{
  "id": 12319628,
  "title": "Astana AI Film Festival crowns winners, $450,000 Grand Prize goes to Latvia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/astana-ai-film-festival-crowns-winners-450-000-grand-prize-goes-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-06T06:42:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/films/20261006/astana-ai-film-festival-crowns-winners-450000-grand-prize-goes-to-latvia"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\"\n\nKazakhstan 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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "Kazakhstan has hosted the Astana AI Film Festival for the first time, attracting 8,067 entries from 125 countries and becoming the world’s largest international competition for AI-generated films, Qazinform News Agency reports. The festival’s Grand Prix and $450,000 prize, equivalent to around 201.5 million tenge, went to Latvian filmmaker Nikolay Shestak for \"The First Honest Day.\" Kazakhstan’s…",
  "key_points": [
    "Astana AI Film Festival inaugurated with 8,067 global entries",
    "Latvian filmmaker Nikolay Shestak wins $450,000 Grand Prize",
    "Indian film SITARA placed second with $200,000 award"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Astana AI Film Festival crowns winners, $450,000 Grand Prize goes to Latvia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/astana-ai-film-festival-crowns-winners-450-000-grand-prize-goes-to-12322984",
        "published": "2026-10-06T07:07:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}