# Astana AI Film Festival Finals Open with 25 Finalists, $2M Prize Fund, and Global Jury

_Event · published 2026-10-01_

The three-day final of the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026) opened October 1 in Astana, Kazakhstan, with 25 films selected from more than 8,000 submissions by creators across 125 countries. The competition spans 19 genres and features works made using more than 80 generative AI models, with two Kazakh filmmakers among the finalists. The festival's theme is "The Future Worth Living In," and public screenings are scheduled for October 2 and 3 at Chaplin Cinema in the MEGA Silk Way center.

A $2 million fund backs the competition: $1 million will be distributed as prizes, while the remaining $1 million will be invested directly in promising AI filmmaking teams — funding provided by entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan. An international jury includes former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, China Film Group AI Research Institute Dean Ma Ping, Beijing Film Academy Vice Dean Wang Hao, and BytePlus General Manager Li Long. Winners are to be announced October 3. Organizers say they plan to make AAIFF an annual event.

## Sources
- [qazinform.com](https://qazinform.com/news/international-ai-film-festival-final-kicks-off-in-astana-d0bf1d)
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