Afag Yusifli, an international relations and project manager for the Azerbaijan Union of Filmmakers, as well as a documentary film director and an alumni of “From heart to pen” summer school on screenplay development by AUF, director Parvana Guliyeva were selected to the WARM Academy, which is organized as part of the WARM Festival, taking place from July 7 to 14, 2024, in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to the official website of the project, this academy presents a multidisciplinary educational program meticulously designed to explore and showcase advanced methodologies, innovative techniques, and exemplary practices employed globally in addressing contemporary conflict and post-conflict challenges. The sixth edition of the Academy will specifically focus on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as other critical hotspots around the world. Moreover, it underscores the indispensable roles played by journalists, artists, and academics during periods of crisis. Esteemed authors, world-renowned experts, and individuals who bring firsthand experiences and insights from conflict zones will actively participate in this enlightening program.
Participants in the project took part in the workshops by a diverse array of distinguished professionals, such as journalist and documentary filmmaker, a multi-award winner and Emmy Award nominee Raul Gallego Abellan, an American non-fiction writer and political analyst renowned for his works addressing immigration, international conflicts, and humanitarian issues David Rieff; and an American photojournalist who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2011 Paula Bronstein. Additionally, the lineup features Amira Hass, an acclaimed journalist and author, Lifetime Achievement Awardee, alongside Nafisa Motlaq, an Iranian documentary photographer and director who holds a PhD in mass communications and serves as a senior lecturer in the New Media Department at Nisantashi University. Among the notable trainers are Rémi Ordan, a French journalist who serves as a war correspondent for Le Monde and is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker; Damir Sagolj, the director of the aforementioned festival; and the Iranian-born photojournalists Rafael and Alfred Yagubzadeh; Nevsha Tavakkulian, a photojournalist and documentary photographer who have cooperated with esteemed publications such as Le Figaro, The New York Times, and National Geographic and Amira Buturovic, a researcher affiliated with York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.
The participants showcased their projects during the “Open Stage” program, an integral component of the initiative. Afag Yusifli presented her short documentary film project titled “The trust” alongside a research endeavor that examines the experiences of women affected by war. In parallel, Parvana Rahimova presented her documentary film projects, “The Tale of the Red Hat” and “Forgotten Echoes,” to an engaged audience. Both participants illuminated themes surrounding the occupation and liberation of Karabakh, exploring the profound impact of the conflict on individuals, the human toll of war, and the resilience of those who endured it, all while evoking personal narratives through visual storytelling.
AUF provided financial support to Afag Yusifli’s participation in the project.
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