Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The independent Tashkent Film School has announced the opening of applications for the Women Watch Uzbekistan accelerator, an educational program for female directors and producers from Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries.

In the accelerator, mentors—directors, script consultants, and producers with international film industry experience—assist participants in refining their film projects. This includes enhancing the narrative quality, professionally drafting budgets and financial plans, and creating visual materials (trailers and presentations) for their upcoming films. Upon completing the program, each participant will have the opportunity to publicly present their project to a professional audience, seeking local and international partners for film production.

The Tashkent Film School will select 10 teams—female directors and producers with projects in various genres at the development or early production stage. Over one and a half months, teams (or directors producing their own films) will work on their projects both in groups and individually online, culminating in face-to-face consultations in Tashkent in mid-September.

The project pitching will take place on September 18, attracting experts from Europe and Central Asia—producers, representatives of international film markets, European educational initiatives, and film festivals—to view the projects and learn about the young film industry in the participating countries. Additionally, Women Watch Uzbekistan will feature open master classes on the theory and practice of filmmaking.

This year, Women Watch Uzbekistan is held in collaboration with Cinema Love, an independent "festival of cinema and love for cinema," which consistently gathers young enthusiasts and professionals in Tashkent. Participants in Women Watch Uzbekistan will have even more opportunities for networking and expanding their professional contacts.

Women Watch Uzbekistan is a significant step towards gender equality in the film industry and greater diversity of independent voices in Central Asian cinema.