Eurasia film festival opens in Kazakhstan

The seventh Eurasia international festival will open in the Kazakh city of Almaty on Monday with a traditional red carpet march of film stars, Itar-Tass reported.

Among the guests are Russians Vladimir Yeremin, Vadim Kolganov, Sergei Astakhov and Yelena Korikova and Hollywood actors John Cusack, Nastassja Kinski, Sigourney Weaver, Ned Bellamy and film director Chuck Russell.

Russian Yegor Konchalovsky's hit "Return to A", the first 3D film in Kazakhstan's cinematography history, will be presented at the festival.

The Eurasia festival works in accordance with the FIAPF regulations and is included in the list of world film shows. Its high level is noted not only by directors and producers who present their films, but also distributors who see a professional ground there for film promotion.

According to the organizers, the contest programme has changed. Central Asian films competed there formerly, and this time the format is broadened to a big international contest to present films from Asian, European and CIS countries.

The international jury will be headed by South Korean film director Kim Ki-Duk. His last film "Arirang" will be shown in the "Special Event" programme. The jury will also include Japanese film director Yoichi Sai, Russia's Vladimir Khotinenko and popular French actor, director and composer Gilles Marchand, whose film "Black Heaven" will be shown in the out-of-contest programme.

Along with the international jury, critics of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) and NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) will work at the festival.

Aside from the international contest, there will be such programmes as "Dynamically Developing Kazakh Cinema", "Winners of International Film Festivals", "the Virtual West", "the Changing East", "The Echo of the Venice Film Festival" and the programme of documentary films presented by the U.S. Embassy.

The festival events will be held in Almaty till September 24.