International AI film festival final kicks off in Astana

The three-day final of the Astana AI Film Festival has opened in Astana, marking a milestone as one of the world's largest international competitions dedicated entirely to films created using artificial intelligence. Running from Wednesday, 1 October 2026, through Friday, 3 October 2026, the event forms a central part of AI Month and the international AI & Digital Bridge 2026 technology conference.

Organizers launched the three-day final with a closed screening at which attendees viewed works produced by creators from the United States, Canada, Italy, South Korea, China, and Kazakhstan. According to festival founder Aizat Kusainov, also referred to in reporting as Aizatulla Hussein, the competition attracted entries from 125 countries, out of which 25 finalists were selected. Submissions spanned 19 distinct genres and utilized more than 80 generative artificial intelligence models, with the combined running time of all submitted entries exceeding 100,000 minutes.

Media additions

The festival operates under the core theme The Future Worth Living In, which accounted for nearly 40 percent of all submissions, while the remainder competed in an open program. Festival co-founder and Creative Director Aizat Kusainov noted that the scale of the entries signals a fundamental shift in the film industry, according to reporting from Informburo. Kusainov stated that new technologies allow creators to produce complete films where audiences cannot easily distinguish whether it is artificial intelligence or not.

Fellow co-founder Almaz Zhali emphasized that the rapid iteration of generative platforms means creators are pushing boundaries quickly, noting that new models emerge on a very short cycle. Zhali also reminded audiences that viewing AI-generated cinema requires adjusting traditional expectations, as the narratives and visual execution diverge from standard Hollywood or European studio productions.

Financial backing for the festival includes a total fund of $2 million. Half of this amount is allocated directly as cash prizes for winners, while the remaining $1 million serves as investment capital for promising AI teams. Funding sources include the Freedom Shapagat corporate foundation under Freedom Holding Corp. Of Timur Turlov, alongside investment provided by entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan, former Coinbase CTO and founder of The Network School. Freedom Holding Corp. Serves as the general partner, while The Network School acts as the technology partner, according to Qazinform.

An international jury has convened to evaluate the 25 finalists across the event. The panel features prominent leaders from academia, technology, and culture, including former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, China Film Group AI Research Institute Dean Ma Ping, Beijing Film Academy Vice Dean Wang Hao, investor Balaji Srinivasan, and BytePlus General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, India, Türkiye, and the CIS, Li Long.

Following the initial closed screenings for invited guests on Wednesday, 1 October 2026, the finalists' films open to the general public on Thursday, 2 October 2026, and Friday, 3 October 2026, at Chaplin Cinema located within the MEGA Silk Way shopping and entertainment center. Tickets are distributed via Kino.kz and the Freedom SuperApp.

The festival concludes on Friday, 3 October 2026, with an official awards ceremony where the winners will be announced. In addition to the prize reveal, the final day features practical workshops hosted by the finalists, where creators will share insights into their production workflows, ranging from initial concept design to final output.