DUSHANBE, September 21, Asia-Plus -- The 15th CIS and Baltic States film festival, Kinoshok-2006, opened in the Russian coastal town of Anapa on September 17, bringing together film professionals from across the former Soviet Union. 

Filmmakers presented their latest productions at the festival.  Most of the motion pictures featured at the festival are traditional and reflect the distinctive culture of the country where they come from. Films presented at the Anapa festival compete for prizes in four nominations: the best full-length movie; the best full-length film shot by video and in digital format; the best TV feature film and the best children’s feature film and animated cartoon. 

Safar Haqdodov, the head of Dom Kino in Dushanbe, said Tajikistan is represented at the festival by a movie entitled “It is Necessary to Die in Order to Get to Paradise” by the well-known Tajik filmmaker Jamshed Usmonov. ”This movie, which will be shown on September 21, will compete for the prize for the best full-length film,” Haqdodov said. 

He said the film was shot in the Tajik northern district of Asht in cooperation with the French film company Elzevirfilm. Usmonov now lives and works in France; but he has presented his movies at film festivals as a Tajik filmmaker. 

The Kinoshok jury is presided over by Armen Medvedev, the president of the Rolan Bykov Foundation. The festival runs through September 5.