BISHKEK, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The XII International Film Festival of Short Films from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Georgia is being held here, the Department of Cinematography under the Ministry of Culture of Kyrgyzstan said.
The opening ceremony of the film festival took place on Tuesday at the Manas cinema, where free screenings of short films selected for participation in the festival will go through Friday.
This year's festival received over 800 applications from foreign and domestic filmmakers.
The festival competition includes two programs -- international and national, where films in the genres of fiction, documentary, animation and experimental films are presented.
Over the years, the festival has become a platform where filmmakers gather and demonstrate their works, share ideas and experience, and find partners for new projects. The festival managed to win the attention and love of not only Kyrgyz people, but also film lovers from neighboring countries.
The festival was inaugurated in 2010. ■