OMM Redaksiyası
Kazakhstan has held its first Astana AI Film Festival. The event, reported to have taken place on Sunday, October 4, received more than 8,000 film submissions from 125 countries and was presented as the world’s largest international competition dedicated to films created using artificial intelligence.
The festival’s top prize went to Latvian director Nikolay Shestak for “The First Honest Day.” He received $450,000. India’s “SITARA” took second place and won $200,000, while Spain’s “Looking For Perseida” received $100,000 for third place.
Kazakh director wins “Best Character” award
Kazakh director Mirzakhan Jumakhan received the “Best Character” award for “It Was Just a Joke.” The comedy depicts an argument over a joke between a dog and its owner’s brother that escalates into a confrontation resembling a scene from a big-budget film.
Jumakhan said his interest in jokes and humor inspired the story.
Twenty-five films were selected for the competition’s final round from thousands of submissions. The international jury included former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan, and representatives from the film, technology and academic sectors.
Festival offers $2 million in prize money
The festival had a total fund of $2 million. One million dollars was allocated for competition prizes, with the other $1 million designated for investment in promising artificial intelligence projects.
The three-day festival ran from October 1 to 3 in Astana as part of AI Month and alongside the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 technology conference. Organizers said they plan to hold the event annually.
Earlier, Kazinform reported that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had attended the opening ceremony of the Astana AI Film Festival.
