The UmutDoc initiative arose from the Umut Young Cinema forum, which was established in 2013. This forum has become an important regional platform for supporting young filmmakers from Central Asia.
“For many years, our region has lacked specialized spaces for showcasing documentary films. In a time when documentary cinema is experiencing a period of active creative development and new, talented directors are emerging, the lack of institutional support in this area becomes particularly noticeable,” notes the press service of the Ministry of Culture.
The first part of the UmutDoc festival includes a documentary filmmaking workshop called Eurasiadoc, conducted in collaboration with the French association Docmonde. This workshop will take place from December 4 to 14 and is intended for filmmakers from Central Asia. Selected participants of the workshop are currently undergoing online consultations with experienced international mentors.
The second part of the workshop, starting two weeks before the main event, will consist of individual sessions, meetings with mentors, filmmaking workshops, scouting sessions, project preparation for pitching, as well as screenings and discussions of films.
