Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Latvian Film Wins Grand Prize at Astana AI Film Festival
Astana, Kazakhstan, hosted its first festival for movies made with artificial intelligence.
Filmmakers from 125 countries sent in 8,067 films.
A film from Latvia called The First Honest Day won the top prize of $450,000.
India’s SITARA came second, and Spain’s Looking For Perseida came third.
A film from Kazakhstan won an award for its character.
Judges chose 25 films for the final round.
The festival also set aside money to help AI teams and film production in Kazakhstan.
The first Astana AI Film Festival concluded in Kazakhstan after receiving 8,067 entries from 125 countries.
Latvian filmmaker Nikolay Shestak won the Grand Prix and a $450,000 prize for The First Honest Day.
India’s AI short film SITARA placed second and won $200,000; Spain’s Looking For Perseida came third with $100,000.
Kazakh filmmaker Myrzakhan Zhumakhan received Best Character for his comedy It Was Just a Joke.
Twenty-five films reached the final; the festival’s $2 million fund was split between prizes and support for AI teams and film production in Kazakhstan.
- Who
- Filmmakers from 125 countries; Latvian filmmaker Nikolay Shestak won the Grand Prix.
- What
- The first Astana AI Film Festival concluded and awarded prizes to AI-generated films.
- When
- The event was reported on October 5; the festival had recently concluded.
- Where
- Astana, Kazakhstan.
- Why
- To present AI-generated films and compete for festival awards; part of the fund will support AI teams and film production in Kazakhstan.
Prize Allocation
Festival Support
Use of the festival fund
Prize Allocation
Half of the $2 million fund was allocated to prizes for competing films.
Festival Support
The remaining half will support promising AI teams and film production development in Kazakhstan.
- Entries
- 8,067 submissions from 125 countries
- Finalists
- 25 films selected
- Grand Prix
- The First Honest Day by Nikolay Shestak; $450,000
- Second place
- SITARA; $200,000
- Third place
- Looking For Perseida; $100,000
- Best Character
- It Was Just a Joke by Myrzakhan Zhumakhan
- Total prize and support fund
- $2 million; half allocated for prizes, with the rest for AI teams and film production in Kazakhstan