The Bishkek International Film Festival took place from June 11 to 15, 2024. The event was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region
The festival program included:
– International Competition
– Central Asian Competition
– Central Asian Pitching Lab
– Retrospective Screenings
– Iranian Cinema Week
– Masterclasses
Guests and representatives from the film industry — including filmmakers, cultural figures, and media professionals — walked the “sky carpet” of the Bishkek Film Festival. The event highlighted the festival’s international scope and its cultural significance. More than 70 guests from 26 countries and nearly 200 film directors attended the festival in Bishkek.
The Grand Prix of the International Competition was awarded to Yakutian director Alexey Romanov for his film Legends of Eternal Snow. Romanov shared:
“I’m happy that Kyrgyzstan now has its own international film festival. It was an honor for us to come here and premiere our film in this setting, as the Kyrgyz people are one of the brotherly Turkic nations to me. It was a great pleasure to present my film here and receive feedback from fellow filmmakers. I look forward to continued collaboration between the Bishkek and Yakutsk International Film Festivals.”
The Grand Prix of the Central Asian Competition was awarded to the Kyrgyz film The Gift.
Six insightful masterclasses were held as part of the festival, covering key aspects of filmmaking — from screenwriting to the creative industries. Alexander Noskov shared his professional experience in a dubbing session. Talented Vietnamese filmmaker Linh Dan conducted a masterclass titled “I Am a Woman and I Am a Cinematographer.”Additional sessions were led by screenwriter and creative producer Sergey Pekin, the production company 1.1STUDIO, Kyrgyzpatent, and the Creative Industries Association.
As a result of the CAF Pitch competition, the project Cradle. Homecoming. by producer Yerlan Ibragim and director Iskandar Usmonov was awarded first prize. Ten Central Asian film projects competed in the pitch.
As part of the festival’s retrospective program, masterpieces of classic Kyrgyz cinema were screened in cinemas across the city.
Winners of the International and Central Asian Competitions of the II Bishkek International Film Festival:
Central Asian Competition:
Best Screenplay — Sharipa Urazbaeva, for the film Tul. Prize: 300,000 KGS
Best Actor — Ersultan Erman, for the film Adoption. Prize: 150,000 KGS
Best Actress — Zhannat Kuryuchbekova, for the film The Gift. Prize: 150,000 KGS
Best Director — Askhat Kuchinchirekov, for the film Adoption. Prize: 400,000 KGS
Grand Prix — The Gift, directed by Dalmyra Tilepbergenova. Prize: 500,000 KGS
Баш байге
«Белек» тасмасы, режиссёру Дальмира Тилепбергенова. Байге: 500 000 сом.
International Competition:
Best Cinematography — Aziz Zhambakiev, for the film Shambala. Prize: 300,000 KGS
Best Actress — Mona Hawa, for the film God Willing, It’s a Boy. Prize: 300,000 KGS
Best Director — Mirlan Abdykalykov, for the film Bride Kidnapping. Prize: 400,000 KGS
Grand Prix — Legends of Eternal Snow, directed by Alexey Romanov. Prize: 500,000 KGS