The 1st Mari International Ethnic Film Festival is taking place in Yoshkar-Ola, the capital of the Mari El Republic, from June 15 to 19. The joint Uzbek-Turkmen film "Magtymguly Fragi" directed by Muzaffarhan Erkinov is participating in the competition program.

The film was entered into the feature film competition along with five other films from the CIS, Asia, and Europe. All competing entries are participating in the first Open Eurasian Film Award "Diamond Butterfly," established at the initiative of Nikita Mikhalkov and organized by the Russian Cultural Foundation with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture.

Turkmen cinema's participation in the festival continues the country's string of successes at the Diamond Butterfly festival. In November 2025, at the awards ceremony held at Nikita Mikhalkov's Workshop 12 Theater in Moscow, production designer Meylis Hudayberenov was awarded the prize in the Best Artist category for his work on the film "Composer," produced by the Oguzhan “Turkmenfilm” Association. The winner received a cash prize of 250 thousand USD.

The festival in Yoshkar-Ola was organized at the initiative of the Russian Ministry of Culture and is timed to coincide with the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. Its program encompasses nearly 30 films and includes a short film competition, children's screenings, master classes, and professional meetings. All film screenings are held at several venues across the city and are free of charge.

The awards ceremony for the winners will take place on June 19 at the Yakov Eshpai Mari State Philharmonic.