DUSHNBE, September 27, Asia-Plus – The Third International Eurasia Film Festival kicked off in the Kazakh city of Almaty on September 25. As usual the festival’s motto is “For the United Cinematographic Space.
The festival suggested by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information and organized by Kazakh Cinematographers’ Union and “Kazakhfilm” runs through October 1.
Safar Haqdodov, the director of Dom Kino (Cinema House), said Tajikistan is represented by two movies in the festival: “Ovora” (The Rover) by Gulandom Muhabbatova and Daler Rahmatov and “Calendar of Expectations” by Safarbek Soliyev.
“Unfortunately, for shortage of finance Tajik filmmakers shot their films by video and therefore they will compete for the prize in the Central Asian Panorama section, in which the full-length films shot by video may also be presented,” Haqdodov said. In this section, Tajik filmmakers will compete with their colleagues from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, according to him.
“Ovora” was demonstrated on September 26. It is a film about Tajik boy Abdullo. His grandmother and a blind grandfather bring him up. The time comes to do grandchild a circumcision and from that moment on, exciting events take place in the lives of Abdullo and the whole village…
“Calendar of Expectations” will be shown on September 29, according to the Dom Kino head.
Popular movie stars from all over the world are invited to the festival. In the program of the festival are showings of newest films, films that are winners of Cannes and Berlin International festivals, panoramas of Kazakh and Central Asian cinema, “Cannes day in Almaty” event, meeting of graduates of VGIK (All-Union State Cinematography Institute) and retrospective review of films directed by Abdulla Karsakbayev dedicated to his 90 years jubilee.
Festival’s program continues the conception of the second Eurasia festival, which was intended to be a cultural bridge between eastern and western culture, therefore during Eurasia Festival there will be two major retrospectives of two famous directors, each representing eastern or western culture. They are Mahsen Makhmalbaf and Volker Schl?ndorff. Mahsen Makhmalbaf is also an honorable guest of the festival.
