Astana AI Film Festival draws over 1,900 submissions from more than 90 countries
Preparations for the international film festival were discussed Friday at a meeting of the Astana AI Film Festival Foundation's Board of Trustees, Qazinform News Agency reports.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. The Astana AI Film Festival will strengthen Kazakhstan's position as an active participant in shaping the global AI agenda.
The meeting was attended by trustees Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev and Raushan Kazhibayeva, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev, UNI-Q Group Media Holding Chairman Mukhamedkali Tauan, and festival organizers Almas Zhali and Aizatulla Hussein.
The participants discussed the competition program, preparations for the festival as part of Astana Digital Bridge, and readiness to receive participants and guests.
According to organizers, the largest number of submissions came from the U.S. (17%), India (10%), and Kazakhstan (8%), followed by South Korea and China (5% each), the UK (4%), and Russia and Hong Kong (3% each).
The international jury includes former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, representatives of China Film Group, Ma Ping, and Beijing Film Academy, Wang Hao. The general partner of the Astana AI Film Festival is Freedom Holding Corp.
The meeting also noted that following the Kazakhstan-China Forum on Innovation Exchange in AI Film and Television, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Astana AI Film Festival Foundation and Beijing Zhongguancun Tongli Technology Service Co., Ltd. The Chinese company became the festival's official representative in China.
Organizers said the wide geographic reach of submissions demonstrates the growing interest in this new direction of cinema. Artificial intelligence is changing not only how films are made but also the entire model of film production.
The Astana AI Film Festival will be held in the capital from October 1–3, 2026, within the framework of Astana AI Week. The program includes an international AI film competition with a $1 million prize fund, as well as a conference, project pitching, public screenings, and meetings with leading global experts in AI, cinema, and digital creativity.
The main competition theme is "The future worth living in." There is also an open section with five categories. Filmmakers can submit their works until the end of August 2026.
For the first time, films selected for the official program will be screened on the big screen at the Chaplin Cinema in Astana.
The business program will be held as part of the Digital Bridge forum, featuring plenary and panel sessions, workshops, and masterclasses with international speakers.
Earlier, the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) extended its submission deadline to August 31.
