Kazakhstan continues its confident cultural offensive on the world stage: two short films and works by an artist from Kazakhstan will participate in the 7th ECG Film Festival in London.
The films will be shown on May 26 and 27 at the Lumiere Romford Cinema, The Mercury Shopping Centre.
ECG Film Festival promotes films of Central Asian authors in the UK. This year, directors from 23 countries submitted their works: Bulgaria, Belarus, Austria, Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Australia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Canada, USA, UK, Lithuania, Iran, Spain, Turkmenistan, India, Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Bangladesh.
Kazakhstan was represented by eight films, two of which — Poncha, directed by Kaisha Rakhimova and The Ring, directed by Asem Kuanyshbaeva — entered the main competition program.
Poncha is a touching and profound story about childhood and imagination, where fantasy collides with reality.
The Ring is a tense drama exploring guilt, choice, and consequences.
“Poncha recreates the world of childhood in a very touching and honest way. The director achieved organic acting from the young actors — this is a rare skill,” says Evelina Barseghyan, a member of the festival’s jury.
Participation in ECG Film Festival opens up prospects for Kazakhstani films being released in the UK: negotiations are already underway with the founder of the Romford Film Trust, Spencer Hawken, about a two-week screening of the winning film in a UK cinema.
The festival will also feature contemporary art works of Kazakhstani artist Zhazira Dzhanabaeva — another striking example of how Kazakhstan is integrating into the international cultural context.
The festival will name its winners on May 27. The films from Kazakhstan have all the chances to win. But it is already clear that Kazakhstan has confidently entered the global cultural dialogue, and this is only the beginning.
ECG Film Festival press service
E-mail: festival@ocamagazine.com
