In early summer in Beijing, Xiugang Park is lush with greenery. There is no red carpet here, but there is a more lively atmosphere than the premiere. Pioneers of artificial intelligence, film and television experts, and technology giants from Kazakhstan and China gathered together, witnessed by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China, to jointly outline the cross-border collaboration blueprint of "AI+film". This is not only a signing, but also a deep resonance between the culture and technology of the ancient Silk Road.

Signed in Beijing

At the core of the event, Astana AI Film Festival Foundation signed a memorandum of cooperation with Beijing Zhongguancun Tongli Technology Service Co., Ltd. With the finalization of the documents, this Chinese technology company has officially become the official partner of the film festival in China. Both parties agree to deeply collaborate in the fields of artificial intelligence content creation, science fiction project development, investment and financing, and international distribution. Almas Zali, Chairman of Astana AI Film Festival, pointed out that China has a globally leading technological strength, a huge market, and outstanding creators. This cooperation marks a new stage of systematic collaboration in the creative industry between Kazakhstan and China.

Technological equality

At the subsequent innovation exchange forum, technological change became the focus. Aizatullah Hussein, the creative director of the film festival, believes that artificial intelligence is breaking down the barriers to film production, allowing aspiring individuals from any corner of the world to create world-class works. The Astana AI Film Festival was born for this purpose, with creative intensity and story quality as the core evaluation criteria rather than production budget. With the addition of Chinese partners, this international platform will become even more solid, providing unprecedented opportunities for creators from both China and Kazakhstan to truly practice the concept of boundless creativity.

Million dollar competition

The organizer disclosed the complete plan for the 2026 film festival on site. From October 1st to 3rd, 2027, this grand event will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and will serve as a heavyweight event for the local Artificial Intelligence Week. The film festival is expected to become one of the top AI film and television festivals in the world, with an international competition with a total prize of $1 million, and supporting high-end conference project promotion events and master classes. Institutions including PixVerse AI, the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute of China Film Group, and Zijing Film Industry have confirmed their participation, indicating that this technology and cultural feast spanning China and Kazakhstan will inject new momentum into the global digital creative economy.Editor/Yang Meiling