Astana AI Film Festival extends its submission deadline
The Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) has extended its submission deadline to August 31, organizers said. Originally, entries were accepted until August 15, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Since the call for entries opened, more than 1,500 films have been submitted from over 90 countries.
The most applications were submitted from the USA — 17.8%, 10.3% from India, 8.8% from Kazakhstan, 7.4% from China, 4.1% from South Korea, 2.9% from the UK, and 43.6% from other countries.
The festival will be held between September 28 and October 1, 2026, in Astana.
The International AI Short Film Competition with a prize pool of $1 million will become the main event of the upcoming festival.
The main competition will be held under the theme The Future Worth Living In.
Besides, it will feature an open section with five nominations: Best Directing, Best Visual Language, Best Story, Best Concept, and Best Character.
As previously reported, the Head of State emphasized that the Astana AI Film Festival marks a global milestone in the creative industries, showcasing how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity, lowering barriers for talented authors, and opening new forms of expression.
Earlier, China stepped in as official partner of Astana AI Film Festival.
