The festival program features both widely recognized works by prominent Kazakhstani directors and rare films that never reached wide release. Among them: Rashid Nugmanov’s late-Soviet noir drama The Needle starring Viktor Tsoi; Ardak Amirkulov’s grand historical epic The Fall of Otrar; Abai Karpykov’s nostalgic 1990s-set drama Pharaoh; Darezhan Omirbayev’s subtle coming-of-age story Kairat; and Serik Aprymov’s feature debut Final Stop, along with many other works that shaped the “Kazakh New Wave” yet remained unfairly overlooked by mainstream audiences.

Each day of the festival is dedicated to one director, featuring a signature film as well as their most recent work. Some of the films will be screened on original film prints for the first time.

Throughout the festival, in addition to screenings at Arman, audiences are invited to an extensive public program at the Tselinny Temporary space. Events include thematic talks with featured directors timed to specific screenings, as well as professional masterclasses led by the filmmakers.