SHOTLIST: AKTAU, KAZAKHISTAN (AUGUST 9, 2025) (RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “TURKSOY ” HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO —EDITORIAL USE ONLY — 1. VARIOUS OF FESTIVAL AREA/ WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL CLOTHES PLAYING TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENT/ WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL CLOTHES/ CULTURAL DECORATIONS/ ATTENDEES TAKING PHOTOS WITH WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL CLOTHES/ BOOKS, PHOTOS AND PICTURES BEING DISPLAYED 2. VARIOUS OF CEREMONY/ VIDEOS BEING DISPLAYED ON LARGE SCREEN/ AUDIENCE/ THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE/ ANNOUNCERS AND SPEAKERS DELIVERING SPEECH/ SINGING PERFORMANCES/ ELDERLY MEN CUTTING RIBBON TIED AROUND BOOKS 3. VARIOUS OF AWARDS BEING PRESENTEDAKTAU, KAZAKHISTAN - AUGUST 9 - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “TURKSOY ” HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO - EDITORIAL USE ONLY: The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) hosted the Urker International Short Film Festival on Saturday in Aktau, the 2025 Turkic World Capital of Culture. The festival brought together film directors, young animators, and cinema students from across the Turkic world, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Tatarstan. TURKSOY Secretary-General Sultan Raev said animation and cinema play a vital role in passing down the cultural values of the Turkic world to new generations. He described animation as the contemporary language of the Turkic world’s shared memory, adding that the Urker Festival is a tangible reflection of TURKSOY’s mission to support works that strengthen this cultural language. Raev explained that “Urker” refers to a guiding star cluster in Turkic mythology, a symbol that remains alive and widely used among Turkic peoples. “Just as Urker guides in the sky, it will also serve as an inspiring guide for us in the field of art,” he said. The three-day festival concluded with an awards ceremony. Writing by Ayse Elif Erdis