Almaty Indie Film Festival: Celebrating Independent Cinema from Kazakhstan and Beyond
Almaty Indie Film Festival (AIFF) is an international celebration of independent cinema, hosted annually in Almaty, Kazakhstan—the heart of the country’s dynamic film industry.

Our festival provides a platform for filmmakers to showcase their low-budget, innovative works, encouraging creativity and diversity in filmmaking. Each year, AIFF brings together both emerging and established filmmakers from Kazakhstan and around the world, offering them an opportunity to present their films to an international audience, make connections, and gain recognition for their work.

Mission & Vision
AIFF’s mission is to highlight exceptional global independent cinema, with an emphasis on films created on modest budgets. We believe that storytelling can transcend financial constraints and that powerful narratives can be told with limited resources. By focusing on originality and bold ideas, we aim to create a space where filmmakers from all corners of the world can share their stories and be recognized for their artistic achievements.

Non-Profit and Inclusive
AIFF is a non-profit, non-governmental event. We are committed to fostering equality and inclusivity in the film industry, ensuring that all films and filmmakers are treated fairly and respectfully, without discrimination based on nationality, gender, age, profession, or theme.

Our guiding principles:

Equality in Art: We celebrate the diversity of voices and stories, offering equal opportunity for all filmmakers.
Live Screenings Only: We believe in the power of shared experiences and, therefore, all films are screened in person, fostering community engagement.

Awards & Prizes

Festival Categories

KZ Dramatic Competition
A showcase for the best of Kazakhstan's fictional filmmaking, celebrating local talent and cultural narratives.

KZ Documentary Competition
Documentaries that capture the essence of Kazakhstan’s history, culture, and contemporary society.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition
An international selection of dramatic films that push the boundaries of storytelling and filmmaking.

World Cinema Documentary Competition
Documentaries from around the world that tackle relevant social, political, and cultural issues.

Shorts Program: New Horizons
A collection of short films that demonstrate originality and creativity from both Kazakhstan and the world.

Specialized Categories

Best KZ Web-Series
Highlighting the booming episodic format in Kazakhstan, this category recognizes high-quality storytelling designed for digital platforms.

Best Animated Film (International & KZ)
Celebrating the art of animation, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge CGI, across both short and feature formats.

Best Genre Film (Kazakhstan)
Recognizing mastery in specific genres such as action, thriller, comedy, or horror, showcasing the versatility of Kazakhstani filmmakers.

Music Video Showcase (International & KZ)
A platform for the intersection of music and visual art, celebrating innovation in the music video industry.

Individual Excellence (KZ Cinema)

Best Director
Awarded for outstanding vision, leadership, and artistic direction in a Kazakhstani production.

Best Cinematography
Recognizing excellence in visual storytelling, lighting, and composition that defines the film’s aesthetic.

Best Screenplay
Awarded to the most original and well-structured script, focusing on character depth and narrative innovation.

Best Performance (Actor/Actress)
Honoring exceptional acting talent and compelling character development in Kazakhstani feature films.

Special Awards

Audience Choice Award
The most democratic prize of the festival, awarded to the film that captures the hearts and minds of our viewers.

Grand Prix: Best of the Fest
The highest honor of the festival, awarded to a film that demonstrates exceptional artistic merit across all categories.

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms
All non-English films must have English sub-titles.
All films must be submitted via Online screeners.
Works-in-progress will be considered, provided they will be completed prior to the Festival.
Please do NOT send stills or press kits. If your film is selected we will ask you to email us a still image.
You may submit more than one film, but you must complete a separate entry form and pay entry fee for each film.
12 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Ekaterina PROMOTION

    My communication with the festival was terrible. I think the festival was not held in 2021, they collected contributions for 2021 and that's it. Then they were collecting a film for the new 2022, but there was no information about it until the expected start dates of the festival. They do not respond either by mail or on social networks. Until the concerned authors contacted Filmfreeway support, they would have remained silent. There is no list of winners, there were no screenings anywhere (neither online nor in real life). Who is the jury? where is the link to view trailers? None of the authors I know who were selected for the festival received any information. I do not recommend interaction with the festival. I will demand a refund.

