Kyrgyz Cinema Day Date in the current year: November 17, 2024

The history of cinema in Kyrgyzstan began in the 1920s, when the first films were filmed in the country. However, Kyrgyzstan didn’t have its own film studio at the time, so these films were made by other Central Asian studios, such as Uzbekfilm. In 1928, Kyrgyzstan joined Vostokkino, a joint film corporation created to develop cinema in Central Asia.

The birthday of Kyrgyz cinema is November 17, 1941. On this day, the Frunze Newsreel Studio was founded in the city of Frunze (now Bishkek). In 1961, the studio received its current name, Kyrgyzfilm. In 2002, it was named after Tolomush Okeyev, a renowned Kyrgyz film director and screenwriter.

The so-called Golden Age of Kyrgyz cinema fell on the 1960s and 1970s. It is commonly referred to as Kyrgyz miracle. Notable filmmakers who worked during this period include Tolomush Okeyev, Bolotbek Zhamshiev and Algimantas Vidugiris.

Kyrgyz Cinema Day was established by the government of Kyrgyzstan in 1994 to emphasize the importance of cinema in the cultural life of the peoples of Kyrgyzstan.