The last one that took place earlier – the XV Eurasia International Film Festival – held in Astana for the third time, in 2019. It slightly changed its format in connection with the Law “On Cinematography" adopted in the Republic and was the embodiment of the tools prescribed in the law.
Eleonora Granata-Jenkinson, a producer and selector from Tallinn, became the program director of the festival. Thanks to her, the competition included films, one way or another dedicated to the problems of feminism, discrimination against women, their emancipation and changing place in society. However, a jury headed by a man – the famous Hungarian director Tamas Toth, evaluated these films.
The festival included several non-competitive programs: “Lens”, “Special Event”, “NETPAC Choic” and “From the Heart of Eurasia”. A group of American producers specially came to Eurasia to be acquainted with Kazakhstan and discuss the possibilities of joint film production.
Winners:
Grand Prix for the best film – “Personal growth training” (Kazakhstan), dir. Farkhat Sharipov.
Prize for the best director's work – Bong Joon-ho (“Parasites”, South Korea).
Prize for the best screenplay – Teona Strugar-Mitevska and Elma Tataragic (“God exists, and her name is Petrunia”, Macedonia – Belgium – France – Croatia – Slovenia).
Special Jury Prize – “The sun does not set over me” (Russia), dir. Lyubov Borisova.
Prize for the best female role – Emily Piponnier (“Alice”, France – Australia).
Prize for best male role – Yoram Toledano (“Echo”, Israel).
Grand Prix of the short meter competition – “Bright Days” (China), dir. Maria Habull.
NETPAC choice – “Tall” (Russia), dir. Kantemir Balagov.
People's Artist of Kazakhstan Doskhan Zholzhaksynov received the prize for his contribution to the development of Kazakh cinema.
