The MEGA Fest 2026 international cultural forum, a joint effort between the Open Eurasia Literary Festival & Book Forum and the ECG Eurasian Film Festival, concluded in London last week. The festival brought together writers, filmmakers, artists, poets, publishers, and public figures from dozens of countries, becoming one of the largest international platforms for promoting Eurasian culture in the English-speaking world.
This year, special attention was paid to participants from Kazakhstan, whose works were highly praised by the international jury and the festival’s professional community.
One of the festival’s highlights was the awarding of the ECG Eurasian Film Festival prize to Kazakh director Saule Rysbayeva for her documentary “Children, the Shoots of the Future.” The film received a Special Recognition in the Best Eurasian Documentary category and resonated strongly with international audiences thanks to its profound social focus, humanistic message, and attention to the topic of the future generation.
The jury particularly emphasized the film’s ability to speak the universal language of human values, connecting local issues with the global agenda. Saule Rysbayeva’s work exemplifies how contemporary Kazakhstani documentary film is confidently reaching the international stage and becoming part of the global cultural dialogue.
An equally significant achievement was Zhumagali Magzi’s first place in the Non-Fiction category of the Open Eurasia 2026 international competition. His work was recognized as one of the strongest among works by authors from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The international jury praised the intellectual depth of the text, the breadth of the themes explored, the analytical precision, and the high level of the author’s talent.
Other representatives from Kazakhstan also achieved strong results:
— Taufik Karimov won first place in the Prose category, demonstrating a vibrant authorial style and profound literary work with theme and imagery;
— Marina Golubovskaya took second place in the Non-Fiction category;
— Marina Alyasova was among the winners of the prestigious Maria Shevel Award for Best Children’s Book, taking third place;
— Meruert Alonso won third place in the Prose category.
The success of Kazakhstani authors and directors at MEGA Fest 2026 once again confirmed the high potential of Kazakhstan’s contemporary culture, its relevance, and its ability to be part of the global humanitarian space.
The London festival served not only as an awards ceremony but also as an important platform for international professional dialogue, networking, and cultural diplomacy. Participants from Kazakhstan represented the country as a vibrant center of contemporary Eurasian culture, where literature, cinema, and art continue to thrive and resonate far beyond the region’s borders.
MEGA Fest 2026 featured representatives from the UK, USA, Australia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Germany, France, Iran, Brazil, and other countries, reaffirming London’s status as a key international hub for cultural interaction.
