First meeting of the Steering Committee of the 1st Issyk-Kul International Film Festival of the Shanghai Organization of Cooperation took place on premises of the Government House on July 26. The meeting was chaired by State Secretary Adahan Madumarov. The film festival will take place in the town of Cholponata, Issyk-Kul region, between September 3 and 9.

"The idea is to establish the so called Issyk-Kul platform, a spiritual and moral zone where we will be able to discuss problems of environment and man including upbringing of new generations, peaceful co-existence of cultures and peoples, preservation of culture, identity, and distinctive features of peoples in the era of globalization... Annual Issyk-Kul international film festivals will become a means of advancement of cooperation in cinematograph and film hire, exchange of experience and technologies. They will focus attention and interests of the youth on cinematograph."

Members of the Shanghai Organization of Cooperation are not going to be the only participants. Film makers from Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey plan to attend the film festival too.

"Time before the festival is running out, but this is what I want to tell all those skeptics who still wonder if Kyrgyzstan is capable of organizing an event of this magnitude and doing it properly. Yes, it is capable! Do not be in such a hurry to bid adieu to Kyrgyz cinematograph," Madumarov said.

According to the state secretary, Kyrgyzstan will cover all the expenses. On the other hand, the state budget is not going to be put under any additional strain.

"We count on domestic investors and patriots who want the image of Kyrgyzstan in the eyes of the world abetted," Madumarov said. "We do not plan to force anyone. All donations will be strictly voluntary. We have a lot of patriots in Kyrgyzstan who long for major events in the national movie industry."

Steering Committee member Finance Minister Akylbek Japarov promised to have the next year national budget include the sum necessary for the 2nd Issyk-Kul International Film Festival. "The Finance Ministry seconds State Secretary Madumarov's conviction that Kyrgyz movie industry must be revived. Sufficient sums will be set aside in the 2008 budget for the Issyk-Kul film festival which we hope will eventually challenge the Cannes Film Festival," Japarov said.