Ru Hasanov is an award-winning film director and producer with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, training and consulting internationally. He graduated from Bates College, USA with a B.A. in Theater and obtained a Postgraduate Degree in Directing for Cinema & TV from the The High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors in Moscow. His debut feature “Chameleon” was nominated for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival in 2013 and his sophomore film “The Island Within” won Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director in 2020, qualifying as the Azerbaijani entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. From 2020 to 2023 he was head of the Audiovisual and Interactive Media Department at the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, where led the implementation of various initiatives including the launch of the Film Commission, as well as the establishment of the Cinema Agency, where he acted as Interim CEO. Aside from his current position as creative producer in US-based Bazelevs Company, Ru is a visiting lecturer of Film and Media at the University of Culture and Fine Arts in Baku. Ru is an EAVE graduate and member of the European Film Academy.