The opening ceremony of the Baku International Film Festival was held in Baku at the Nizami Cinema Center.

The event was attended by officials of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture, representatives of the diplomatic corps, members of the festival's international jury, as well as cultural and artistic figures.

In his opening address, Director of the Baku International Film Festival, Fehruz Shamiyev, highlighted the festival`s goals, the promotion of Azerbaijani cinema in the international arena, and the local films` international showcasing.

Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova spoke of the work done to develop cinema in the country and the role of the festival in promoting national cinema culture.

The event was also addressed by members of the festival's jury, who emphasized the role of Azerbaijani cinema in the international arena and the importance of its development prospects.

The five-day festival will feature screening of a total of 78 films from 34 countries.

Since last year, the festival has included a feature film competition. This year`s programme consists of four competitive categories, each judged by a separate international jury.

Admission to all festival screenings is free.

The national competition programme features 16 short fiction and documentary films, along with five student works.

The festival"s top prize is the Golden Pomegranate, with additional special awards and diplomas presented in several categories.

As part of its collaboration with the British Council, the festival will also host a special screening of BAFTA-nominated short films.

The 16th edition of the Baku International Film Festival (BIFF), founded in 2004 by the Young Filmmakers Centre, takes place this year as part of the "Baku Cinema Breeze 25" film festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and the Cinema Agency.

The festival’s closing and awards ceremony will be held on December 9.