Akhtem Seitablayev: Russia's presence at any film festival demonstrates weakness of our international partners

Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar actor and director Akhtem Seitablayev called it "unacceptable" to allow the aggressor country to participate in any film festivals.

He said this in a comment to an Ukrinform correspondent during his visit to Zaporizhzhia.

"My attitude (to the participation of Russians in international film festivals, - ed.) is, of course, to put it mildly, negative. It is unacceptable to allow an aggressor country, which has violated all international and human norms, to present its so-called artistic work. Putin's thesis that where there is "Russian language, there is Russian world" speaks for itself. We all know very well, unfortunately, what the "Russian world" is. This is devastation, genocide, this is an absolute disregard for everything that makes us humans, therefore their presence at any film festival and the opportunity to demonstrate (their films, - ed.) there is a sign of weakness, in particular of our international partners, who allow this and for some reason believe that culture is beyond politics. This is a false opinion. Culture is politics," said Seitablayev.

He came to Zaporizhzhia as a jury member of the Zaporizhzhia International Short Film Festival (ZIFF), which takes place from September 20 to 22. The festival was founded in 2017 and is a unique platform for the promotion of both national and foreign films. A total of 13,500 films from 100 countries have been submitted to the ZIFF fir five years. In 2022 and 2023, the festival was not held.

This year, 1,800 films created during 2023 and 2024 have been submitted to the festival. The duration of films is from 10 to 40 minutes.

As reported, the International Film Festival in Toronto returned the Russian propaganda film "Russians at War" to its program, despite the protests of the Ukrainian community and diplomats.