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 (2000-2004) – cinema department, film director faculty. His filmography includes shorts and documentaries, which have screened at and been awarded by many international festivals. In 2014 his debut feature Down The River premiered at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, participated in many festivals, and won several prizes. Cofounder of the Association of Young Filmmakers of Azerbaijan, he is one of the editors of the film magazine “Focus”.
Roelof Jan Minneboo (Netherlands, 1965) is as a Dutch historian, curator, director, script consultant and screenwriter who works with directors across the globe: from Cape Verde to China and many areas inbetween. He is a member of the European Film Academy and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and has worked with directors such as Adilkhan Yerzanov from Kazachstan (The Gentle Indifference of the World, A Dark-Dark Man), George Ovashvili from Georgia (Corn Island, Khibula) and Miaoyan Zhang from China (A Corner of Heaven, Silent Mist). Sughra and her Sons is his second collaboration with Azerbaijani director Ilgar Najef (after Pomegranate Orchard).
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.
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 present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
