Romford Film Festivals are first UK delegates to attend Uzbekistan festival

Left to right: Marat Akhemdjanov, Oliver Guy Watkins, Peter Blunden and Spencer Hawken (Pic-Spencer Hawken) 

A Romford Film Festivals team has recently returned from the Tashkent Film Festival where they were the first UK film delegation to attend. 

Spencer Hawken (Romford Film Festival) and Marat Akhemdjanov (ECG Film Festival) headed the trip to the Uzbekistan capital.

They were accompanied by judge for both festivals, Peter Blunden as well as the creator of this year’s best documentary winner Oliver Guy Watkins, who was able to screen his movie, Who is James Payton?. 

The group has formed a continual alliance that will see movies from Central Asia come to Romford.

It will also see filmmakers getting theirs films in to the Uzbeks’ film industry, organizing trips and meetings with the most influential people in Uzbekistan.

During the groups stay, they were invited to the opening of Uzbek Film a venue that will train the next generation of film makers and the Palace Of Cinema which boats one of the largest auditoriums in the world.

They also visited satellite film schools and attended a major closing event which was beamed live to the nation via ZOR TV, they also saw a number of premieres which it hopes to bring to the Romford next May

Romford Film Festival’s director Spencer Hawken says. “Through creating a lasting bond with Uzbekistan as a result with our collaboration with the ECG Film Festival, we’ll be able to take filmmakers to the country, to teach new skills and styles, make a film, and then bring these dual projects into the world.”

“This is a very forward-thinking, beautiful country that is thirsty to make its mark through the medium of cinema.”

ECG Film Festivals Marat Akhemdjanov added, “For the last three years the Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG) has worked hard to promote Eurasian films in the UK, with the help of the Romford Film Festival.

“Our recent trip will really help to cement these relationships, showing a committed approach to helping each other’s movie industry!”

Throughout the festival, they featured on Uzbekistan and world television networks and had the chance to meet many legends of cinema, including; Luc Besson, Rob Minkoff, Gerard Depardieu, Steven Seagal, Franco Nero, Timur Bekmambetov, and Bob Van Ronkel.

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