The sixth Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival opens in Istanbul on Tuesday 3 November with the Turkish premiere of Kanybek Kalmatov’s Kyrgyz biographical feature Aytmatov, and runs through 7 November. The official programme lists 56 films from across the Turkic world, with 30 titles competing in feature fiction, documentary and short-film sections of ten films each. Screenings at five venues are free; the first Türkiye–Kyrgyzstan pitching session and a Turkic World Cinema Summit sit alongside the programme.
Key facts
- Dates: 3–7 November 2026, Istanbul; opens 20:00 at Atlas 1948 Cinema; closes with awards at 20:00 on 7 November at the Atatürk Cultural Center
- 56 films on the official list; 30 in competition (10 feature fiction, 10 documentary, 10 shorts), plus Contemporary Human Stories, Historical Panorama, Turquoise Documentary, Animation and In Memoriam
- Opening film: Aytmatov (Kanybek Kalmatov, Kyrgyzstan, 105 min), Turkish premiere; produced by Timurlan Tashiev
- Industry: Turkic World Cinema Summit (4 November); first Türkiye–Kyrgyzstan pitching event (5 November), with support for four selected projects; more than 150 international guests expected
The festival began in Istanbul in 2021 and later travelled to Bursa, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan before returning to its founding city. The festival’s own release puts international guests at more than 150 from ten countries and ten autonomous republics; Anadolu Agency adds that more than 300 industry professionals and academics from Türkiye are also expected. It follows Antalya’s Golden Orange awards at the end of October and sits ahead of Marrakech’s 23rd edition later this month; Doha’s Cinema Alkhaleej Gulf strand is also on the November calendar.
Opening night and the competitions
Aytmatov (Aitmatov), spoken in Kyrgyz and Russian, follows the life of the Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov, from his father’s death in the Stalin era and his wartime childhood through his rise as a literary voice. Kalmatov directs; Tashiev is the lead producer. The film is the festival’s sole opening title.
Feature fiction prizes cover best film, best director, best screenplay, best actress and best actor. The documentary and short competitions each award first, second and third prizes. Juries are drawn from directors, actors and film professionals across the Turkic world; the festival has not yet published named juror lists on its site.
Industry strands
The Turkic World Cinema Summit on 4 November at The Marmara’s Grand Ballroom is billed as a meeting on co-production and cross-border collaboration. On 5 November the festival stages its first Türkiye–Kyrgyzstan pitching event at The Marmara Meeting Center, with filmmakers from both countries presenting to a joint jury; four projects are to receive support. The same day, Istanbul University’s Faculty of Communication hosts the first International Turkic World Korkut Ata Cinema Symposium. An artificial-intelligence panel, “Artificial Intelligence in Cinema and the Digital Transformation of Ancient Narratives,” is set for 7 November at Atlas Cinema, with Cinema General Director Birol Güven among the speakers named by Anadolu Agency.
Venues
All public screenings are free. Films play at Atlas 1948 Cinema, AKM Yeşilçam Cinema, Emek Cinema, the cinema hall at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Communication, and the Sadabat Hall at Istanbul Commerce University. The schedule is published on the festival site.
Full selection
Titles and credits below follow the festival’s official film pages and section lists (Turkish titles retained where no English release title is given).
