ST.PETERSBURG, August 27. /Dunyo IA/. The 7th International Film Festival of Russia and neighbouring countries, “Lendoc Film Festival” (LEFF), was held in St. Petersburg from August 20 to 22, 2026, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The festival was organized by the Lendoc Open Film Studio in cooperation with the ANO “Kinokultura,” with the support of Russia’s Ministry of Culture and the St. Petersburg Committee for Culture. Over the years, the festival has established itself as a major cultural platform, attracting more than 35,000 viewers, including young filmmakers from various regions of Russia.

This year’s competition and non-competition programs featured 39 feature-length and documentary films, historical epics, debut projects and student works from 13 countries. In addition to Russia, the festival welcomed delegations from India, Iran, China, Indonesia, Mauritania, Latvia and CIS countries.

Uzbekistan featured prominently in the festival program. The showcase included feature-length and short films involving Uzbek filmmakers, including the historical drama “Kazbek,” about Hero of the Soviet Union Mamadali Topvaldiyev; the biographical film “Makhtumkuli,” dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the great poet and thinker; the 2025 drama “In Pursuit of Spring”; as well as short films by director Shamshod Ismatov, including the 20-minute drama “The Power of Attraction” and “About That Spring,” which tells the story of the bravery of an 18-year-old female postal worker during the war years.

Projects by students of the State Institute of Arts and Culture of Uzbekistan were also successfully screened as part of the student and educational works program.

Films by Uzbek filmmakers were shown at major cinemas in St. Petersburg and received positive feedback from audiences.

The competition entries were evaluated by an authoritative professional jury comprising prominent film professionals from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus. Following the festival, Uzbek actor Ulugbek Kadyrov received the award for Best Actor in the feature film category for his performance in “Kazbek.”

The award was ceremonially presented to representatives of the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in St. Petersburg.