News Summary

• Kurak, directed by Erke Dzhumakmatova and Emil Atageldiev, has been denied a censor certificate in its home country.
• The denial came less than 24 hours before the film’s national premiere at the fourth edition of Bishkek IFF.
• The film weaves together several stories exploring gender-based violence and patriarchal structures in contemporary Kyrgyzstan.
• During its festival run, the film picked up two awards from Busan International Film Festival – the Vision of Jiseok Award and Bangladesh July Memorial Prize.