Bishkek, June 5, 2026. /Kabar/. The 4th Bishkek International Film Festival will open in Kyrgyzstan on June 7. Talantbek Tolobekov, Director of the Department of Cinematography told Kabar.
According to him, this year the capital of Kyrgyzstan is becoming important international platform for representatives of the film industry.
"I think that this year Bishkek is becoming unique venue, bringing together directors, producers, and filmmakers from all over the world. Organizers are expecting participation from 33 countries. "They will come to be part of our festival," said Tolobekov.
Bishkek International Film Festival Director Argen Adil uulu said the festival's program is very comprehensive, primarily focused on competition screenings.
"This year, there are three competition sections: the International Competition, the Central Asian Competition, and the Kyrgyz Box, a competition for our commercial films," said Argen Adil uulu.
According to him, special screenings, a Guest Country Film Week, and retrospectives are planned outside the competition program. The third section consists of industrial programs—CAF Pitching and Bars in Progress. Various master classes, workshops, and industry meetings will also be held alongside the festival, offering various types of training or tutoring.
The festival director noted that this year's international competition features approximately nine premieres of varying status—international, national, and world.
"While in previous years there were one or two world premieres, this year the number has increased to nine. This means that a large number of filmmakers have trusted us to host the premieres of their films. These are world premieres, ranging from China to Europe. This means that the Bishkek Film Festival's reach is expanding internationally," said Argen Adil uulu.
He emphasized that all screenings will be free for Bishkek residents from June 7 to 12 at the Broadway, TsUM, Ala-Too, and Cosmopark cinemas. He added that screenings of some films will be re-arranged in other cinemas if viewers miss a screening.
The special meeting with the festival's guest of honor, French actress Audrey Tautou, will be held at the Broadway Cinema on Monday, June 8, at 3:30 PM.