Kazakh Author Wins at International AI Film Festival in Astana
Kazakh author Myrzakhan Zhumakhan won the first-ever Astana AI Film Festival award in the Best Character category. The jury recognized his short comedy It Was Just a Joke, created using artificial intelligence technologies.
The festival results were announced in Astana on October 3. The international competition received 8,067 submissions from 125 countries, with 25 works selected for the final program.
Zhumakhan’s film centers on the story of a dog and its owner’s brother. An ordinary joke becomes the cause of a conflict that gradually spirals out of control and develops into a real confrontation.
According to the author, he initially wanted to create a light-hearted comedy, while the plot largely reflects his own character and his love of practical jokes.
In addition to the Best Character category, awards were presented at the festival for Story, Visual Language, Directing, and Concept. Authors from China, Italy, and the United States won in the other categories.
The finalists’ works were evaluated by an international jury comprising representatives of the film industry, culture, technology, and investment sectors. The jury included Audrey Azoulay, former Director-General of UNESCO and former French Minister of Culture; Ma Ping, Dean of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research at China Film Group; Wang Hao, Deputy Dean of the Animation Faculty at the Beijing Film Academy; entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan; and Li Long, General Manager of BytePlus for the Middle East, Africa, India, Türkiye, and CIS region.
The inaugural Astana AI Film Festival was held from October 1 to 3 as part of AI Month. The program included not only competition screenings, but also business meetings and panel discussions involving representatives of the film and creative industries.
The festival’s total prize and investment fund amounted to $2 million. Half of this amount was allocated to awards for the winners, while another $1 million was earmarked for investment in promising AI teams and the development of production in Kazakhstan.
