The opening ceremony of the 15th Tashkent International Film Festival “Pearl of the Silk Road” will take place today at the Cinematographers House in Tashkent.

At a press conference organized in this regard, Director General of the Cinematography Agency Firdavs Abdukhalikov emphasized the importance of the 15th Tashkent International Film Festival “Pearl of the Silk Road” and its role in strengthening international relations.

As noted at the event, this film festival was revived by the resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of June 19, 2021.

In his speech, Firdavs Abdukhalikov noted that thanks to the special attention paid by the President to the development of cinematography, transformations in domestic cinema are yielding the expected results.

– On the personal initiative of the President, the Cinema House was renovated, and the Uzbekfilm Concern acquired a completely new look after reconstruction, – says F. Abdukhalikov.

– Modern equipment is brought from abroad. The “Renaissance” Cinema House was built in a short time, the film stock was restored, and classic Uzbek films are returning to their homeland. If in 2016, seven feature films were shot at the Agency’s request, this year, their number will exceed 30. The amount of allocated funds has also increased fivefold. Yesterday, a cinema named after Khudoybergan Devonov opened in Khorezm region, and a film town was built. Another striking initiative of the Head of state is the revival of the Tashkent Film Festival two years ago, which is a literal embodiment of the cultural life of Uzbekistan.

At the press conference, information was provided about the program of the film festival, which will be attended by about 300 filmmakers – actors, directors and camera operators, producers, and analysts from 52 countries. The program also includes the “Cinema in 5 Days”, “National Cinema”, and “Central Asian Cinema” competitions, more than 100 events, presentations and screenings, roundtable discussions, and masterclasses.

Notably, this year the film festival will be more exciting thanks to the participation of famous representatives of world cinema. It will be attended by such world cinema stars as Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal (France), Emir Kusturica (Serbia), Fyodor Bondarchuk (Russia), Krzysztof Zanussi (Poland), Paula Carruega (Argentina).

Events and screenings of this prestigious film festival, the official opening of which is expected in the afternoon, will be organized in such large cities as Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana, and Urgench.

Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA