Impact Distribution Lab

The open call for our Impact Distribution Lab wrapped up on September 30 with 190 applications from across Central Asia. After careful review, 152 were deemed eligible – a bold mix of filmmakers and changemakers committed to driving positive social impact through storytelling.

Among them are 118 changemakers — activists, NGO and charity workers, social entrepreneurs, animal welfare advocates, and impact producers — working on issues such as gender equality, environmental sustainability, access to education, human rights, cultural heritage preservation, and digital security. The majority of them come from Kazakhstan (54) and Kyrgyzstan (42), followed by Uzbekistan (16) and Tajikistan (6).

We also received 34 submissions from filmmakers, who applied with feature-length and short documentaries and features, exploring a wide range of pressing social issues across the region. The applications came from Kazakhstan (29) and Kyrgyzstan (20), followed by Uzbekistan (14), Tajikistan (4), and Turkmenistan (2).

The Alternativa Impact Distribution Lab brings filmmakers and changemakers together to design and implement creative strategies that connect powerful, socially engaged films with the audiences who need them most. The Lab’s first phase — an online theory course — begins on November 3. Stay tuned — we’ll be announcing the selected participants very soon!