A virtual exhibition and a traditional book display titled “August 2 – Azerbaijani Cinema Day” have been presented at the National Library.
According to the Library's statement to “Tehsil365”, the virtual exhibition showcases official documents, the history of Azerbaijani cinema, its milestones, and articles from the periodical press about the lives and creative work of cinematic figures, along with photos, books, and various full-text resources.
The traditional exhibition features monographs, textbooks, and literature in Azerbaijani and various other languages. These cover the history of Azerbaijani cinema, its chronicles, the creative work of composers and directors in cinema and theater, and the lives and works of artists, actors, directors, and cinematographers who played a pivotal role in the development of national cinema and whose names are etched in golden letters in the history of our culture.
Two years after the first film screening in France, on August 2, 1898, the secretary of the Baku Photographic Society, photographer Alexander Mishon, screened his own chronicle and artistic film scenes in Baku. These included The Oil Gush Fire in Bibi-Heybat, Farewell Ceremony for His Majesty the Emir of Bukhara, Caucasian Dance, and the fictional plot You’re Caught. This date is considered the birth of cinema in Azerbaijan.
In 1916, a short feature film In the Realm of Oil and Millions was produced based on the story of the same name by writer Ibrahim bey Musabeyov. In 1917, another short feature film Arshin Mal Alan was made, based on the operetta by Uzeyir Hajibeyli.
In 1923, the Azerbaijan Photo-Cinema Administration (AFKI) was established, and on April 28 of the same year, the first State Film Factory (film studio) opened. The first film produced there was Maiden Tower, a feature based on a folk legend.
Over the years, the State Film Factory underwent several name changes: “Azdovletkino” in 1926, later “Azerkino”, “Azerfilm”, “Azdovletkinosənaye”, “Baku Film Studio”, and eventually “Azerbaijanfilm”. Since 1960, the studio has borne the name of Jafar Jabbarly.
To date, “Azerbaijanfilm” has produced over 2,000 films in various genres and formats. A number of these films — such as Arshin Mal Alan, Shared Bread, Birthday, Bay of Happiness, The Investigation, and The Scoundrel — have received State Awards. Others, including Step Mother, On Distant Shores, Our Teacher Jabish, The Last Pass, Nasimi, Another Time, The Yellow Bride, The Magician, Buta, The Steppe Man, Nabat, and Down the Stream — have been awarded prizes at international film festivals.
The national cinema has always received significant support and attention from National Leader Heydar Aliyev — a legacy that continues today under President Ilham Aliyev. This is evidenced by the Presidential Decree approving the “State Program for the Development of Azerbaijani Cinema for 2008–2018” and the Decree dated March 1, 2019, titled “On Measures Related to the Development of Azerbaijani Cinematography.”
In recent years, the participation and success of Azerbaijani films in international festivals, the increase in investment in film production, the growth of viewership, and the organization of “Azerbaijani Cinema Days” in Georgia, Hungary, Turkey, Russia, and other countries contribute significantly to promoting Azerbaijani culture around the world.