AI-generated filmmaking is moving into a new phase of international competition. Kazakhstan's first Astana AI Film Festival drew 8,067 film entries from 125 countries before it ended on October 3, 2026. Latvian filmmaker Nikolay Shestak won the $450,000 Grand Prix for his film The First Honest Day.
The festival ran from October 1 to 3 alongside the AI & Digital Bridge technology event. Of the 8,067 entries, 25 films reached the final program. The finalists were shown to the public at Chaplin Cinema in the MEGA Silk Way center on October 2 and 3.
India's SITARA, by Abhik Banerjee, took second place and a $200,000. The film follows a man seeking recognition and a chance to change his life. Spain's Looking for Perseida, by Ernest Desumbila, won third place and $100,000. Five open categories also received $50,000 each. Shestak said, "I absolutely did not expect to win." He began directing about four years ago and started making AI-assisted films about two years ago. Desumbila, who is based in Barcelona, said he had only 10 days left when he learned of the festival. "I literally locked myself at home and made the film in 10 days," he said.
The United States sent the most films, with 1,396, followed by Kazakhstan with 829 and India with 705. China sent 479, South Korea 355 and the United Kingdom 324. There were two competitions: a thematic one with 3,138 films, built around the theme "The Future Worth Living Im," and an open one with 4,929 films.
Organizers required generative AI to be a core part of making each film. Using it only for visual effects or upscaling did not qualify. Creators also had to disclose the AI models and the production process they used. Judges looked at direction, story, visual language and characters, so human creative choices were still part of the judging.
The international jury included former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, investor Balaji Srinivasan, China Film Group AI research chief Ma Ping, Beijing Film Academy's Wang Hao and BytePlus executive Li Long.
The festival offered $1 million in competition prizes and a separate $1 million production fund to back promising AI projects, for a total of $2 million.
Astana is not the only AI film event. The World AI Film Festival held its 2026 edition in Cannes in April. The Reply AI Film Festival held its final in Venice in September, with more than 3,000 films from 76 countries competing.
Festival chairman Almas Zhali said the 8,067 entries from 125 countries show that AI cinema has become an industry with its own creators and teams. Co-founder Aizatulla Kussainov said, " The most interesting thing about AI cinema today is not the technology itself." He said the key point is what filmmakers are now creating with it.
AI filmmaking also raises concerns about copyright, performers' rights and jobs. In the United States, the 2026 SAG-AFTRA agreement added stronger protections around digital replicas and synthetic performers. Organizers say they want the Astana festival to become an annual event.
