Shaken Aimanov International Film Festival kicks off in Almaty
The opening ceremony of the renamed festival (earlier it was the Shaken's Stars International Film Festival) took place at the Auezov Theater.
In addition to President of the film festival Asanali Ashimov and Kazakhstani film stars, foreign guests, including cinema such legends as Turkmen film director Khojakuli Narliev and famous Turkmen actress Maya Aymedova, Afghan filmmaker Siddiq Barmak, Azerbaijani director Oktay Mirkasimov, Kyrgyz director Bolot Shamshiev, and American actor Peter Scarlet, walked the red carpet.
Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sport Arystanbek Muhamediuly thanked Asanali Ashimov for glorifying the name of Aimanov.
The festival audience will see the world's renowned feature films, motion pictures of the Turkic-speaking states, including Kazakhstani ones.
This year, about 300 applications from 90 countries of the world were submitted to the organizers.
Earlier, Chairman of the selection committee Oleg Boretskiy said that 11 of the 53 submitted pictures were selected for the International Festival. There are films from Turkey, Iran, Peru, the South African Republic, Cuba, European countries, and "The River" by Kazakhstan's Emir Baigazin.
