The Sixth Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World has begun in Istanbul
The Sixth Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World, which brings together the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic World through the universal language of cinema, has begun in Istanbul. The opening ceremony of the festival was attended by TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye Mr. Gökhan Yazgı and the Director General in charge of Cinema within the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye Mr. Birol Güven.
In the speech he delivered at the opening ceremony, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev highlighted the role of cinema in the preservation of the shared cultural memory and stressed the importance of co-productions and international cooperation within the cinema industry of the Turkic World. Secretary General Raev also announced that the year 2028 will be dedicated to the commemoration of Chingis Aitmatov by TURKSOY’.
The festival, attended by film artists, directors, producers and industry representatives from various regions of the Turkic World, opened with the Turkish premiere of “Aitmatov”, a film on the life of the great author Chingis Aitmatov directed by the Kyrgyz director Kanybek Kalmatov.
Secretary General Raev: “Cinema is a powerful cultural bridge which shapes our shared future.”
Speaking at the opening of the festival, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev noted that the Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World makes significant contributions to cultural cooperation within the Turkic World, and expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, the initiator and host of the festival, as well as to all partners involved in the organisation thereof.
Secretary General Raev stated that, with its millennia-old history, rich culture and countless stories waiting to be told, the Turkic World constitutes a vast civilisation, and emphasised that cinema is a powerful form of art which transmits this heritage to future generations. In the speech he delivered at the event, Secretary General Raev said: “The values kept alive by Korkut Ata through the spoken word centuries ago are now reaching out to new generations through our cinema. Indeed, cinema is not merely a form of art; it is a powerful cultural bridge which preserves our memory, enables us to understand one another, and shapes our shared future.”
Recalling that the festival which was held in Istanbul in 2021 for the first time has returned to Istanbul following stops in Bursa, Shusha, Ashgabat and Aktau, Secretary General Raev noted that this process demonstrates the determination of the cinema industry of the Turkic World to cooperate on productions and secure a stronger position on the international stage.
“Our aim is to increase the visibility of our stories in world cinema”
Stating that a new era of collaboration is needed in Turkic World cinema, Secretary General Raev emphasised that the festival should not be limited to film screenings alone.
Secretary General Raev outlined the festival’s future vision, stating: “Our aim is no longer to merely show our films to one another; it is to produce joint productions, bring together young filmmakers and increase the visibility of our stories in world cinema.”
Highlighting that the international success of TV series and films produced in Türkiye is a significant experience for the Turkic World, Secretary General Raev stated that sharing this expertise among countries and passing it on to young filmmakers will pave the way for new achievements.
Secretary General Raev who also touched upon the impact of artificial intelligence and new technologies on the future of cinema within the scope of the festival emphasised that, despite technological advancements, the human being and its stories will always remain at the heart of cinema.
Good news from TURKSOY: 2028 to be the ‘Year of Chingis Aitmatov’
Noting that the festival’s opening with a film about Chingis Aitmatov’s life held special significance, Secretary General Sultan Raev stated that this great author is a shared cultural value not only of Kyrgyzstan but of the entire Turkic World.
Secretary General Raev who also emphasised that passing on Aitmatov’s literary legacy—which, through works such as The White Ship and A Day as Long as a Century, transforms human conscience, memory and connection to one’s roots into a universal narrative—to future generations is a shared responsibility, and made an important statement: “It is the responsibility of us all to pass on this great legacy to future generations. On this occasion, I would also like to announce that TURKSOY will declare 2028 as the ‘Year of Chingis Aitmatov’ on the 100th anniversary of his birthday.
56 Films and International Cinema Meetings
The festival which will take place between November 3rd-7th, 2026 will feature 56 films from various countries of the Turkic World competing for awards in the feature-length fiction, documentary and short film categories.
In addition to free screenings taking place in various cinemas across Istanbul, the festival will also host important gatherings on the future of the film industry.
The festival will feature the Cinema Summit of the Turkic World along with international co-production meetings, initiatives to support new film projects and panels discussing the future of artificial intelligence in cinema.
With over 150 international guests and approximately 300 industry professionals and scholars from Türkiye expected to attend, the festival will contribute to the development of the film industry of the Turkic World in terms of production and cooperation.
Meaningful closing event with the Prayer of Korkut Ata
At the end of his speech, Secretary General Raev referred to the journey of the crane – the festival’s symbol – which bridges distances and transcends boundaries, and expressed his hope that Turkic World cinema will also carry shared stories to the world.
Secretary General Raev who recallied that the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had concluded his speech at the 13th Summit of the Organisation of Turkic States with Dede Korkut’s prayer, also concluded his closing remarks with the prayer of Dede Korkut the wise man of the Tukic World whose name the festival is dedicated to:
“May the black mountains never crumble, may the great tree casting its shade never be felled, may the magnificent, rushing water never run dry... May Almighty God never make you dependent on the unworthy.”
Aimed at enhancing the international visibility of Turkic World cinema, encouraging new co-productions and strengthening cooperation amongst filmmakers, the Sixth Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World will end with an award ceremony to be held at the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Centre on November 7th, 2026.
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