well as the many characters living through them.”
Winners of last year’s festival
Last year’s festival concluded with an awards ceremony at the Nizami Cinema Center on December 9, 2025. Representatives of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture, members of the international jury, directors, actors and figures from the country’s cultural community attended.
One of the ceremony’s highlights was the presentation of a special “Golden Pomegranate” award to Iranian actress and director Niki Karimi for her contribution to world cinema.
Last year’s programme also featured a special “BAFTA Films” section organized in partnership with the British Council. It screened British short films nominated for or awarded BAFTAs, including fiction, documentary and animated works. The section aimed to introduce Azerbaijani audiences to contemporary British cinema and strengthen cultural and creative ties between the two countries.
In the international short film competition, Lebanese director Samah El Kadi’s “Two Excuses” won the award for best fiction film. In the national competition, Azerbaijani director Nurlan Hasanli’s “Early Feelings” won in the same category.
