Astana AI Film Festival crowns winners, $450,000 Grand Prize goes to Latvia

Kazakhstan has inaugurated the inaugural Astana AI Film Festival, a global competition boasting an impressive 8,067 entries from 125 nations. This marks the world's largest international event for AI-generated films, according to the Qazinform News Agency. The prestigious Grand Prix and a $450,000 prize, worth approximately 201.5 million tenge, were claimed by Latvian filmmaker Nikolay Shestak for his creation, "The First Honest Day."

Kazakhstan native Myrzakhan Zhumakhan secured the Best Character award for his comedic film, "It Was Just a Joke." The narrative revolves around a dog, its owner's brother, and their amusing prank-filled interactions. Zhumakhan revealed that pranks and humor are subjects he finds enjoyable, which sparked his creative process.

The second-place prize of $200,000—roughly 89.5 million tenge—was awarded to India's film "SITARA." Spain's film "Looking For Perseida" clinched third place, earning $100,000, equivalent to around 44.8 million tenge. A rigorous selection process whittled down thousands of submissions to a final roster of 25 films. These contenders underwent evaluation by an esteemed international jury, comprising distinguished figures such as former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and investor Balaji.