From September 2 to 4, the city will host an American Film Festival dedicated to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, DKNews.kz reports.
The festival is organized by the U.S. Consulate General in Kazakhstan. Screenings will take place at three Almaty venues: Kinopark 11 Esentai, Kinopark 4 Globus and SaryArqa Cinema.
Back to the Future will open the festival
The first screening is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m. The festival will open with Back to the Future.
The program becomes much more packed the following day. Three films are scheduled for September 3.
The Lion King will be screened at 3:00 p.m., followed by Apollo 13 at 6:00 p.m. The day will close with Casablanca at 9:00 p.m.
The lineup brings together family animation, a space drama, science fiction and one of Hollywood’s best-known classics.
Four films are scheduled over two days
The announced schedule is:
- September 2, 7:00 p.m. — Back to the Future;
- September 3, 3:00 p.m. — The Lion King;
- September 3, 6:00 p.m. — Apollo 13;
- September 3, 9:00 p.m. — Casablanca.
The festival itself is scheduled to run from September 2 through September 4. However, the original announcement does not include the screening schedule for September 4, so visitors are advised to check the organizers’ updated program before attending.
Screenings will be held at three Almaty cinemas
The festival will take place at Kinopark 11 Esentai, Kinopark 4 Globus and SaryArqa Cinema.
Kinopark 11 Esentai is located inside Esentai Mall and is listed among the chain’s Almaty cinemas on the official Kinopark website.
Kinopark 4 Globus is located at 109V Abai Avenue, while SaryArqa Cinema is at 24 Altynsarin Street. Both venues are included in the current list of cinemas in Almaty.
The initial announcement does not specify which film will be screened at which venue. Until a detailed schedule is published, assigning individual screenings to particular cinemas would be premature.
2026 marks the United States’ 250th anniversary
The festival is tied to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
In 2026, the United States marks 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The official America250 program brings together events taking place throughout the anniversary year.
Almaty has already hosted events linked to the anniversary. In late June, the city held a reception marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, attended by Almaty Akim Darkhan Satybaldy, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Julie Stufft and U.S. Consul General in Almaty Michelle Yerkin, according to the Almaty city administration.
The anniversary program is now moving beyond official receptions and into a broader cultural format for city audiences.
From Casablanca to The Lion King
The selection presents American cinema across different genres and generations rather than focusing on a single era.
Casablanca, Back to the Future, Apollo 13 and The Lion King will all appear in the same program, appealing to audiences ranging from classic Hollywood fans to families looking for an afternoon screening.
For Almaty residents, the key details are already known: the dates and times of the first four screenings and the three participating venues. The original announcement, however, does not yet include the venue allocation for each film or the September 4 program.
Earlier, we reported on another three-day international cultural festival in Almaty, which brought together Kazakhstan and Korea. This time, early September will bring an American film program to the city.
