Ak Ilbirs National Film Awards ceremony held in Bishkek

Bishkek, Dec. 31, 2025. /Kabar/. Ak Ilbirs National Film Awards ceremony was held in Bishkek. The award is named after the snow leopard, a symbol of strength and determination, which embodies the development and sustainability of culture.

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Edil Baisalov spoke at the event. He noted that the evening took place on the eve of the New Year and that everyone gathered in a good mood. He also expressed gratitude to the Union of Cinematographers and the Ministry of Culture.

"This is the first time our Ak Ilbirs National Film Awards has been held with such a larger audience. "We asked the Union of Cinematographers to ensure that the Ak Ilbirs Award henceforth encompasses all national filmmaking. Film can be feature, festival, popular, and perhaps even home-grown, or even self-directed. So today is an attempt to bring together the larger film family at a national film awards ceremony and unite them under the auspices of the Union of Cinematographers, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ak Ilbirs National Film Award," he said.

Edil Baisalov noted that the World Intellectual Property Organization's World Innovation Index was recently published, which included statistics on the number of major feature films produced per capita of adults aged 15 to 69. He said that our country ranks sixth in the world according to this index, and he believes this is far from the limit.

"Our multinational, friendly people are distinguished by their creativity, originality, and love of art." "We draw our inspiration from the great generations of the past, from the great achievements of previous generations, and we know very well what we are striving for," he said.

According to him, Russian cinema strives for major awards and international recognition.

As a reminder, the Ak Ilbirs Award annually recognizes the best achievements in national cinema and brings together leading directors, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and representatives of technical professions. In 2025, winners were announced in 12 categories, covering feature films, documentaries, and short films.