Unlike similar events where one winner receives the entire prize money, AAIFF distributes the prize among multiple creators, encouraging broader participation and recognition.
A major project was launched today in Astana.
The main theme of the contest is A future worth living for. Participants will be asked to present their vision of the future and share how they imagine the world of tomorrow using artificial intelligence.
Organizers are expecting about 3,000 applications from creators around the world.
According to Almas Zali, one of the organizers of the festival, the competition program includes two sections:
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Main sections dedicated to themes of A future worth living for
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An open section with five nominations for Best Direction, Visual Language, Story, Concept, and Character.
Key requirements
A key requirement of the competition is to create a film in full AI format. In this format, artificial intelligence acts as the primary production technology rather than being used as an auxiliary tool in post-production. To participate, authors must create a 10-minute AI film and upload it to the festival platform along with a description of their project.
The main language of this movie is English. If your AI movie was created in another language, you will need to add English subtitles. Works must meet copyright requirements and must not contain graphic violence or other prohibited content.
Who can participate?
Organizers stress that the contest is open to everyone. There are no age or occupation restrictions for participants. Both teams and individual artists can apply. Participation in the festival is free.
How to apply
Applications will be accepted through the AAIFF.ai Festival website.
Authors can submit their work in two ways. One is to upload to YouTube and provide a link, and the other is to upload to a cloud service such as Google Drive and provide a link. Organizers say all submissions will be entered into the festival’s unified database, so authors won’t have to manually track their status.
For videos published on YouTube, the description must include “Astana AI Film Festival Special”, the author’s first and last name, and the hashtag #SpecialForAAIFF.
Selection of winners
Entries will be evaluated by international experts, directors, producers and representatives from the creative technology industry. Organizers are also considering using AI judges to pre-evaluate submitted works.
After the selection process, the AAIFF team and international experts will select the 25 best entries, 10 for the main section and 15 for the open section.
date
The festival will be held in Astana from September 28 to October 1, 2026 as part of Astana AI Week.
Application deadline: August 15, 2026
The screening and awards ceremony will be held during Astana AI Week.
Apart from the competition program, organizers also plan to hold master classes, panel discussions, pitch sessions for writers and producers, and special screenings of AI films.
The festival is planned to become an annual international platform for the development of AI cinema and digital creativity.
Earlier, President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, who announced the opening of the Astana AI Film Festival 2026, said that it will be the first event in the world to reflect fundamental changes in the development of creative industries. He pointed out that artificial intelligence is transforming the very nature of creativity, opening up new forms of self-expression and removing barriers for talented creators.
