Day Two -- Friday -- 19 September 2025

Location: UCA Campus Dining Hall

Location: UCA Campus

Aktan Arym Kubat (born March 26, 1957) is a celebrated Kyrgyzstani director, screenwriter, and actor, also known as Aktan Abdykalykov. A member of the National Film Academy of Kyrgyzstan, the European Film Academy, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, he has garnered international acclaim with numerous awards, including the Silver Leopard at Locarno, Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions, and FIPRESCI Prizes. His films, such as Beshkempir/The Adopted Son (1998), Maimyl/The Chimp (2001), The Light Thief (2010), and Centaur (2017), have been showcased at major festivals including Cannes and Berlin. In 2016, he was named among the best directors in Asia, with Beshkempir ranked among the top 100 Asian films of all time by the Busan International Film Festival. Kubat’s work is known for its poetic storytelling and deep cultural resonance.

Location: UCA Campus Dining Hall

Location: Naryn Regional Academic Musical Drama Theatre named after Muratbek Ryskulov

Opening Film Screening: Black Red Yellow by Aktan Arym Kubat, followed by a Q&A session with the director

Aktan Arym Kubat (born March 26, 1957) is a celebrated Kyrgyzstani director, screenwriter, and actor, also known as Aktan Abdykalykov. A member of the National Film Academy of Kyrgyzstan, the European Film Academy, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, he has garnered international acclaim with numerous awards, including the Silver Leopard at Locarno, Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions, and FIPRESCI Prizes. His films, such as Beshkempir/The Adopted Son (1998), Maimyl/The Chimp (2001), The Light Thief (2010), and Centaur (2017), have been showcased at major festivals including Cannes and Berlin. In 2016, he was named among the best directors in Asia, with Beshkempir ranked among the top 100 Asian films of all time by the Busan International Film Festival. Kubat’s work is known for its poetic storytelling and deep cultural resonance.

Location: UCA Campus

A magical night-time adventure under the infinite sky. Led by Michael Garbutt, co-author of Mindful Eye, Playful Eye: 101 Amazing Activities for Discovery, Connection, and Insight, we will lie on the grass, engage in playful, mindful activities, hear poems about the clouds, the moon and the stars ... and let our imagination soar through the infinite sky.

Dr Michael Garbutt is a writer, artist, documentary maker, and experience designer with qualifications in architecture, literature, and discourse analysis. His current research focuses on aesthetic experience in museums, galleries, and both natural and urban environments.