II Sukhum International Film Festival opened in the capital

The festival will be held from 4 to 8 April.

Sukhum. April 4. Apsnypress.  At the State Russian Drama Theater of F. Iskander solemnly opened  II Sukhum International Film Festival (SIFF).

 Opening the festival, director of the "Abkhazfilm" film studio, Vyacheslav Ablotia, said: “One can observe the first steps towards the revival of cinematography In Abkhazia. More young people are involved in this art. I hope that if such festivals will be held more often, and their geography will expand, our small steps in cinematography will be big steps in the international world of cinema. "
  
 Vladimir Zantaria, Advisor to President of Abkhazia on science, culture and education, read out the Head of State’s welcome address to the participants and organizers of the festival: “I congratulate you on the opening of a large cultural festival laying a solid foundation for the development of further creative ties and the formation of Abkhaz cinema. It is noteworthy that the geography of the film festival participants is expanding, covering Russia, countries of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. We believe that the brightest and most talented film projects will receive a decent rating from the audience and film critics. It is gratifying that the program of the festival includes young Abkhaz filmmakers, directors, scriptwriters and other cinema specialists. "
   
 For his part, the jury chairman Alexey Fedorchenko noted: “I am pleased to be in Abkhazia. The last time I was here was thirty years ago. The purpose of my participation in the film festival is not only to evaluate films, but also to enjoy, be surprised and learn. Shooting short films is extremely difficult. Before shooting my first short film, I shot four full-length films. "
   
 Zanda Kakalia, producer of the festival, said about the goals of the event: “I see an opportunity in this festival for our young people who are keen on and professionally engaged in cinema, bypassing the political blockade of our country, to see the world of cinema and be realized. Unfortunately, our unfriendly neighbors tried to put pressure on the participants of the previous film festival, so this time we hid the names of the contestants in order to protect them from sanctions from those representatives of the international community who put politics above universal human values. "
  
 The festival will be held in Abkhazia from 4 to 8 of April. The program consists of short fiction films lasting from 10 to 30 minutes. The festival’s competition program will feature 30 short films from Abkhazia, Russia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Films will compete in the nominations "Best Acting", "Best Screenplay", "Best Film", "Best Director's Work."