Regulations
Of the XXII Kazan International “Altyn Minbar” Film Festival 2026
I. GENERALPROVISIONS
The Kazan International “Altyn Minbar” Film Festival (hereafter the Festival) is a competition of feature, documentary, and animated films reflecting universal spiritual and moral values, cultural traditions, conveying the ideas of peacemaking, tolerance and humanism, regardless national and confessional affiliation.
The motto of the festival is “Through the dialogue of cultures to the culture of dialogue”.
The festival carries out educational, aesthetic, and spiritual missions and positively contributes to the development of Russian culture.
The procedure for organizing the Festival, the conditions for participation, the selection criteria for films, as well as the deadlines for submitting applications and awarding results, are determined by this regulation, which is approved by the Chairman of the Festival Organizing Committee.
II. ORGANIZERS OF THE FESTIVAL
The founders of the festival are the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, Executive Committee of municipal unit of Kazan.
The venue and duration of the festival:
Venue – Kazan city, Republic of Tatarstan.
The period from September 4 to 8 September 2026.
Autonomous noncommercial organization “Directorate for Sport and Social Projects” with participation of State Budgetary Institution of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan «Tatarkino» performs the functions of directorate (hereafter – the Directorate), including organizational, material and technical, informational, judicial and other support of all the Festival activities.
The festival is managed by the following bodies:
- The supreme body of the festival is the organizational committee for its preparation and holding (hereafter, the Committee).
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan provides financial support for all festival activities, coordination, and control over the preparation and holding of the Festival, represents the interests of the Festival organizers in the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and other stakeholder units regarding the issues, concerning its preparation and holding.
The Executive Director of the Festival appoints responsible persons for key areas of the preparation and organization of the Festival.
The Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation serves as the President of the Festival.
The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation participates in the preliminary selection of films for the competition program, provides consulting on issues related to the religious context in cinema, conducts content analysis of the films from a spiritual and moral perspective, delivers (or posts) greeting words at the Festival events (or in the catalog), facilitates establishing contacts with filmmakers from the Islamic countries, and offers advisory and methodological assistance in the preparation and organization of the Festival.
The Executive Committee of the Kazan municipality establishes a special prize of the Mayor of Kazan, and provides assistance in resolving organizational issues related to the preparation and organization of the Festival (such as promoting event advertisements; providing venues (sites) for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Festival; assisting in organizing the opening, closing, and other events of the Festival; and coordinating the presentation of awards at the closing ceremony of the Festival).
The Directorate coordinates with the Festival Organizing Committee the program of events for the Festival (including the program of competition films, non-competition films, and parallel program), the advertising campaign plan, the list of honorary guests, the composition of the selection committee (hereinafter – Committee), the members of the international jury (hereinafter – Jury), scripts and procedures for the opening and closing ceremonies, protocol matters, prize sketches, diplomas, design mock-ups of all printed materials, souvenir products, venues for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Festival, the business program, film screenings, sketches of decoration designs for the venues, assists in providing visa support for foreign participants, welcomes and sees off Festival participants and guests, organizes and manages the cultural program of the Festival, and coordinates the work of the Festival Jury.
The State Budgetary Institution of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan "Tatarkino" organizes the application campaign, sends letters to participants of the competition and non-competition programs, forms and coordinates with the Festival Organizing Committee the composition of the selection committee and jury, develops the Festival program and catalog, and organizes the work of the Festival's Business Platform, including the Kazan Film Market and international pitching.
The Directorate, in obligatory from informs the Festival Organizing Committee of all unforeseen situations that arise during the preparation, organization, and completion of the Festival.
III. FINANCING
The funding of the Festival consists of funds from the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan allocated to the Ministry, sponsorship funds, revenue from ticket sales, and other sources, upon approval by the Ministry, as well as funds from the budget of the Russian Federation allocated to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for the organization and conduct of international film festivals.
Any organization that supports the aims and tasks and takes part in its financing, organizing, and holding can be the sponsor of the festival.
IV. FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The program of the festival consists of official selection and non-competition programs, in which feature films, short films, documentary films, animated films can take part.
