The sixth Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival has opened in Istanbul with the Turkish premiere of Kanıbek Kalmatov’s Aytmatov. Running from 3 to 7 November, the festival brings together 56 films, including 30 competing works. Free screenings accompany industry meetings on co-production and new technologies, before the awards ceremony at the Atatürk Cultural Centre.
The sixth Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival opened in Istanbul with the Turkish premiere of Aytmatov, a Kyrgyz biographical film about writer Chingiz Aitmatov.[1], [2]
Kanıbek Kalmatov directed the film. The opening took place at the Atlas 1948 cinema on 3 November. The festival runs until 7 November and has returned to the city where its first edition was held in 2021.[1]
56 films make up the programme. 30 compete for awards, with ten features, ten documentaries and ten shorts. Screenings are free, while the opening ceremony required an invitation. The International Cinema Association organises the festival under the patronage of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Non-competitive strands include Contemporary Human Landscapes, Historical Panorama, documentary selections and animation screenings.[1]
The schedule includes a Turkic World Cinema Summit on 4 November, addressing co-production, distribution and film support systems. A Turkey–Kyrgyzstan pitching initiative aims to support four projects. Istanbul University is due to host a cinema symposium on 5 November, followed by a panel on artificial intelligence and storytelling on 7 November. The closing awards ceremony is scheduled at the Atatürk Cultural Centre on 7 November.[1]
