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September 15–22, 2023 
Baku, Sheki, Lankaran

Slogan: Not available in your region
 

Now a tradition, the festival took place in 2023 in the cities of Baku, Sheki, and Lankaran. The 4th "SevilFest" operated under the motto "Not available in your region." This edition aimed to question existing barriers, limitations, and concepts presented as "unavailable" across various fields. Through a rich program and showcased films, both local and global taboos were addressed, and shared wounds were explored.
 

Impact:

• The festival brought together 2,200 people.
• A variety of film screenings, panel discussions, and masterclasses were organized.
   

Highlights:

• This year, a retrospective of Agnès Varda was presented.
• Legendary cinematographer and director Agnès Godard attended as a festival guest and conducted a masterclass titled "Women with a Movie Camera."
   
• The winner of the "Best Local Short Documentary" category, young animation director Nazrin Aghamaliyeva, was awarded a cash prize for the execution of her next project.
   

DokAtelye Program: In 2023, "DokAtelye," a new SevilFest program, was born. Running parallel to the festival in Baku for 5 days, this program combined interactive and theoretical sessions to provide participants with knowledge on documentary filmmaking, visual storytelling, and technical skills.
 

The winning project selected by the jury at the end of the workshop was supported by "SevilFest," resulting in the production of the short documentary "Məbəd qadın" (Woman of the Temple) by young director Aytac Bekmammadova
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DokAtelye Kids: While initially intended for participants over 18 with an interest in film, "DokAtelye" later expanded through a collaboration with the "Fabula Culture Connection" project in Georgia to host "DokAtelye Kids"—a workshop for children aged 12-15.