Kazakh Filmmaker Wins International Award for AI-Generated Film
Kazakh filmmaker Myrzakhan Zhumakhan won the Best Character award at the international Astana AI Film Festival 2026.
His comedy It Was Just a Joke was among the films recognised by the jury at the festival, which celebrates filmmaking powered by artificial intelligence. Astana AI Film Festival was held as part of Kazakhstan’s AI Month.
The competition attracted creators from 125 countries, with more than 8,000 submissions received. A total of 25 films made it to the final.
Zhumakhan’s film follows a joke that spirals into a serious conflict. The jury recognised the work in the Best Character category.
The festival’s Grand Prix went to Latvian filmmaker Nikolai Shestak for The First Honest Day. Indian filmmaker Abhik Banerjee took second place with SITARA, while Spanish director Ernest Desumbila came third with Looking For Perseida.
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