This Year's International Triumphs of the Feature Film "Dance of Triumph"

The short feature film "Dance of Triumph," dedicated to the fifth anniversary of Azerbaijan's Karabakh Victory, has been included this week in the jubilee program of the 10th International Film Festival "Beliye Noçi" (White Nights) held in St. Petersburg, Russia. 90 films from 17 countries are participating in the festival. Admission to the screenings, which will take place in the "Kinoloft Moskva" hall located in St. Petersburg's Nevsky Square, is free. The screening of the Azerbaijani film is on April 24 at 18:00.

Its selection for the "Beliye Noçi" International Film Festival marks the fourth success for "Dance of Triumph" since the beginning of the year. The film, which depicts the family life of Karabakh veteran Jalal, who lost his legs in the war, won "Best Foreign Short Film" at the "Golden Lion" International Film Festival held in Kolkata, India, in 2026, and Azer Aydemir, who portrayed the film's protagonist, was declared winner in the "Best Actor" category at the "Toronto International Short Film Awards" festival held in Toronto, Canada. The Azerbaijani film also qualified for the finals at the "Lulea International Film Festival" held in Sweden. This year, "Dance of Triumph" was also presented at the opening ceremony of "Azerbaijani Cinema Days," organized during the prestigious 76th Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, the capital of Germany.

The short feature film "Zəfər Rəqsi" (The Dance of Triumph), produced by ASAN TV in collaboration with "Ədibin Evi," is based on the motifs of Yaşar Bünyad's story "Heyvagülü," the winning work of the Mir Jalal Story Contest. The film, shot with the support of the production company "Balakhani Operating Company LTD," was directed by Gəray Həsən. The main roles were played by Azər Aydəmir, Günay Əhməd, Nurlan Mürsəlzadə, and Niyaz İlyasoğlu. Veterans working at the production company also appeared in some scenes of the film.

It should be noted that Balakhani, considered the cradle of Azerbaijani oil production, is also the birthplace of Azerbaijani national cinema. Our cinema history begins with the short documentary film "The Oil Fountain in Balakhani," shot by director Aleksandr Mishon in August 1898.

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