Ilgar Najaf was born in the Ararat region of Armenian Republic (USSR). After ethnic conflict in 1988 (when we has 13) he and his family was forcibly expelled from Armenia and became refugees. In 1997, he graduated the Azerbaijan State University of Arts, film director’s faculty. In  2004 he established the film studio “Buta Film” where produced the number of films as a producer as well as director. He made several documentaries and short films before his successful feature films Buta and Pomegratate Orchard, both of which received Asia Pacific Screen Awards, among many others.

Accolades

Asif Rustamov and Roelof Jan Minneboo and Ilgar Najaf
Best Screenplay, 2021

Asif Rustamov and Roelof Jan Minneboo and Ilgar Najaf

Best Screenplay, 2021

Asif Rustamov and Roelof Jan Minneboo and Ilgar Najaf

Sughra’s Sons

Asif Rustamov was born in 1975 in Baku (Azerbaijan) and studied at the private Economic University (1992-1995) and Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Art…

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Ilgar Najaf
Young Cinema Award, 2017

Ilgar Najaf

Young Cinema Award, 2017

Ilgar Najaf

Pomegranate Orchard (Nar Baği)

Winner, Young Cinema Award, 2017 Pomegranate Orchard by Ilgar Najaf not only indicates the rise of Azeri cinema but also reflects the slow changes that Azeri society is undergoing. Competing…

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Khamis Muradov and Ilgar Najaf
Best Children's Feature Film, 2011

Buta

Best Children's Feature Film, 2011

Buta

Winner, Best Children’s Feature Film, 2011 Buta is a lonely seven year old Azerbaijani boy who lives in a mountain village with his grandmother. He…

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Films

Sughra’s Sons
2021

Sughra’s Sons

Azerbaijan, France, Germany
2021

Sughra’s Sons

The women do the work in a remote village while the men are fighting in 2nd WW. A small group of deserters is hiding in the…

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Pomegranate Orchard
2017

Pomegranate Orchard (Nar Baği)

Azerbaijan
2017

Pomegranate Orchard (Nar Baği)

Winner, Young Cinema Award, 2017 Gabil returns home to the humble family farm stead, surrounded by an orchard of venerable pomegranate trees; since his sudden…

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Buta
2011

Buta

Azerbaijan
2011

Buta

Winner, Best Children’s Feature Film, 2011 Buta is a lonely seven year old Azerbaijani boy who lives in a mountain village with his grandmother. He…

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The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and emerging. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.

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