Dushanbe International Film Festival (Toji Somon)

Overview

The Dushanbe International Film Festival "Toji Somon" (Crown of Somon) is Tajikistan's primary international film festival. First held in October 2023, it operates biennially under the personal patronage of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. The festival is organized by the state institution Tojikfilm with support from the Government of Tajikistan and timed to coincide with Tajik Cinema Day, celebrated annually on October 16.

The third edition is scheduled for October 15 to 20, 2026, marking the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan's independence. The 2026 theme is "Celebrating True Art." The second edition, held October 15 to 20, 2025, screened more than 40 films from 15 countries under the theme "The History of the Development of the Tajik People."

The festival is part of the Cinema Development Programme of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2023 to 2027, a state-backed initiative to strengthen the national film industry, support young creative talent, and expand international cooperation in filmmaking. Submissions for the 2026 edition open June 15 and close September 15, via the official website at tojisomon.tj.

Key Sections

• Feature Film Competition - competitive selection of full-length fiction films from participating countries
• Short Film Competition - competitive selection of short films
• Film Project Pitching - open call for fiction, documentary, and animation projects in development or pre-production from directors and producers based in Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, China, Turkey, India, Iran, and Pakistan
• Country Focus Days - dedicated screening programs for cinema from specific countries (the 2025 edition included Iranian, Russian, and Kyrgyz Cinema Days)
• Regional Screenings - competition films also screened in Sughd, Khatlon, and the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO)

Submission Details

• Submission platform: tojisomon.tj
• Submission fee: Not publicly listed; filmmakers should consult the official website for current fee structure
• 2026 submission window: June 15 to September 15, 2026
• Eligibility: Open to directors, producers, and filmmakers from Europe, Asia, and CIS countries
• Competition categories: Feature Films and Short Films
• Pitching section deadline: August 30, 2025 (for the 2025 edition); selected projects announced by September 15
• Pitching eligibility: Fiction, documentary, and animation projects in development or pre-production from 15 eligible countries (Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, China, Turkey, India, Iran, Pakistan)
• Full regulations: Available at tojisomon.tj

Major Awards

• Best Feature Film - international jury prize
• Best Short Film - international jury prize
• Prize of the Chairman of the City of Dushanbe - awarded by Rustami Emomali for outstanding contributions to cinema
• Additional jury prizes - the international jury, composed of film industry professionals from various countries, determines category awards

What Filmmakers Should Know

Toji Somon is a state-organized festival with strong government backing, which means it has institutional support and visibility within Tajikistan but operates differently from independent international festivals. The festival is biennial, so filmmakers need to plan submission timelines around its two-year cycle.

For Tajik filmmakers, this is the most important domestic platform for screening work and connecting with international visitors. For filmmakers from the 15 eligible pitching countries, the Film Project Pitching section offers a rare opportunity to present projects in development to an international audience within a state-backed framework.

The festival's geographic and cultural positioning is distinctive. Tajikistan is the only Persian-speaking nation in Central Asia (Tajik is a variety of Persian), and the festival creates connections between Central Asian, Iranian, and broader Asian cinema that few other festivals facilitate. The 2025 edition included dedicated Iranian, Russian, and Kyrgyz Cinema Days, and the competition films were screened not only in Dushanbe but also in regional cinemas across Sughd, Khatlon, and GBAO provinces.

The festival does not have an attached film market. It is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival. International industry attendance is growing but remains limited compared to established Central Asian festivals like Tashkent. Filmmakers should view Toji Somon as a regional networking and cultural exchange opportunity rather than a market or sales destination.

Screening venues in Dushanbe include the Navruz Cinema, Kayhon Cinema, and the Tahir Sobirov Cinema Theater at Tojikfilm. The closing ceremony and awards presentation take place at the Sadriddin Ayni Opera and Ballet Theater.

Festival History

The first Toji Somon International Film Festival was held October 15 to 19, 2023, in Dushanbe. The selection committee reviewed 200 submissions, approving 18 feature-length fiction films and 8 short fiction films from 16 countries including Russia, Iran, Pakistan, India, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Canada, Turkey, China, Belarus, Moldova, France, and Tajikistan. The festival signed cooperation memoranda with Roskino (Russia), Tatarkino (Tatarstan), the National Center of Cinematography (Moldova), Azerbaijanfilm (Azerbaija), and Dovfilm and ifilm (Iran).

The second edition, held October 15 to 20, 2025, expanded to include more than 40 films from 15 countries, with special screening programs for Iranian, Russian, and Kyrgyz cinema. The closing ceremony took place at the Sadriddin Ayni Opera and Ballet Theater on October 19.

The third edition is announced for October 15 to 20, 2026, under the theme "Celebrating True Art," timed to the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan's independence.

Before Toji Somon, Dushanbe hosted the "Didor" film festival every October from 2004 to 2019. Toji Somon effectively replaced Didor as Tajikistan's primary international cinema event.

See Also

For festival submission strategy and budgeting, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For understanding Central Asian cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For general festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.