A film featuring Ben Kingsley has won gold for the Center of Islamic Civilization at a prestigious festival in Spain

A film starring Ben Kingsley has brought the Center of Islamic Civilization gold at a prestigious festival in Spain

The film "Echo of Enlightenment," starring Hollywood actor Ben Kingsley, won gold at the jubilee Terres Travel Festival – Films & Creativity 2026 in Spain. The film, dedicated to the contribution of Islamic civilization to the development of science, culture, and human thought, won in the "Tourism Service" category.

The Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan received the award on September 20 in Tortosa, Catalonia. This year, the festival featured audiovisual projects from more than 40 countries.

This is not the first international award for "Echo of Enlightenment." In 2026, the film reached the finals of the New York Festivals and the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, and was also recognized at SILKFEST 26 in Belgrade. Now, the Terres gold in Spain has been added to this list.

In the film, Uzbekistan is shown not only as a tourist destination, but also as a land of great scientists, thinkers, and discoveries. The creators talk about the intellectual and cultural heritage of Islamic civilization and its influence on the development of science and education.

Ben Kingsley played a special role in the film. The Oscar winner for his role as Mahatma Gandhi is also known to audiences for his portrayal of Abu Ali ibn Sina in the film "The Physician." In "Echo of Enlightenment," the actor speaks about the intellectual tradition of the East and the contribution of Islamic civilization to the development of human thought.

The Terres Travel Festival is dedicated to films about travel, tourism, culture, and territories, and is an official member of the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT). The festival winners are included in the CIFFT – World’s Best Tourism Films ranking.

For the Center of Islamic Civilization, this is yet another international recognition. In 2026, it was entered into the Guinness World Records as the "Largest Museum of Islamic Civilization," and TURKSOY named it the "Best Museum of the Turkic World." In 2025, the Center received the International Avicenna Award and the "Islamic Heritage Site of the Year" award at the Halal Tourism World Summit in Singapore.

Earlier, Euronews CEO and Editorial Director Claus Strunz proposed making Tashkent a permanent venue for the International Media Forum "Islamic Civilization: New Perspective – New Discoveries" and holding it annually.