Pinocchio opens Russian Film Festival in Turkmenistan

Art Pictures Distribution will present the family film "Pinocchio" as part of the Russian Film Festival in Ashgabat, which will be held from March 27 to March 29.

From March 27 to March 29, the capital of Turkmenistan will host the Russian Film Festival, organized by Roskino with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The festival program will be opened by the screening of the family film "Pinocchio".

"It is a great honor for us to once again bring the best examples of Russian cinema to hospitable Ashgabat. When compiling this year's program, we focused on bright family stories and exciting adventures. Russian cinema today is an appeal to primordial narratives and at the same time a bold look into the future. We are glad that this dialogue continues on Turkmen soil, where we are always warmly welcomed," commented Elsa Antonova, CEO of Roskino.

This is not the first time that Ashgabat has acted as a platform for Russian cinema screenings, contributing to strengthening cultural dialogue between the countries.

"We see in the screening of Pinocchio in Turkmenistan not only an interest in the film itself, but also the continuation of lively cultural interaction between our countries. Russian-Turkmen cooperation has traditionally been based on respect for the common cultural space and heritage, and cinema is a natural environment for such dialogue. I am sure that the story of friendship and love, family and acceptance will be received with sincere interest by the Turkmen audience," said Svetlana Balanova, General Director of the National Media Group.

"Pinocchio" has already been shown in cinemas in the USA, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Israel and Cyprus, and is currently being distributed in Latin American countries. Pinocchio was also presented at the European Film Market in Berlin and at Russian film festivals in Armenia, Thailand and Belarus. The opening of the festival in Ashgabat with the screening of "Pinocchio" will be part of the international promotion of the film and will open up new opportunities for its acquaintance with a foreign audience.

"For us, Pinocchio is a story that easily crosses borders and resonates with viewers with different cultural backgrounds. It is close to us that in Turkmen culture, as in ours, great importance is attached to family, respect for traditions and sincere human relations — it is on these values that our film is based. We are glad that the film will have a new audience in Turkmenistan, and we are confident that the energy and humor of this picture will be warmly received by the audience, and the screening itself will become a vivid and memorable event," said Anastasia Korchagina, CEO of Art Pictures Distribution.

From March 27, the film will also be available for viewing in online cinemas Wink, Kinopoisk and Okko.