Selected by the Committee, Russian and foreign films reflecting universal spiritual and moral values and cultural traditions and carrying the ideas of peacemaking, tolerance, and humanism in accordance with the main nominations of the festival are included in the official selection of the festival.
The criteria for selecting films for competition are the following:
- originality of the screenplay’s idea, development of the characters and scenario moves;
- implementation of the author’s idea and integrity of the work perception;
- compliance of the expressive means of the films with the author’s idea and principles of the festival;
- originality and propriety of the use of technical means and special effects.
The chairman of the Selection Committee has a right to make decision on any case non-regarded by the Festival Regulations.
The Selection Committee’s decision headed by the Chairman of the Selection Committee is ultimate and must be enforced.
A non-competition program presents the audience the best examples of Russian and foreign feature, documentary and animated films, retrospective and thematic programs.
Within the festival, Q&A sessions, panel discussions, press conferences, business platform events are held.
The business platform of the festival is the territory of unity among experts in the fields of cinema, education, film industry, producers, representatives of film festivals, film festival partners, film forums, international film organizations, experts, and opinion leaders. The business platform of the festival provides conditions for project implementation and signing agreements in the field of cinema.
V. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Those willing to submit a film for participation in the festival should officially inform the Directorate of it no later than June 1, 2026, by submitting the entry form on the e-mail info@kazan-mfmk.com .
The selection of films for participation in the festival is carried out by the committee no later than June 15, 2026. The screening program of the festival (hereafter, the screening program) is defined by the Directorate. Films produced no earlier than 2024 are allowed to the festival.
After publishing the screening program on the official website of the festival, www/http://kazan-mfmk.com no corrections are allowed.
For the official selection and non-competition program of the festival, films in MP4 and DCP formats are accepted.
Official selection films are submitted to the Directorate no later than July 15, 2026.
A completed entry form for each film submitted (annex to these Regulations) confirming participation in the festival should be accepted by the Directorate in e-format no later than July 15, 2026. Along with the notification on participation addressed to the Directorate, the following documents should be submitted:
1. Full text of the film in original or in one of the following languages: Russian or English;
2. Subtitles in Russian or English;
3. Abstract, promotion materials, and press kit in Russian or English;
4. Promotional video and film shots in MP4 and DCP formats;
5. Materials for the catalogue in Russian or English (information about the filmmakers, photos, including the photo of the director, film slides).
Applying for participation in the festival, the right holder transfers non-exclusive rights to the film for participation in the festival free of charge, which implies the film screening:
- during the press screenings before the Festival starts;
- in the cinemas of Kazan within the festival program during the Festival;
- after the Festival completion in the cinemas of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan within the promotion of “Echo of Kazan International “Altyn Minbar” Film Festival”.
“Echo of Kazan International “Altyn Minbar” Film Festival is a film event held after the festival's completion aiming at promotion of the Festival ideas and attracting additional attention of the audience towards the films-winners and films participated in the Festival.
Texts and shots from the films will be used for publication in the catalogue, on the festival website, and for mass media in terms of the festival functioning.
Inclusion of film scenes in local national and international TV programs and on the Internet for festival promotion.
Applications for media accreditation are accepted by the Directorate strictly until August 1, 2026. The completed accreditation forms confirming participation in the festival should be received by the directorate no later than August 15, 2026.
All expenses related to the presence of informational agency representatives at the festival are covered by the sending party.
The participant of the festival (his or her legitimate representative) agrees to personal data processing in accordance with the Federal Law “On personal information” dated July 27, 2006, No. 152-FZ.
The return of film recordings submitted for selection, but not included in the festival program, is not carried out for the owners.
The return of films recordings is a right, but not an obligation of the directorate.
The dress code of the festival during the solemn opening and closing ceremonies of the festival as well as at solemn dinners implies:
- high-necked dinner dresses for women
- and suits for men.
VI. GUARANTEES FOR THE PARTICPANTS OF THE FESIVAL
The directorate decides on the invitation of the participants (right-holders, producers, and those who submitted a film for participation in the festival), the guests (specially invited persons for participation in the festival), the Jury members and the terms of their stay at the festival.
