The organizing committee reported that over 400 applications were submitted for the festival, from which 70 films from 15 countries were selected, including Russia, Portugal, India, Germany, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Sweden, and Belarus.
12 feature films, 11 documentaries lasting up to 90 minutes, 15 documentaries up to 60 minutes, 14 animated films, 3 series, and 15 short films up to 30 minutes were presented to the jury. 19 films will be shown outside the competitive program. This year, the jury chair was the renowned film director, screenwriter, and producer Nikolai Khomeriki.
The festival also offered extensive educational and business events, including meetings with directors, master classes, seminars, and forums.
The festival was organized by the production center "Northern Character" with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Grants Foundation, and the government of the Murmansk region.
It is worth noting that the premiere of the film "Beiysh – enenin tamanynda" ("Paradise Under the Feet of Mothers") took place in March last year. This film tells the story of 35-year-old Adil, a person with mental disabilities who remains at the level of an eight-year-old child.
The film has been shown not only in Kyrgyzstan but also abroad — in Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and even Malaysia. In Kazakhstan, the film ranked first in box office earnings, collecting over $1 million in just four days of release. Additionally, the film has received several awards at international festivals.
Currently, Ruslan Akun is working on the second part of the film, which will be titled "Beiysh: Apama kat" ("Paradise: Letter to Mother").
