Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World

Overview

The Korkut Ata Film Festival of the Turkic World (also spelled Gorkut Ata) is an international film festival organized by TURKSOY (the International Organisation of Turkic Culture). The festival rotates between host cities in TURKSOY member countries. It was initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. The festival is named after Dede Korkut (Korkut Ata), the legendary figure who holds a central place in the shared cultural memory of the Turkic world.

The 4th edition was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, from November 13 to 15, 2024, coinciding with the declaration of the ancient Turkmen city of Anau as Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2024. The 5th edition was held in Aktau, Kazakhstan, from October 1 to 4, 2025. The festival has previously been held in Istanbul (1st edition), Bursa (2nd edition), and Baku (3rd edition).

The 2024 Ashgabat edition was hosted at the Mukam Palace of the State Culture Center of Turkmenistan, with screenings at the Ashgabat cinema and the Watan and Turkmenistan cinema and concert centers. The festival brought together filmmakers from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Russia, Moldova, and other participating nations. The opening ceremony featured a congratulatory message from President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

The festival is not FIAPF-accredited. It is a state-organized cultural diplomacy event rather than an independent industry festival. Its focus is on films from the Turkic world: feature films, documentaries, and works that present the culture of Turkic peoples to an international audience.

Submission Details

The Korkut Ata Film Festival does not use FilmFreeway or Eventival for submissions. Submissions are handled through TURKSOY member country ministries and national film associations.

Filmmakers from TURKSOY member countries (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hungary as observer) should contact their national film association or ministry of culture for submission information. Filmmakers from non-Turkic countries are generally not eligible for the competitive sections, though the festival may include guest films in non-competitive programming.

The submission process is not transparent or publicly documented in the way that most international film festivals operate. This reflects the festival's state-organized, cultural diplomacy nature rather than an open-call festival model.

Premiere Status Requirements

The festival does not publish standard premiere requirements in publicly available documentation. Given the festival's cultural diplomacy focus and state-organized structure, premiere requirements are likely determined on a case-by-case basis by the organizing committee. Contact the festival organizers through TURKSOY or the host country's ministry of culture for current requirements.

Competition Sections and Categories

Based on the 2024 and 2025 editions:

• Feature Film Competition - narrative films from TURKSOY member countries, judged by an international jury
• Documentary Competition - nonfiction films from participating countries
• Special Screenings - non-competitive cultural programming, including co-productions between Turkic countries (e.g., "Makhtumkuli Fragi," a co-production between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan presented at the 2024 edition)
• Master Classes - film industry professionals conducting workshops for students (e.g., at the Turkmen State Institute of Culture in 2024)
• Exhibition Programs - exhibitions on the history of Turkmen cinematography (2024 edition)
• Cultural Excursions - visits to heritage sites for international delegates (e.g., Anau and the mosque of Seit Dzhemaletdin in 2024)

The 2025 Aktau edition included a red carpet opening ceremony with TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, Chairman of the State Centre for the Support of National Cinema Kurmanbek Zhumagali, and Turkish actor Burak Ozchivit.

Awards and Prizes

The festival awards prizes in the following categories based on the 2025 edition:

• Best Feature Film
• Best Director
• Best Screenplay
• Best Actress
• Best Actor
• TURKSOY Special Award - for "Contribution to Turkic Culture"

The festival does not publish specific cash prize amounts in publicly available materials. The awards are primarily honorary, with statuettes and certificates. The "Crane" statuette is used as a symbol of the festival's baton-passing tradition between host countries.

At the 2024 Ashgabat edition, the Turkmenfilm Association (named after Oguzkhan) presented several new films including "Kamillige yol 2: Erjellik," "Kitap," "Ismim dusdi ilden-ile," and the documentary "Senet daldir, ol sungatdyr." The co-production "Makhtumkuli Fragi" (a joint Uzbek-Turkmen project about the 18th-century Turkmen poet) was a highlight of the 2024 program.