Guarantees set in this part apply to no more than one person (the director, the producer, or one of the leading actors):
- presenting the film in the “Feature” program;
- presenting the film in the “Short feature” program;
- presenting the film in the “Documentary” program”;
- presenting the film in the “Animation Film” program;
- presenting the film in the “National competition” program.
For each guest invited and the jury member, according to the negotiated list the organizer guarantees the following:
- free travel by railway or economy-class turn-round flight. Terms of air flight are negotiated personally;
- meet and departure service;
- hotel accommodations. Additional services (room service, mini-bar, and other hotel services are paid by the guest himself);
- meal;
- providing with a presentation package, including films catalogue, the Festival program, invitation cards and souvenir product.
After purchasing tickets, the exchange of tickets for the jury members, participants, and guests of the festival is not carried out.
Conditions under which Directorate has the right to refuse a participant of the Festival:
- in case if there is no written confirmation of participation in the Festival before August 1, 2026;
- in case of the visa is not confirmed before August 15, 2026.
The guarantees mentioned in this part are provided only to the persons specified in this section.
VII. THE MAIN NOMINATIONS OF THE FESTIVAL
1. Grand-prix “The best feature film” (is awarded to the producer or the director present at the Festival)
2. Best director of the feature film
3. Best screenplay of the feature film
4. Best camera work of the feature film
5. Best actor in the feature film
6. Best actress in the feature film
7. Best short film
8. Best documentary film
9. Best animation film.
10. Best sound engineering.
11. Best musical score of the film.
VIII. SPECIAL PRIZES OF THE FESTIVAL
According to the jury's suggestions within the festival, the following prizes that are determined by the founders of the prizes are given to nominees:
1. A special prize of the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan “for humanism in cinematography” is handed in by the representative of the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan;
2. The Prize of the Mayor of Kazan, the symbol of Kazan in the form of a Cup on Zilant.
3. The Prize of the Guild of film experts and film critics of Russia.
4. Special mention of the Jury that implies statuette award.
5. The prize of Strategic vision group “Russia – Islamic world”
6. Audience choice award: 1 prize with the diploma and 2 additional diplomas.
7. The Prize of the World congress of the Tatars.
8. Special prize of the Festival President “For Spirituality in Cinematic Art."
IX. NATIONAL COMPETITION
In the National competition 10 best films made in the Republic of Tatarstan, about the Republic of Tatarstan or with the participation of the Republic of Tatarstan (co-production) are selected by the Committee.
The National competition has an official selection status of the Festival, the winners are awarded by the statuette-prize, diplomas.
National competition has the following nominations and cash prizes:
1. Best national film;
2. Best National Series;
3. Best national documentary film;
4. Best national short film;
5. Best national film for children.
X. JURY
The competition programs are evaluated by the Jury members, the membership of which is suggested by the Directorate and established by the Ministry by June 1, 2026. The jury membership is formed of experts in the field of cinema (film producers, film directors, screenwriters, actors, cameramen, composers, film experts, film critics) etc.
The Jury of the Festival consists of 10 members-representatives of different countries of the world, headed by the chairman. The chairman of the Jury has 2 (two) votes in case the number of voices is equal.
The NETPAC Jury (experts) consists of 3 members, whose composition is proposed by the Directorate and approved by order of the Ministry by June 1, 2026.
Those related to the production and promotion of films participating in the competition programs cannot join the Jury membership or the NETPAC jury (experts).
XI. FINAL CLAUSES
Participation in the festival implies compliance with all the clauses of these regulations.
Submitting an application for participation in the festival and providing the Directorate with the film copy, means that the person who signed the entry form, agrees to all terms of these regulations and the application for participation in the Festival.
Annex to the Regulations of Kazan International “Altyn Minbar” Film Festival
Entry-form Film information:
The original title of the film:
English title:
Country of production:
Director:
Screenwriter:
Director of photography:
Editor:
Music:
Producer:
Company of production:
Cast:
Year of production:
Runtime (min.):
Festivals the film has already participated in:
Information about the film:
Film copy for the Festival screening:
Color film:
Brief synopsis:
The director’s biography:
Viewing link:
Name of a company:
Address:
Fax:
Email:
Sending office:
Dates:
Website:
Link to the file folder: