Azerbaijani film showcased at Rome Prisma Film Awards

An Azerbaijani short film adaptation of Sabina Zulalova’s fairy tale “Marytale. Inclusive Wonders” has been presented at the Rome Prisma Film Awards in Italy, where it received a certificate of recognition.

The film features three children with Down syndrome and focuses on themes of inclusion and empathy, local media reports.

The Rome Prisma Film Awards is a European independent film festival founded in 2018 and held in historic cinemas across Rome. It brings together filmmakers from over 150 countries and places emphasis on humanism, cultural dialogue and the emotional impact of cinema.

Project author Sabina Zulalova said it was important to showcase Azerbaijani cinema internationally, describing it as both cultural promotion and recognition by independent experts.

“It was a great honour for me to represent Azerbaijan on an international stage,” she said.

She noted that her daughter, Saima Madatova, who played a deaf-mute artist in the film, also attended the festival and received an award. Madatova contributed to the project by translating subtitles into English.

Zulalova added that selection for the festival confirmed the work had been recognised by international juries.

She expressed gratitude to People’s Artist Gamida Omarova and actor Azer Aydemir for their support.

A grant from the Azerbaijan Film Agency helped complete additional scenes, strengthen the film’s narrative, and secure its preservation in the State Film Fund of Azerbaijan.

By Aghakazim Guliyev