AKIPRESS.COM - Bishkek on June 11 hosted the 3rd Bishkek International Film Festival, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said.

The opening ceremony was attended famous actors Michele Placido, Dominic West and others.

Michele Placido was awarded for legendary achievements in the cinematography.

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliyev said that the Bishkek International Film Festival is a good platform developing cinematographers of Central Asia.

The main prize of the festival was a statue of A

"The main prize of the festival is the Ak Ilbirs, 'Jaabars', statuette. In 2023, the snow leopard was officially recognized as the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan. The snow leopard is considered the totemic animal of our epic hero Manas, and it symbolizes the inseparable bond between humans and nature. Today, Kyrgyzstan is making an economic 'snow leopard leap'. A stable GDP growth of 10–11% gives us the opportunity to support the fields of culture and the arts. Three years ago, state funding for cinema amounted to 80 million soms and this year, it has already reached 951 million soms," Kasymaliyev said in his speech.

The government will support the best ideas and initiatives in the sphere of cinema, he added.

The 3rd Bishkek International Film Festival will run until June 15.