In 2018, the XIV Eurasia International Film Festival again held in Astana. In addition, the reason this time was more than weighty: the festival was as a part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the capital of Kazakhstan.
The guests of honor of the festival were the famous Serbian film director Emir Kusturica, popular French actor Vincent Cassel, the winner of the prize for the best actress in the film “Ayka” at the Cannes Film Festival Samal Eslyamova, Russian directors Sergei Puskepalis and Anna Melikyan, as well as heads of international film festivals, well-known experts and critics from around the world.
The competitive and non-competitive program included 98 films, including 21 Kazakh-made films. Long applause accompanied Vera Glagoleva's film “Not Strangers”. Having passed away in August 2017, the popular Russian director did not have time to complete the picture, and her colleagues did it. Kazakh actor Sanzhar Madiyev played one of the main roles in the film.
The festival also presented the youngest laureate in the history of “Eurasia”: eight–year–old Marta Kozlova - the main character of Alexey Fedorchenko's film “Anna's War” - received the prize for the best female role.
Winners of the film festival:
Grand Prix for the best film – “The party is over” (France), dir. Marie Garelle Weiss.
Prize for the best director's work – Milko Lazarov («Aga», Bulgaria – Germany – France).
Special Jury Prize – «Mother» (Georgia), dir. Maria Khatchani.
Special Jury Prize – «The Haunting Hitchhiker» (South Korea), dir. Hij Jong.
Prize for the best female role – Marta Kozlova (“Anna's War”, Russia).
Prize for the best male role – Karim Mirkhadiyev (“Fortitude”, Uzbekistan).
Grand Prix of the short meter competition – “Monologue of Fishes” (India – Bangladesh), dir. Suborna Senjuti.
The FIPRESCI jury and the NETPACK jury united in their choice, having awarded the film “Suleiman the Mountain” (Russia – Kyrgyzstan – Poland) directed by Elizaveta Stishova.
