07.11.2026 22:11
The 6th Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival, which highlighted the joint production power of the Turkic world in cinema, concluded with a magnificent award ceremony held in Istanbul. At the organization, where 56 films from 10 countries and 10 autonomous republics and communities met the audience, successful productions were awarded while Ankara’s title of Turkic World Tourism Capital was handed over to Tashkent.
The 6th Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival, which brought the common cultural heritage of the Turkic world together with cinema, ended with an award ceremony held in Istanbul. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy presented the Best Film Award to Ensar Altay, director of the film “Kanto.” At the closing of the festival, where 56 films met audiences, Ankara’s title of Turkish World Tourism Capital for 2026 was also transferred to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, for 2027.
The 6th Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival, bringing together filmmakers, artists, and cultural figures from different geographies of the Turkic world, concluded with a closing and award ceremony held in Istanbul. At the festival, which hosted new collaborations in cinema with a program ranging from co-productions to academic meetings, successful productions and artists were awarded.
In his speech at the ceremony, which was also attended by Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov and his accompanying delegation, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the festival bearing the name of Korkut Ata, a symbol of wisdom, word, and storytelling in the common memory of the Turkic world, keeps the deep-rooted narrative tradition alive through new cinematic works.
Expressing that cinema is a powerful art form that preserves societies’ memory and brings people from different geographies together in shared emotions, Ersoy said they see the Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival as an important cultural platform that enriches the common memory with new works and strengthens bonds between the Turkic world.
BEST FILM AWARD TO “KANTO”
At the festival’s closing ceremony, awards in the short film, documentary, and feature fiction film categories found their owners. Minister Ersoy presented the Best Film Award to Ensar Altay, director of the film “Kanto.”
In the feature fiction film competition, the Best Director Award was given to Zaur Gasimli for the film “Tagiyev: Mektep.” Amina Salmanova received the Best Actress Award for the film “Farzana Goes West,” while Matyokub Matchonov was deemed worthy of the Best Actor Award for the film “Farz.” The Best Screenplay Award went to Nurzhigit Khaidarov for the film “Thirty-Eight: The Last Stop.”
The Fiction Film Jury Special Award went to the film “Yusuf,” while the TÜRKSOY Special Award went to the film “Törebeg, the Beauty of Gürgench.”
In the documentary film competition, “Isiyakh: Summer Solstice” received first place, “Thirst for Life” second place, and “Unending Fire” third place. The Documentary Film Jury Special Award went to “Azikh Cave: The Cradle of Azerbaijan.”
In the short film competition, “The Guide” came first, “Grandmother” second, and “Yusuf, Child of the Sun” third.
56 FILMS FROM THE TURKIC WORLD MET AUDIENCES IN ISTANBUL
Recalling that the festival’s journey, which began in Istanbul in 2021, reached Istanbul again after Bursa, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, Minister Ersoy emphasized that the sixth year was an important opportunity for new collaborations.
Stating that this year cinema works from 10 countries and 10 autonomous republics and communities were hosted in Istanbul, Ersoy reported that the festival was held with the participation of more than 150 international guests and 300 industry representatives from Türkiye.
Explaining that 56 films were screened as part of the festival, Ersoy stated that the cinematic accumulation of the Turkic world was brought to broad audiences through free screenings held in five separate halls.
Stating that they especially value young people getting to know each other’s lives, cultures, and shared values through these works, Minister Ersoy said that carrying cultural heritage into the future depends on younger generations recognizing, embracing, and reinterpreting this heritage through their own works.
SUPPORT FOR FOUR PROJECTS THROUGH TÜRKİYE-KYRGYZSTAN COOPERATION
Stating that at the summit held as part of the festival, the Turkic world’s cinema institutions, producers, and industry representatives evaluated co-production opportunities, Ersoy expressed that the Türkiye-Kyrgyzstan Project Presentation Event, held for the first time this year, was a concrete step of cooperation.
Explaining that filmmakers from the two countries presented their projects, Minister Ersoy announced that support would be provided to four projects selected as a result of the evaluation.
Ersoy stated that with these supports they aim to contribute to the emergence of new films, new stories coming to life, and the establishment of lasting partnerships among filmmakers. He said he believed that by turning the collaborations that began at the festival into new works, they would carry the organization’s success further.
