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.
