Kazakh filmmakers win two awards at Diamond Butterfly film ceremony
Kazakh filmmakers have won two awards at the second Open Eurasian Film Awards, known as the Diamond Butterfly, held in Moscow, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information.
Zhasulan Kopbergen received the Best Actor award for his leading role in QAITADAN, directed by Duman Yerkimbek, while Alexander Plotnikov won Best Cinematography for his work on Evacuation, directed by Farkhat Sharipov.
QAITADAN marks Yerkimbek's feature film debut. Produced by Dala Cinema with support from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information and the State Center for Support of National Cinema, the film became the first state-supported Kazakh production to gross more than 1 billion tenge at the box office.
The story follows a young man from the city who finds himself in a rural village, where he becomes trapped in a time loop. The film explores themes of responsibility, mutual support, and relationships between generations.
Meanwhile, the historical drama Evacuation was produced by the Shaken Aimanov Kazakhfilm National Film Studio. It tells the stories of people evacuated to Kazakhstan during World War II, with Farkhat Sharipov serving as the film's director, screenwriter, and producer.
Two other Kazakh films, Autumn Breeze by Adil Mereke and Roof Citizens by Gulshat Smagulova, were also shortlisted for the awards. Both productions received support from the ministry and the State Center for Support of National Cinema.
This year's Diamond Butterfly Awards featured 41 films from 19 countries, with winners selected across 12 categories.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakh actor Dias Kaldybekov from Astana had been cast as Angler in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