THE FUTURE OF CINEMA FROM ANCIENT NARRATIVE TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Stating that the International Turkic World Korkut Ata Cinema Symposium, held for the first time at the festival, gave the events an academic dimension, Ersoy expressed that they value strengthening the relationship between the art world and academia.
Noting that the future of cinema was evaluated in the panel titled “Artificial Intelligence in Cinema and the Digital Transformation of Ancient Narrative,” Minister Ersoy drew attention to the fact that artificial intelligence and digital technologies are rapidly transforming cinema production processes.
Emphasizing that it is important to follow this transformation as well as to preserve the artist’s original perspective, creativity, and cultural accumulation, Ersoy said that by bringing inspiration from the past together with new narrative possibilities, the stories of the Turkic world could reach broader geographies.
KORKUT ATA’S CURTAIN OPENED WITH AYT?ATOV
Recalling that the festival’s opening was held with the first screening in Türkiye of the film “Aytmatov,” which is about the life of Chingiz Aitmatov, Minister Ersoy stated that the great writer spoke to the common values of all humanity by telling of the human being, nature, love, conscience, and belonging in a universal language.
Stating that Türkiye sees it as an important responsibility to develop its cultural relations with the Turkic world in every field and to pass shared values on to future generations, Ersoy said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s emphasis on the unity and solidarity of the Turkic world adds strength to cultural cooperation.
Emphasizing that they continue to work together in a wide range of fields, from cinema to literature and from music to the preservation of cultural heritage, Minister Ersoy made the following assessment:
“We attach importance to contributing through culture and art to the ideal of unity of the Turkic world in language, thought, and work. The Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival is also one of the valuable gatherings where this ideal comes to life. Our goal is for our festival to be held with broader participation every year, for co-productions to increase, and for Turkic world cinema to reach a stronger position internationally. ”
TITLE OF TURKIC WORLD TOURISM CAPITAL HANDED OVER TO TASHKENT
Stating that the cooperation strengthened in the field of culture and arts in the Turkic world has also been carried forward in the field of tourism, Minister Ersoy said that they also hosted the handover of the title of Turkic World Tourism Capital at the closing ceremony.
Emphasizing that they attach great importance to the practice, which aims to promote the common historical and cultural heritage, strengthen ties between cities and develop cooperation in the field of tourism, Ersoy evaluated the work carried out by Ankara as the 2026 Turkic World Tourism Capital.
Explaining that 53 events were held throughout the year in Ankara and at foreign representative offices under the coordination of the Ministry, Ersoy said that Ankara's historical and cultural riches were brought together with the Turkic world through activities ranging from tourism training to exhibitions, from conferences to concerts, and from workshops to talks.
Stating that they attach importance to these efforts laying the groundwork for lasting cooperation between cities and institutions, Minister Ersoy used the following statements regarding Tashkent, which will take over the title in 2027:
“I sincerely believe that Tashkent will successfully carry this title with its ancient history, rich cultural heritage and hospitality. As Türkiye, we are ready to contribute to the work that brotherly Uzbekistan will carry out in this process and to take our solidarity in the field of tourism further.”
Ersoy congratulated Abdulaziz Akkulov, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and his colleagues who will take part in Tashkent's tourism capital process, and wished them success.
Also thanking the institutions and cinema representatives who contributed to the organization of the festival in his speech, Minister Ersoy congratulated the artists and creators deemed worthy of the award. Wishing success to the filmmakers who bring the stories of the Turkic world to the silver screen, Ersoy expressed his hope that the friendships established in Istanbul will grow stronger with new projects, films and meetings.
TOURISM COOPERATION AGENDA BETWEEN TÜRKİYE AND UZBEKISTAN
Before the closing ceremony, Minister Ersoy met with Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov and the accompanying delegation at the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center and discussed topics for developing tourism relations between the two countries.
The contact, which was a continuation of the meeting held in Tashkent last September, addressed increasing mutual tourist mobility, developing new cooperation between tour operators, joint promotional activities and creating new tour packages.
At the meeting, the nine-article 2026-2028 Joint Action Plan aimed at developing tourism cooperation between Türkiye and Uzbekistan was also evaluated, and the Türkiye-Uzbekistan 2026-2028 Action Plan for Cooperation in the Field of Tourism was signed.
Holding the Türkiye-Uzbekistan Tourism Joint Commission meetings regularly and strengthening coordination between the relevant institutions of the two countries were also among the issues discussed at the meeting.
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