History of the Festival

The International Police Film Festival "Work, Brothers!", founded in 2025, is established and organized by the All-Russian Public Organization "The All-Russian Police Association (IPA Russian Section)" with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

Objectives of the Film Festival

To expand cultural exchange and mutual understanding between peoples of different countries;
To broaden cooperation between filmmakers, television journalists, and personnel of state law enforcement agencies;
To strengthen a positive public image of uniformed professionals through cinema and television;
To promote the heroic deeds of our contemporaries dedicated to fighting crime and terrorism.

The theme of the festival is dedication to serving the Fatherland in the fight against crime and terrorism, highlighting acts of valor, heroism, self-sacrifice, and bravery of police officers.

Authors of professional and amateur documentary films, music videos, and short videos on law enforcement themes are invited to participate.

The "Work, Brothers!" International Police Film Festival is an opportunity for filmmakers to share their experiences and showcase their work. The best entries will be recognized with awards and diplomas. 

The "Work, Brothers!" International Police Film Festival is supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Main Directorate of the MIA of Russia for Moscow.

GENERAL REGULATIONS
COMPETITION REGULATIONS

The Heroic Act of Magomed Nurbagandov

On July 10, 2016, near the village of Sergokala in the Republic of Dagestan, Police Junior Lieutenant Magomed Nurbagandov tragically died. Bandits stumbled upon a tent where Magomed was resting with his cousins. After shooting his elder brother, Abdurashid, the criminals found Magomed's police ID and decided to stage a public execution. Forcing the junior lieutenant to his knees, they demanded he publicly call on his colleagues to leave the service. The killers hoped to intimidate and break not only Magomed Nurbagandov but all police officers in Dagestan who were fighting terrorism. However, their vile plans were thwarted. Facing death, Magomed maintained the dignity and honor of a true law enforcement officer. Despite the weapon aimed at him and a full understanding of his fate, the junior lieutenant not only kept his composure but also uttered the most important words, which became a symbol of courage and heroism for police officers worldwide: "Work, brothers!".

A few months later, in September 2016, the bandits were captured and received their deserved punishment. On their phones, law enforcement officers discovered the full video of Nurbagandov's execution. The heroic act of the Dagestani police officer resonated with sorrow and admiration across Russia. It became a powerful motivation for the republic's law enforcement officers in their fight against terrorism. In just a few months in 2016, the criminal underground was dismantled, and villages, forests, and mountain paths were cleared of terrorists. Nurbagandov's call, "Work, brothers!", became the motto of Russian special forces and security personnel. On September 21, 2016, by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, M. N. Nurbagandov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia. 

Many years have passed, but Magomed's last words have not only retained their power but have also taken on new meaning. "Work, brothers!"—this call is echoed by paratroopers and stormtroopers, scouts and tank crews, volunteers and nurses on the front lines of the Special Military Operation (SMO). It has become a watchword for people of goodwill who fight terrorism in different corners of the world, for those who defend a peaceful and secure future with arms in hand, and for those who combat evil. "Work, brothers!"—these words are written in Russian by police officers in the United States, Serbia, Brazil, China, and other countries.

Documentary Film

In 2022, "KinoKult" Studio, in collaboration with the All-Russian Public Organization "The All-Russian Police Association (IPA Russian Section)," created the film "Magomed Nurbagandov. Work, Brothers!". The film featured the hero's parents, Nurbagand and Kumsiyat Nurbagandov, his colleagues and friends, relatives, teachers, as well as the Head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan, Abdurashid Magomedov. The story of Hero of Russia, Police Junior Lieutenant Magomed Nurbagandov, received truly nationwide recognition, with nearly 3 million views online and numerous comments. Some viewers wrote poems, painted pictures, and sent words of gratitude and admiration to Magomed's parents.

The film was also translated into English and Portuguese and distributed through the police association to colleagues in over forty friendly countries, where it received a heartfelt response. The courage of Magomed Nurbagandov did not leave police officers from other countries indifferent.

The popularity of the film "Magomed Nurbagandov. Work, Brothers!" and the interest it generated among a wide range of viewers sparked the idea of holding an international film festival on police themes. Our project aims to create a shared cultural space where people working in documentary cinema, music videos, and social advertising, who tell the stories of the difficult work of law enforcement officers, can communicate, discuss common issues, and formulate moral and artistic objectives. No matter how different the languages, customs, political systems, or geographical coordinates, uniformed professionals are united by common aspirations: the fight against terrorism and banditry, the opposition to crime, and the safety and peace of civilians. This is precisely what we want to talk about on the platforms of our festival.

The main ideological inspirers of the festival were Ivan Sardak, President of the All-Russian Public Organization "The All-Russian Police Association (IPA Russian Section)" and Lieutenant General of Militsiya, and Nurbagand Nurbagandov, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the hero's father. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Main Directorate of the MIA of Russia for Moscow.

The words of Magomed Nurbagandov will continue to echo as a call to the courage and selflessness of those who stand in the way of evil. And the answer to them will always be the same: "We are working, brother!"

Organizer

All-Russian Public Organization
"The All-Russian Police Association (IPA Russian Section)"

The International Police Association (IPA) is the world's largest organization of police officers and civilian police employees, with approximately 380,000 members from 70 countries.

It is a non-governmental organization whose aims and objectives include establishing and strengthening friendly ties between police officers, promoting international cooperation in social, cultural, and professional fields, encouraging peaceful coexistence among peoples, preserving world peace, and improving the public image of the police.

The Russian Section was established on March 28, 1992, and is the only public organization that maintains cooperation in the country's interests with similar organizations in 70 countries. Its main task is to assist internal affairs bodies in strengthening the police fellowship to successfully counteract international crime. Regional branches of the association have been established in 60 constituent entities of Russia.

Among the priority tasks of our Association are maintaining contacts with police officers from other countries, providing assistance to our compatriots abroad, patriotic education, participating in socially significant projects to help veterans of internal affairs bodies and the families of low-income or fallen officers, and producing documentary films that promote the image of uniformed professionals.

Scroll up