June 27th will see the start of the very first Astana International Action Film Festival in Astana City, Kazakhstan. Running for five days, the festival is planned for as an annual event and his been pulled together by Producer/Director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) as a celebration of international action films.
Special guests for the inagural year include Harvey Weinstein, Mike Tyson, Lawrence Bender, Sharlto Copley and Dolph Lundgren, among others. Screening events include special gala premieres of Shanghai, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Monsters, District 9, The Last Airbender, Inhale, Countdown to Zero, Karate Kid and many more. A full list of guests and films is available at the festival's website.
“Our aim is for the festival to become a cultural bridge of discovery," Bekmambetov has announced, "as well as an effective and productive pipeline for producers, investors and prospective partners to foster growth and opportunity for the filmmaking community of Kazakhstan.”
In addition to the events, the festival is designed to spotlight Kazakhstan's place in the world of film. The event will host numerous press conferences and other informational panels, including a screenplay competition that will present five finalists from the USA, Spain, France and Kazakhstan. One winner will be selected to win a cash prize and given the chance to develop their script with Timur Bekmambetov’s company Bazelevs.
The Astana International Action Film Festival is a joint project from the production company, Bazelevs and The Astana City Hall. If you're an action fan, now's the time to book some last minute tickets to Kazakhstan.
Read more about the festival here.
