Tashkent Hosts WOMEN WATCH Female Cinema Festival

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — From 26 to 29 March, Tashkent will host WOMEN WATCH UZBEKISTAN Screenings — a female cinema festival and educational program for women filmmakers from Uzbekistan.

The event combines film screenings, masterclasses, and professional meetings with directors and producers from various countries, creating a platform for experience sharing and expanding opportunities for women in the film industry.

The festival is organized in partnership with the British online platform Klassiki and with support from the British Council.

The program includes two films from the 2025 Cannes Film Festival competition: Die, My Love by Lynn Ramsay and The Sound of Falling by Masha Shilinski. Additionally, the documentary My Stolen Planet by Iranian director Faranaz Sharifi (Berlinale 2024 Panorama) and the film Ama Gloria by Mari Amashukeli–Barsak will be screened. A dedicated section will feature short films by emerging British directors.

Special focus is given to films by participants of the Women Watch Uzbekistan 2023–2024 project accelerator and graduates of Tashkent Film School, supporting a new generation of women creators in the region.

The festival program includes workshops and sessions with industry experts, such as an acting masterclass by actress and Klassiki founder Justine Waddell, an open session How to Launch Your Project by producer and Tashkent Film School co-founder Yulia Shaginurova, and a lecture on festival strategy, film promotion, and increasing international visibility by cinema marketing specialist Ksenia Beloglazova.

The opening ceremony will feature the photography exhibition MISSION IMPOSSIBLE by documentarian Umida Akhmedova and photographer Zilola Saidova. The festival will conclude with a special screening of Bird by Andrea Arnold, followed by a celebration at Nukus89 bar.

WOMEN WATCH UZBEKISTAN Screenings provides an open platform to explore contemporary female cinema, foster professional networks, and support emerging voices in Central Asian filmmaking.