“YOU, CHILDHOOD” FULL-LENGTH FEATURE FILM SCRIPT COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

The Azerbaijan Cinematographers Union announces a full-length feature film script competition called “You, Childhood”. AKI has been organizing script competitions for several years now and considers this to be an important mechanism that develops our cinema, increases competition among authors and stimulates interest in scriptwriting.
Azerbaijani cinema has a rich tradition of cinema for children. Films with the participation of colorful children's heroes have formed several generations of viewers on moral ideals. The technique of raising serious issues through the language of children's heroes, which is typical of world cinema, also applies to our national cinema. There is no age limit for the audience of films such as “Shared Bread”, “You Can't Take the Island with You Alone”, “The Pain of a Milk Tooth”, “Stepmother”, “The Tale of a Lonely Pomegranate”, “The Secret of the Ship's Clock”, “Buta”. Along with these dramas, there are successful examples such as “The Magic Robe”, “The Secret of a Castle”, “I Am Singing a Song”, “The Lesson”, which are full of adventure and are mainly addressed to young viewers, but do not leave adults indifferent.
One of the biggest problems in the cinema of the years of independence is the lack of films not only for children, but also for adults with children as their heroes. However, children are sometimes witnesses, sometimes participants, and sometimes victims of political, economic, social, military, etc. events taking place in our country.
Today, Azerbaijani children: children of martyrs, veterans, village schoolchildren, winners of sports and knowledge competitions, schoolchildren and teenagers, book lovers, little actors and actresses interested in art, enthusiasts of technology and science - in a word, millions of children who simply live with the dream of a happy childhood. They are traditionally “fathers-sons”, who feel the psychological shocks of growth, the difficulties of psychological, sexual, mental formation, the pressure of intergenerational competition, the citizens of tomorrow, that is, the future of our homeland. Regardless of their capabilities, circumstances and views, they are individuals who find the strength to continue on their path by saying “I am a child”. Films reflecting their lives should give them strength, help them enjoy childhood, and tune them into a healthy, bright wave. The “You, O Childhood” full-length film script competition is a competition announced to achieve the listed goals.

The Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan presents the conditions of the script competition:
– the main character of the script must be a child under 15 years old.
– there are no genre restrictions for scripts.
– the events in the script must take place in modern times (between 2000 and 2025)
– scripts submitted to the competition must be at least 55 pages long.
– the title page of the script must contain the name of the script, the author’s name and surname, an email address in the lower right corner, and a contact phone number.
– scripts must be in the format of a full-length feature film only (animation, documentary, short film scripts are not accepted).
– scripts will not be accepted after the deadline.
– the rights to the script submitted to the competition must belong to the author, be original and unscreened.
– full-length scripts that have won previous competitions will not be accepted for the competition.
– to participate in the competition, the following documents must be submitted electronically to the email address info@aki.az with the subject “You, my childhood”, and printed copies (2 copies) to the office of the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan (Bülbul Avenue 30):
script of a full-length feature film, (in script format, font: Courier New, size: 12)
synopsis (maximum 1 and a half pages)
information about the author (filmography (if any), information about birth, place of work, education)
-One author can submit a maximum of two literary scripts.
Scripts must be submitted to the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan in both electronic and printed form from October 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026.
The finalists will be announced on July 15, and the winners on August 2, 2026.
The winners (I, II, III places, cash prizes of 5000 AZN, 3500 AZN, 2500 AZN) will be awarded with diplomas and cash prizes.