Mongolian Film Industry
Mongolian cinema has developed rapidly in a relatively short period of time compared with the film industries of other countries. Mongolia today is home to over 80 film studios, and the Mongolian film industry employs 667 people. The country has fifteen cinema theaters and 41 screening venues, with a total of 9,368 seats. Approximately forty new films are released every year, although this number dropped to 17 during the Covid-19 pandemic. These films are available to a potential audience of 1,877,077 cinema goers.
Cinema in Mongolia has developed along a unique path since the country embraced democracy and a market economy in the early 1990s. The film industry has become an important sector of Mongolia’s creative economy, and inspirational Mongolian filmmakers explore new forms of cinematic art. Mongolian film’s unique identity is regularly showcased in high-profile film competitions that have been established in recent years (Ulaanbaatar International Film Festival; Altan Urguu International Film Festival; 48 Hours Film Festival).
Today, a new era of Mongolian cinema is about to launch through the introduction of a new government policy on cinema, and the implementation of film support legislation. Cinema is a matter of aesthetics, ideology, technology and business. To support these aims the Government of Mongolia has established the Mongolian National Film Council. This organization will provide opportunities for Mongolian filmmakers to benefit from international experience, train in the world’s finest film art schools, and create opportunities for leading Mongolian and international filmmakers to work together on co-produced films. The Mongolian National Film Council will promote Mongolian cinema, cultural heritage, history, identity and cinema worldwide, putting local resources into global circulation.