Editing Azerbaijan (section)

===Cinema===
{{Main|Cinema of Azerbaijan|3 = Television in Azerbaijan}}
[[File:Film of Azerbaijan 1916.jpg|thumb|left|Scene from the Azerbaijani film ''[[In the Kingdom of Oil and Millions]]'', 1916]]
The film industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898. Azerbaijan was among the first countries involved in cinematography,<ref name="mishon">{{cite news |url= http://azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/53_folder/53_articles/53_100years.html|title=Cinema in Azerbaijan: Pre-Soviet Era|date=Autumn 1997|publisher=Azerbaijan International|access-date=12 March 2016}}</ref> with the apparatus first showing up in Baku.<ref name="cinemainazerbaijan">[http://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/53_folder/53_articles/53_100years.html Celebrating 100 Years in Film, not 80] by Aydin Kazimzade. Azerbaijan International, Autumn 1997</ref> In 1919 a documentary ''The Celebration of the Anniversary of Azerbaijani Independence'' was filmed on the first anniversary of Azerbaijan's independence from Russia, 27 May, and premiered in June 1919 at several theatres in Baku.<ref name="ocaz">{{cite web| title =Azerbaijani cinema in 1920–1935: Silent films | publisher = OCAZ.eu| url = http://www.ocaz.eu/cinema-theatre.html}}</ref> After the Soviet power was established in 1920, [[Nariman Narimanov]], chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema. This also influenced the creation of [[Azerbaijani animation]].<ref name="ocaz"/>

In 1991, after Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union, the first Baku International Film Festival East-West was held in Baku. In December 2000, former President Heydar Aliyev signed a decree proclaiming 2 August to be the professional holiday of filmmakers of Azerbaijan. Today Azerbaijani filmmakers are again dealing with issues similar to those faced by cinematographers prior to the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1920. Once again, both choices of content and sponsorship of films are largely left up to the initiative of the filmmaker.<ref name="mishon"/>