The First URKER International Animation Film Festival will be held in Aktau, Kazakhstan from August 5 to 8. The festival’s main competition program will feature the animated film "Nargiz" by the renowned animation director Masud Panahi, while the non-competition program will showcase the animated film "Hadis" by Nazrin Agamaliyeva.
According to “Tehsil365”, citing AZERTAC, Rashid Agamaliyev, producer of the animated films "Nargiz" and "Hadis" and chairman of the Azerbaijan Animation Association, will participate in the festival. Additionally, Oktay Yusibov, a member of the association and producer, will serve as a jury member at the festival.
A total of 51 animated films are participating in the festival, with 8 films included in the main competition and 9 films in the student competition program.
The festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Akimat of Mangistau Region.
The URKER International Animation Film Festival is an international event that brings together animated films from Turkic countries. The festival aims to promote the rich heritage of the prominent Kazakh scholar and mythologist Serikbol Kondybay (1968–2004). The festival will be held under the slogan “Animation of the New Turkic Era.” In 2025, Aktau was chosen as the “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World” and will host the international animation festival for the first time under this status.