― 2 октября 2025 г.
The Fifth Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World has begun in Kazakhstan
The 5th Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival, aiming at the the preservation and transmission of the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic World to future generations through the art of cinema will be held in Aktau, Kazakhstan, from October 1st to October 4th, 2025.
Organised under the coordination of the International Organisation of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) and hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, the festival is also supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA). The festival is named after the wise Dede Korkut, who holds an important place in the shared memory of the Turkic World.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the festival, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev emphasised the role of cinema in the urkic World in terms of the preservation of shared values. Secretary General Raev began his speech in Kazakh language saying, ‘Ardager qonaqlar, qosh keldinizder!’ (Honoured guests, welcome!), and added:
"The Korkut Ata Film Festival is an echo of the past reflected in the present. We are carrying the call for unity, which we hear in the sound of the crane's wings and share at Dede Korkut's table of wisdom, into the future today through the universal language of cinema. Cinema is not just an art, it is a golden bridge that brings us together."
Secretary General Raev who further noted that the festival has now become a tradition in its fifth year also outlined its goals as follows:
- To increase co-productions in the Turkic world and facilitate film distribution,
- To establish sustainable collaborations for young filmmakers through joint workshops and funding mechanisms,
- To create space for bold projects that deepen the narrative universe of our cinema.
Thanking the artists who attended the ceremony, Secretary General Raev concluded his remarks by pointing out that the crane, the symbol of the festival, represents unity and loyalty saying: "I wholeheartedly believe that the voice of cinema rising from Aktau will build new bridges in the Turkic world and lead to joint productions. Let us all reflect the principle of “unity in language, thought and action” on the silver screen."
Strong Participation from Türkiye
Turkish cinema is represented across a wide spectrum at the festival. In the feature film category, Yağız Alp Akaydın's ‘A Song of the Republic’ and Ceng Pola İzgören's ‘Beyond the Tracks’ will be screened, while in the documentary category, Emre Akgül's ‘The Resurrection of the Göktürks’ and Burcu Yeşilbaş Taşdemir's ‘Big World’ will be shown. In the short film category, Fatih Osmanlı's ‘A Story of Ahiska’ and Kemal Akçay's ‘My Father's Friend’ will meet the audience.
Among the festival's guests of honour is the renowned Turkish actor Burak Özçivit, who also enjoys strong popularity in Kazakhstan.
The 5th Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World, which aims at developing the production capacity of Turkic World cinema, as well as at fostering the interest of young people therein and increasing the visibility of shared values on the silver screen, will go on in Aktau until October 4th, 2025.