Turkmenistan Cinema Context

Turkmenistan has one of the most state-controlled film industries in the world. The Turkmenfilm Association (named after Oguzkhan) is the primary state film production entity. Film production is funded and overseen by the government, with the Ministry of Culture and the State Culture Center managing cultural programming. Independent or private film production is extremely limited.

Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated nations globally, ranked near the bottom of press freedom and cultural freedom indices. The government maintains strict oversight of all cultural activities. International films with politically sensitive content would not be programmed at a state-organized festival in Ashgabat. The Korkut Ata festival operates within this framework: it is a cultural diplomacy event that promotes cooperation among Turkic states, not an open artistic platform.

Ashgabat itself is known for its white marble-clad architecture and monumental urban planning. The city holds a Guinness World Record for the highest density of white marble buildings. The Mukam Palace of the State Culture Center, where the festival's opening and closing ceremonies are held, is one of the city's primary cultural venues.

The Korkut Ata festival is not a permanent Ashgabat event. It rotates between TURKSOY member cities. The 4th edition was in Ashgabat because Turkmenistan hosted in 2024 as part of Anau's designation as Cultural Capital of the Turkic World. The 5th edition moved to Aktau, Kazakhstan. The festival will return to Turkmenistan only when Turkmenistan is again designated as host.

Festival History

The Korkut Ata Film Festival was initiated in 2021 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, under the coordination of TURKSOY. The festival was created to promote cooperation in cinematography among Turkic states and to present the culture of Turkic peoples to the world through cinema.

Edition history:

• 1st edition: Istanbul, Turkey
• 2nd edition: Bursa, Turkey
• 3rd edition: Baku, Azerbaijan
• 4th edition: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (November 13 to 15, 2024)
• 5th edition: Aktau, Kazakhstan (October 1 to 4, 2025)

The 2024 Ashgabat edition coincided with the 300th anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly Fragi, the 18th-century Turkmen poet and thinker, and the declaration of Anau as Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2024. The festival was organized with the support of TURKSOY, the Turkmen government, and the participation of filmmakers from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Russia, and Moldova.

Turkmenistan also hosts a separate local film festival called "Arkadagyn saheri" (City of Arkadag), which is a domestic event focused on Turkmen national cinema. This is distinct from the Korkut Ata international festival.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The Korkut Ata Film Festival is a state-organized cultural diplomacy event, not an independent industry festival. It does not have an open submission process, does not use FilmFreeway, does not have an attached film market, and does not attract international buyers or sales agents. If your goal is selling a completed film to distributors or launching a film for the awards season, this festival is not the right platform.

The festival is only relevant if you are a filmmaker from a TURKSOY member country (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) or observer state (Hungary, and other participating nations). Even then, submissions go through official government channels, not through an open call. Contact your national film association or ministry of culture to inquire about participation.

For filmmakers from non-Turkic countries, the Korkut Ata festival is not a submission target. The competitive sections are restricted to films from TURKSOY member countries. Non-Turkic international films may be included in special screening programs by invitation only.

The festival's value is in cultural exchange between Turkic states and in building co-production relationships between national film industries that share linguistic and cultural roots. The 2024 edition demonstrated this through the Uzbek-Turkmen co-production "Makhtumkuli Fragi," which was produced collaboratively by teams from both countries.

If your film is selected, the festival typically covers accommodation and local hospitality for participating delegates. Confirm travel arrangements with the festival organizers through your national film association. The festival program includes cultural excursions and networking events designed to foster co-production discussions among Turkic filmmakers.

Films should be submitted with subtitles in a language appropriate to the host country. For the 2024 Ashgabat edition, Russian and Turkmen were the primary languages; for the 2025 Aktau edition, Kazakh and Russian. English subtitles may be accepted but are not guaranteed; confirm with organizers.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For Central Asian cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Visit korkutatafilmfestivali.com or TURKSOY for more information.