International AI Film Festival with a $2 Million Prize Fund Will Be Held in Kazakhstan
The international Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 1 to 3. The large-scale competition received 8,067 films from 4,756 creators representing 125 countries, with the total running time of the submitted works exceeding 100,000 minutes.
According to Kazinform, the United States led in the number of submissions, with 1,395 entries. Kazakhstan ranked second with 829 projects, while India took third place with 702 films. The top ten participating countries also included China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Japan, Brazil, and France.
Categories and Prize Fund
The festival's total prize fund amounts to $2 million. Of this amount, $1.75 million will be allocated to the main program under the theme “A Future Worth Living For,” while $250,000 will be distributed in the open section across five categories:
• “Best Character”
• “Best Directing”
• “Best Visual Language”
• “Best Story”
• “Best Concept”
In addition to the prize money, investor Balaji Srinivasan has provided $1 million in investment capital. These funds will be used to scale promising projects based at the Astana Hub technology park.
Technology and Screening Program
In creating their films, participants used more than 80 generative models, including Suno AI, Kling, ElevenLabs, and GPT Image 2. The creators experimented not only with visual effects but also with complex storytelling and dramaturgy—the longest film in the competition runs for more than four hours.
The festival finalists will present their works to audiences for the first time on the big screen at one of Astana's cinemas. The program will also include master classes, panel discussions, and B2B sessions for representatives of the creative industries.
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