2000 Films from 114 Countries Participated in the International Festival in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

From 18 to 22 September 2024, Naryn once again became the centre of cultural life in the region, as it hosted "Nomad 2024: The Infinite Sky" for the third consecutive year. Organised by the University of Central Asia (UCA) with the support of KOLFEST - Central Asia's Music & Arts Festival - Kyrgyzstan, and in partnership with Cinematica movie theater chain, the Nomad 2024 international forum took place at UCA's Naryn Campus in Kyrgyzstan. The event featured a diverse programme, including an International Film Festival, Multimedia Exhibitions, a competition of Digital and Virtual Experiments, and an academic symposium.
The opening ceremony was held at the Drama Theatre in Naryn, where representatives from the film industry, filmmakers, and audiences from around the world gathered to immerse themselves in a cinematic experience inspired by the cultural heritage of Central Asia. This year's festival received around 2,000 submissions from more than 114 countries. After a rigorous selection process, the jury selected 39 films to be screened, representing a wide range of genres and styles, from documentaries and feature films to experimental works.

"We are very proud to host the Nomad 2024 Festival, which brought filmmakers from all over the world to Naryn city. I hope this film festival will serve as a starting point towards the Oscars," said Elnura Asangazy kyzy, Vice Mayor of the Naryn city, during the festival's opening.

In his opening remarks, Nomad 2024 Soheil Ashrafi, Chair of the Media and Communications Department, UCA’s School of Arts and Sciences stated, "The Infinite Sky has grown from a national competition into a genuinely international event, reflecting our ambition to create a platform that unifies and fosters the development of the Central Asian film industry."

A special highlight of the event was the retrospective exhibition at the Naryn AS Art Gallery, dedicated to the daily life of Dobolu, a remote Kyrgyz mountain village. The exhibition invited visitors to immerse themselves in the village’s landscape and its profound connection to nature. Through a multimedia installation, the exhibit showcased portraits of the villagers, accompanied by a photographic slideshow capturing the evocative aesthetics of their everyday lives.

As part of the festival, the "Aesthetics, Care, and Action" Symposium brought together esteemed scholars to reflect on the role of aesthetics in addressing contemporary social, environmental, and economic challenges. Noteworthy participants included Tracie Costantino, Provost at the California Institute of the Arts; Freya Mathews, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Philosophy at Latrobe University; and Richard Shusterman, Schmitt Eminent Scholar at Florida Atlantic University. The symposium explored how aesthetics influences ethics, care, and action, with a particular focus on the arts, crafts, and everyday aesthetics of mountain communities in Central Asia, highlighting resilience and cultural sustainability.

The festival also offered participants educational opportunities through a series of exhibitions. The Digital & Virtual Experiments Exhibition displayed contemporary digital artworks and facilitated discussions on "hypermediation"—the shaping of self-perception and culture in an increasingly digital world. The exhibition was inaugurated by a keynote talk from Hon. Prof. Paul Thomas, titled "The Art of Digital Human Interface Culture."

The awards night of Nomad 2024 was a dazzling culmination of creativity, innovation, and artistic excellence. The evening celebrated the achievements of filmmakers, artists, and creators from across the globe. The atmosphere was electric as winners took to the stage to accept their awards, each one a testament to the extraordinary talent on display throughout the festival.

The night was more than just a ceremony; it was a celebration of cultural exchange, where stories from Central Asia and beyond converged to highlight the power of art and cinema in connecting communities. A special segment of the evening featured live performances from the Kyrgyz Kairyk Musical Ensemble, whose traditional melodies provided a perfect backdrop to the festivities. It was a fitting end to a festival that had once again brought the world to Naryn, transforming it into a global hub of culture and inspiration.

First organised in 2022 by the University of Central Asia as part of the Nomadic Image conference, the Nomad Festival has, in just three years, become an important cultural event in the region, attracting the attention of both local and international film experts.

The Nomad Festival has grown into a unique platform for dialogue between filmmakers, artists, and creators from Central Asia and the rest of the world, strengthening cultural ties and telling stories through creative expressions.