Opening film
- Aytmatov, Kanybek Kalmatov (Kyrgyzstan)
Feature Film Competition (10)
- 38: Son Nokta, Torebek Beisebayev (Kazakhstan)
- Âşıklar Dağı, Salavat Yuzeyev (Tatarstan)
- Farz, Sarvar Karimov (Uzbekistan)
- Ferzana Batıya Gidiyor, Bulat Yusupov (Bashkortostan)
- Gürgenç Güzeli Törebeg, Vefa Ishangulyev (Turkmenistan)
- Kanto, Ensar Altay (Türkiye)
- Tağıyev: Mektep, Zaur Gasimli (Azerbaijan)
- Turnaların Dans Ettiği Yer, Mikhail Lukachevskiy (Sakha Republic, Russia)
- Uranhaylar, Vitaliy Petrov (Tuva Republic)
- Yusuf, Taalaibek Kulmendeev (Kyrgyzstan)
Documentary Competition (10)
- Akdeniz’in Kalbi Girne, Derya Atamer (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)
- Azıh Mağarası: Azerbaycan’ın Beşiği, Atakan Kerküklü (Azerbaijan–Türkiye)
- Hayata Susamışlık, Muminjan İsmatilla (Uzbekistan)
- Isıyah: Yaz Gün Dönümü, Semyon Amanatov, Mikhail Lukachevskiy, Sardaana Barabanova, Radomir Tomskiy, Lubov Borisova (Sakha Republic)
- Küştdepdi, Yusup Bayramov (Turkmenistan)
- Sönmeyen Ateş, Tunç Boran (Türkiye)
- Yanıp Duran Yürek, Elmaz Asan (Ukraine)
- Yaylaya Doğru Uzun Yol, Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
- Pirdağı, Şehzad Qureyşi (Iran)
- Venera, Almagul Tleukhanova (Kazakhstan)
Short Film Competition (10)
- Annem, Magomed Kumykov (Kabardino-Balkaria)
- Büyükanne, Temirlan Orisbayev (Kazakhstan)
- Dombra, Arslan Bakiyev (Dagestan)
- Gelin, Sonia Fathi (Iran)
- Güneş Çocuk Yusuf, Dilshadbek Usmonov (Uzbekistan)
- Neredeyse Bir Şaman, Mikhail Merzlikin (Khakassia)
- Rehber, Mert Erez (Türkiye)
- Satkankul, Aidana Muralieva (Kyrgyzstan)
- Tabiatın Gülümsediği Gün, Mammet Hojagulyyev (Turkmenistan)
- Toprak Kadar Yaşayasın, Samir Kerimoğlu (Azerbaijan)
Historical Panorama (5)
- Azambay Dedenin Hikayesi, Marat Nikitin (Chuvashia)
- Bahadır Yalangtuş, Jahangir Ahmedov (Uzbekistan)
- Bir Güney Şehrinde, Eldar Guliyev (Azerbaijan)
- Domrul, Murat Orazow (Turkmenistan)
- Hacımukan, Kanagat Mustafin (Kazakhstan)
Contemporary Human Stories (9)
- 90+1, Timur Dulatov (Kazakhstan)
- Akinak, Elhan Caferov (Azerbaijan)
- Başarılı Adımlar, Batyr Batyrov (Turkmenistan)
- Bebek, Asghar Yousefinejad (Iran)
- Ben Geleceğim, Bulat Sabitov (Tatarstan)
- Buyruk, Dastan Madalbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
- DJ Ahmet, Georgi M. Unkovski (North Macedonia–Czechia–Serbia–Croatia)
- Köy İmtihanı, Islam Satyrov (Karachay-Cherkessia)
- Şampiyon, Alisher Uzakov (Uzbekistan)
Turquoise Documentary strand (9)
- Bakü Türkoloji Kurultayı 100, Elçin Musaoğlu (Azerbaijan)
- Ciloluk, Reza Siami (Iran–Türkiye)
- Divriği Ulu Cami ve Darüşşifası: Sesin Mucizesi, Hasan Kalender (Türkiye)
- Elifba, İldar Yagafarov (Tatarstan)
- Gagauz Dilinin Durumu, Agasi Hun (Gagauzia)
- Halil İnalcık’ın İzinde: Bulgaristan, Neşe Sarısoy Karatay (Türkiye)
- Narın Nehri, Tilek Abdykadyr (Kyrgyzstan)
- Ol Rumistan’ı Görsem, Hekim Alowow (Turkmenistan)
- Tağiyev, M. Abdülgafur Şahin (Türkiye)
Animation (1)
- Efsaneler Takımı: Görev İstanbul, Cengizhan Uluocak (Türkiye)
In Memoriam (1)
- Benim Adım Koja, Abdulla Karsakbayev (Kazakhstan, 1964)
Our reading
The free public screenings and the new Türkiye–Kyrgyzstan pitch give buyers and funds a short, focused window on projects that rarely get a dedicated Istanbul market slot. The four supported pitches on 5 November are the line to watch for concrete co-production follow-through after the summit on 4 November.
Sources
- Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival, 6. Korkut Ata Türk Dünyası Film Festivali 3 Kasım’da Başlıyor (official news)
- Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival, official film list and sections (56 titles)
- Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival, film page: Aytmatov
- Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival, Feature Film Competition section
- Anadolu Agency, 6. Korkut Ata Türk Dünyası Film Festivali 3-7 Kasım’da İstanbul’da düzenlenecek (26 October 2026)
- Hürriyet Daily News, Korkut Ata Turkish World Film Festival returns to Istanbul (28 October 2026)