The annual Go Viral Central Asia Festival on business, media, culture, and technology is taking place from June 11-20, 2021.

The U.S. Embassy says the festival includes more than 50 speakers from Central Asia, the United States, and other countries, as well as panel discussions, workshops, documentary film screenings, networking sessions, and even full concerts.

Go Viral has again succeeded to unite creative, curious, diverse, and engaged people from all countries of Central Asia.

The format of the Festival is hybrid.  Organizers have reportedly combined on-line and in-person programs.  In addition to sessions in Almaty, Tashkent, and Bishkek, the live portion of the Dushanbe Festival is taking place at American Space Dushanbe.

The Dushanbe component of the event reportedly includes the following activities: June 11 – Official opening.  Musical performance by Marjon Hassanova (cello), DJ Jova, Dariko Garibian (violin), Anvar Shoikhmurodov (violin), and Parviz Hailzoda (violin); June 12 -- Panel discussion: Farid Shirinjonov, Shabnam Shermatova: “Creative Economy and the Restaurant Industry.”  Concert: Chorshanbe Alovatov; June 13 -- Panel discussion: Saidakbar Akbarov, Lola Kasimova, Rafael Gulov: “How Tajik Youth Are Taking on Instagram”; Presentation -- Nilufar Muradova: “Review of Courses and Programs for Girls in IT”; June 17 -- Workshop:  Kanat Beisekeyev and Tajik producers: Shooting documentary film in the Central Asian context.  K-POP and art presentation where you can learn more about K-POP and its rising popularity; June 18 will be dedicated to the 48 Hour Film Race and master classes from leading filmmakers from across Central Asia, including Anisa Sabiri and Kanat Beisekeyev.  During the Festival, the 48 Hour Film Race will also launch a special content for the creation of a 48 second film in 24 hours.  Anyone interested in creating a film — from amateurs to professionals — is welcome; June 20 -- Presentation: Iskandar Mirzoganiyev “Posters as an Effective Media Format”; Takhmina Hakimova, Farrukh Safarzade “Uncovering Heroes in Video/Photo Formats”; Visotskaya: “How to Creatively Organize Events in the Regions”; Azam Mirzonajotov “Illustrations to Influence Social Reality.”

The number of in-person participants is limited for each session, and registration is required. Registration links can be found on the official GoViralTJ account in Instagram.   All Dushanbe sessions will also be available to view live-streamed.

The Go Viral Festival is financed by the U.S. State Department and supported by the U.S. diplomatic mission to Tajikistan.