By Alimat Aliyeva
The opening ceremony of the 6th Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival has been held in Istanbul, Türkiye, bringing together filmmakers, cultural officials and representatives of the film industry from across the Turkic world.
The ceremony was attended by TURKSOY Secretary-General Sultan Raev, representatives of the culture ministries of Turkic states, film producers, members of the cinema community and media representatives.
Speakers at the opening ceremony highlighted how the shared history and spiritual heritage of Turkic nations are also reflected in cinema. The festival's main programme was announced, and members of the international jury were introduced.
The ceremony concluded with a screening of Aytmatov, a film by Kyrgyz director Kanybek Kalmatov.
Running until November 7, the festival features several Azerbaijani productions in its competition programme. These include Taghiyev: The School in the feature film category, Azykh Cave in the documentary category and May You Live as Long as the Land in the short fiction film category.
In addition, two Azerbaijani films will be screened outside the competition programme: the feature film In a Southern City and the documentary 100 Years of the Baku Turkological Congress.
A total of 56 films from 10 countries and 10 autonomous republics will be presented during the festival. The event is expected to welcome 150 international guests and 300 local film industry professionals.
Azerbaijan is represented by a 20-member delegation comprising filmmakers and representatives of the Cinema Agency operating under the Ministry of Culture.
Established in 2021 by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the festival aims to showcase the shared cultural heritage of Turkic-speaking countries and peoples to international audiences through cinema.
