BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Baku Creative Week promises to be packed with events, new initiatives, and discussions, shaping a modern and dynamic creative environment, the Director General of the Azerbaijan Film Agency, Rashad Azizov, told reporters, Trend Life reports.
He made the remark at a press conference dedicated to the upcoming “OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week - 2025.”
According to him, as part of the socio-economic development strategy in Azerbaijan, large-scale work is being carried out to develop cultural and creative industries.
"The development of cultural and creative industries makes a significant contribution to the country's economy. Specific tasks have been set for state structures to strengthen this area. Azerbaijan has carried out serious reforms, made important decisions, and introduced new practices. Today, we have the opportunity to share our successes with representatives of other countries, expand cooperation, and present new models of partnership.
Special attention will be paid to innovations, technologies, and modern approaches in the creative sphere. Participants will be able to explore the achievements of both Azerbaijan and other OIC member states," Azizov said.
The festival will be held from October 5 through 12 with the organizational support of the OIC, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan.
Guests from more than 50 countries will take part in Baku Creative Week, including government officials, representatives of international organizations, prominent figures in science, culture, and the arts, as well as experts in the field of creative industries. More than 5,000 participants are expected to attend. The festival program includes panel discussions, screenings, exhibitions, and other events dedicated to cinema, theater, fashion, design, music, gaming technologies, digital creativity, and startups, which will contribute to the promotion of Azerbaijan's creative industries ecosystem on a global scale.
The festival will feature a high-level meeting of the ministers of culture of the OIC member states, the "Cultural and Creative Industries Forum" (MYFORUM), "Creative Village": Cultural and Creative Industries Exhibition (MYEXPO), the "Baku Cinema Breeze - 2025" international cinema program, "Eastern Fashion Show" - presentations by young and famous designers from the OIC countries, an international summit on gaming technologies (G-HUB), as well as various cultural projects in the fields of theatre, music, dance and animation.
The festival, held by the OIC since 2019 in various member countries, aims to deepen cooperation in the field of culture and creative industries, strengthen humanitarian ties, showcase the cultural heritage of participating states, and promote contemporary art.
Hosting this event for the first time, Azerbaijan will once again demonstrate its growing role in the international cultural arena and its contribution to the development of traditions of multiculturalism, dialogue, and cooperation in the region. Among the main themes of the festival are the development of intercultural dialogue and the promotion of tolerance, peace, and respect for diversity. In addition, there are plans to encourage joint projects in the fields of economics, education, science, and tourism, build sustainable partnerships between participating countries, and strengthen the integration of creative industries into the global economy.