    November 2021
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Dear Ekaterina,

    We are sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with our festival. We apologize for any lack of communication or information that you experienced during the festival season. As a film festival, we aim to provide a positive experience for all of our participants, and it is disappointing to hear that we fell short in your case.

    Regarding the issues you raised, we can assure you that our festival was held in 2021, and all the contributions received were considered for that edition. However, we acknowledge that there may have been delays or changes to our schedule due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the ongoing pandemic. We apologize if this caused any confusion or frustration for you.

    We understand that there were some issues with communication, and we apologize for any inconvenience this caused. We always strive to respond to all emails and messages in a timely manner, but we may have experienced some difficulties during the festival season. We are currently reviewing our communication processes to ensure that we can better serve our participants in the future.

    Regarding the list of winners and the screenings, we apologize for any delays in releasing this information. We understand that it is essential for our participants to receive this information promptly, and we are taking steps to ensure that we release it in a timely and efficient manner.

    In terms of the jury and the link to view trailers, we will ensure that this information is readily available on our website and any other communication channels we use. We understand that this information is vital to our participants, and we will make sure that it is easily accessible.

    Finally, we understand that you are requesting a refund, and we will process this as soon as possible. Please note that our refund policy is outlined on our website, and we will ensure that it is followed in your case.

    Again, we apologize for any inconvenience or frustration that you experienced during your interaction with our festival. We appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve our processes and provide a better experience for all our participants in the future.

    Sincerely,

    Almaty Indie Film Festival

  • Tom McPhee

    As a filmmaker who is also a Festival Director I am not sure where to start. Bad communication, no follow up, awful timeline of events, lack of clarity of where events are taking place, and when. We know how hard it is to run a festival. However, this is not how you do it. This is not a filmmaker friendly festival. How do filmmakers actually benefit from being in this festival? The name here on FilmFreeway is one name and then the website takes you to another festival name??? Hey Festival, you want to clear some things up for us?

    November 2021
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Dear Tom,

    We are sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with our festival. We apologize for any lack of communication or information that you experienced during the festival season. As a film festival, we aim to provide a positive experience for all of our participants, and it is disappointing to hear that we fell short in your case.

    Regarding the issues you raised, we can assure you that our festival was held in 2021, and all the contributions received were considered for that edition. However, we acknowledge that there may have been delays or changes to our schedule due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the ongoing pandemic. We apologize if this caused any confusion or frustration for you.

    We understand that there were some issues with communication, and we apologize for any inconvenience this caused. We always strive to respond to all emails and messages in a timely manner, but we may have experienced some difficulties during the festival season. We are currently reviewing our communication processes to ensure that we can better serve our participants in the future.

    Regarding the list of winners and the screenings, we apologize for any delays in releasing this information. We understand that it is essential for our participants to receive this information promptly, and we are taking steps to ensure that we release it in a timely and efficient manner.

    In terms of the jury and the link to view trailers, we will ensure that this information is readily available on our website and any other communication channels we use. We understand that this information is vital to our participants, and we will make sure that it is easily accessible.

    Finally, we understand that you are requesting a refund, and we will process this as soon as possible. Please note that our refund policy is outlined on our website, and we will ensure that it is followed in your case.

    Again, we apologize for any inconvenience or frustration that you experienced during your interaction with our festival. We appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve our processes and provide a better experience for all our participants in the future.

    Sincerely,

    Almaty Indie Film Festival

  • Telio Espinoza

    Excellent festival, an honor to be part of,thank you!

    November 2021
    Helpful
  • Sarah Baur

    Thank you for selecting my short fiction YANA for the 2021 edition!
    Covid-19 made it an online edition, which is always a bit of a different experience. Communication was none the less very swift and professional and I'm grateful to have been part of the festival. I'll happily submit new work in the future.

    November 2021
    Helpful
  • Tamás Rebák

    Hope we can meet in real time once, thank you for the selection!

    November 2020
    Helpful