The XV Tashkent International Film Festival will be held in the 65th anniversary year of the existence of this wonderful festival of cinematography. Of course, such coincidences impose additional responsibility on the organizers, but at the same time they once again emphasize the preserved and increased love of the Uzbek people for cinema.
Back in 1958, the first film festival called the Tashkent Film Festival of Asian and African Countries took place in Tashkent. Hundreds of guests from dozens of countries around the world arrived in the capital of Uzbekistan. Despite the fact that only the countries of Asia and Africa appeared in the title, this did not stop, for example, the American musician Paul Robeson from attending the unique event.
Unfortunately, as it turned out, in the late 50s the Tashkent Film Festival became a one-time event. The next cinema festival in the capital of Uzbekistan took place only ten years later, in 1968. At the same time, at least some stability appeared - for 20 years, with the exception of 1970, the Tashkent Film Festival received guests every two years. Since 1976, filmmakers from Latin American countries have become regular guests, which was also reflected in the name - Tashkent Film Festival of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Thus, during the Soviet era, 10 Tashkent film festivals took place. And with Uzbekistan gaining independence in the 90s, the Tashkent International Film Festival, which became the successor to the Tashkent Film Festival of Asia, Africa and Latin America, was held only twice - in 1992 and 1997. Then oblivion came...
Which was violated in 2021 by the decree of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev “On the revival and holding of the Tashkent International Film Festival.” That same year, the resolution was implemented 100%. Hundreds of top-level filmmakers from all over the world came to Tashkent, who retained exclusively positive impressions from the revived Film Festival. “The Tashkent festival seems to have been resurrected,” said the brilliant Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi with delight. “I haven’t traveled abroad for a long time, but I made an exception for the Tashkent Film Festival,” these are the words of the great Japanese director and actor Takeshi Kitano.
Time is fleeting, and now, in 2023, not only Tashkent, but the whole of Uzbekistan is looking forward to the opening ceremony of the third in a row after the revival, the 15th in a row and 65 years old, of the great, wonderful and beautiful festival of cinema - the Tashkent International Film Festival " The Pearl of the Silk Road."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5l4qLxfQyc