Azerbaijani film wins award at prestigious international festival in US

The film entitled "The Hidden Heritage of Yerevan" has won the "Outstanding Achievement" award at the prestigious IndieX Film Fest for short films in Los Angeles.

The film explores Azerbaijani history in Armenia's capital Yerevan. Produced by the CBC TV channel's director, Vugar Khalilov, the film received recognition in the documentary short film category. IndieX Film Fest is an international short film festival which is held in Los Angeles, Caliber.Az reports. 

Past winners include Oscar recipients such as Barney Burman and Joel Harlow, as well as nominees like Abigail Breslin, Bruce Davison, Janet McTeer, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Paul Giamatti. The festival has also honored Emmy Award winners Loretta Devine and Patrick Norris, along with Emmy nominees like Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, and Cara Buono.

The film has also been named a finalist at the prestigious Around International Film Festival in Amsterdam. The film received high praise from the jury, which included actor Danny Glover, known for his roles in "Lethal Weapon" and "The Color Purple" as well as Steven Kostanski, who was responsible for special effects in "Conan the Barbarian", "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Gulliver's Travels" among other notable figures. 

The CBC TV channel noted that it is pleasantly surprised by the success of several of its films at international festivals. It turns out that another film entitled "Turkic Symbols in Azerbaijan" by CBC has become a quarterfinalist at the New York International Film Awards and is advancing toward the festival's main prizes.

"To be honest, we didn't expect such results. Documentaries on our channel are often produced, with limited resources, thanks to a unique mix of professionalism and enthusiasm at CBC. This shows that with substantial resources, we can aim for awards at world-renowned festivals. Regardless, we've managed to bring the issue of the barbaric destruction of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage in Yerevan to the attention of professionals in the international Western film and documentary industry. The world needs to know the truth and take steps to apply pressure on Armenia. These are unique Azerbaijani monuments, and their disappearance represents a tremendous loss for global culture," said one of the key staff members. 

The documentary "The Hidden Heritage of Yerevan" explores the lesser-known aspects of Azerbaijan's historical presence in the current capital of Armenia. The film crew conducted an expedition to trace lost cultural heritage, studying historical maps, documents, and unique photographs. For safety reasons, the journalistic investigation was conducted by using hidden cameras.

The film focuses on the Tapabashi Mosque, which now sits beneath residential areas. It also tells the story of the house of Panah Khan's son, Ali Khan, as well as the Blue Mosque and the Amir Saad tomb in Jafarabad village. Today, what remains of these architectural landmarks and historical districts teeters on the brink of total disappearance. 

You can watch the film by following this link: https://youtu.be/MZZpfkr3LOM?si=Dp1YgNuccwgkRLwW

By Naila Huseynova