The Kazan International Muslim Film Festival happening in Tatarstan’s capital every year since 2005. The first festival was initiated by the council of Muftis of Russia, the federal agency for culture and cinematography of Russia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan and was supported by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

This year’s festival themes is “Intercultural dialogue”.

The festival aims to create a platform for dialogue for people working in the arts and cultural sector in Russia and neighbouring Muslim countries, to display the achievements of Muslim cinematographers.

The members of the festival Jury are well-known professionals from the international filmmaking industry.

The number of the participants and the number of films increase yearly. While for the first festival a total of 40 films from 12 countries were submitted to the festival, for the 5^th festival the number increased to 400 films from 67 countries. The festival’s geographical reach is expanding and so the number of the participating countries is increasing as well.

Today, Europe, the USA and Australia have joined the countries of East Asia and the Indo-Chinese peninsula. About 200 films from 50 countries were already submitted, but preparations are still ongoing and submissions are still accepted. Our international guests and participants are testimony for the international status that festival has gained in recent years.

The movies that are selected shall reflect on human, spiritual and moral values as well as on cultural traditions and support the ideas of peace-making, tolerance and humanity regardless of the nationality and religion.

The members of the film selection committee are honourable Russian and foreign film critics. They thoroughly review the films submitted to the festival. The selection results in a an interesting mix of diverse movies that shall be celebrated the creativity of the filmmakers. However, only a selected number of movies will enter the competition.

Festival awards:

• 10 trophies are given to winners in different categories in addition to the following special tributes:
• Special prize of the president of the Republic of Tatarstan “For the humanism in the cinematography”,
• Special prize of the Russian film critics’ guild,
• Special prizes of festival sponsors and partners.

During the festival side-line events will be organised:

• Competitive and non-competitive film shows,
• Master classes with the cinematographers,
• Creative meetings with the festival participants,
• Press conferences,
• Round table discussions
• Days of cinematography of the participant countries,
• Opening and closing ceremony, award ceremony for the winners,
• Excursions,
• Gala-shows of the Muslim fashion and many others.

Honourable guests in past years included Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, Mark Dacascos, Aydan Sener, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Armand Assante, Azizollah Hamidnezhad, Ornella Muti, Iya Ninidze, Nikita Mikhalkov, Eldar Ryazanov, Yevgeni Mironov, Margarita Terehova, Aristarh Livanov, Alexander Mitta, Igor Petrenko, Alla Surikova, Vladimir Khotinenko, Armen Jigarkhanyan, Veniamin Smekhov, Lidia Fedoseeva-Shukshina, Olga Kabo, Yelena Kondulainen, Olga Budina and many others.

Traditionally the festival is covered by the leading Russian media outlets as “RIA Novosti”, “ITAR-TASS”, TV channels as “Russia”, “NTV”, “TNV”, “Tatarstan”, “Kazan-Zvezda”, Channel 5, newspapers like “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”, “Izvestia”, “Commersant”, international media outlets such as TV channels “Russia Today”, “Euronews”, news agency “American Image Press”, Polish newspaper “Wyborcza”, Japanese State channel “NHK”, German newspaper “Altabash”, Ukranian newspaper “Telecity”, Azerbaijan “First news agency”, Iranian State TV channel “TV-4”, Egyptian news agency “Nil”, Turkish journal “DA”, news agency “Ihlas”, inter-Arabic newspapers “Asharq Alawsat” and “Al-Ahram”, “Al-Musawar” journal, as well as media outlets of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and others.

The first winner of the festival in 2005 was filmmaker Vladimir Khotinenko. His film “Mussulman” from 1995 was chosen by the organisers as it represents the main ideas of the festival.

Festival winners in different years included movies like “Sorcerer” by Mir-Kasim Oktai (Azerbaijan), “Tear of the cold” directed by Azizollah Hamidnezhad, Iran, “Bab’Aziz” directed by Nacer Khemir (France-Germany-Tunisia-Hungary-Iran-Great Britain), “Mi” for Mom” directed by Rasul Mollagolipur, Iran, “Jodhaa Akbar” directed Ashutosh Govariher, India and “One War” directed by Vera Glagoleva (Russia).

The Kazan International Muslim Film Festival became a great motivation to further nuture cinematography within the Republic of Tatarstan. At the first festival Farit Bikchantaev, who played the main character in the film “Kuktau” (Tatarstan) directed by Ildar Yagafarov, won the “The best actor” award. At the third festival the film “The Dilemma” directed by Ramil Tuhvatullin received the People’s Choice Award. The film “Three-legged mare” directed by Nuraniya Zamaleeva received “The best cameraman” award at the 4th festival. At the 5th festival a total of 10 films represented the Republic of Tatarstan. The leading heroes of the film “Eagles” won “The best actor” award.