It’s a wrap for the second edition of the Bishkek International Film Festival, which ran this year from 11-15 June. The capital of Kyrgyzstan hosted the gathering last week after its first edition was held back in November.

The Central Asian festival, headed up by Argen Adil Uulu, hosted eight films in the international competition and 11 movies in the Central Asian competition, alongside several industry events held under the CAF Pitch banner, a retrospective on local cinema and the Iranian Film Week.

The international competition jury, chaired by Iranian helmer Rasoul Sadrameli and also made up of Iris Wang, Agron Domi, Dastan Zhapar Uulu and Shokir Kholikov, handed out the Grand Prix to Alexei Romanov’s The Legends of the Eternal Snow (Russia).

The Award for Best Director, meanwhile, went to a local movie, Mirlan Abdykalykov’s Bride Kidnapping (Kyrgyzstan), whilst the Award for Best Acting was presented to Mouna Hawa, the leading actress in Amjad Al Rasheed’s abortion drama Inshallah a Boy [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], a co-production between Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. A Special Jury Prize was also bestowed upon Aziz Zhambakiyiv, the director of the Berlinale-premiered, Himalayas-set drama Shambhala [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], another picture co-produced by France with Nepal, Norway, Hong Kong, China, Turkey, Taiwan, the USA and Qatar.

Three European films took part in the strand – namely, Quentin Dupieux’s humorous fake biopic Daaaaaalí! [+lee también:
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The Central Asian Competition, with a jury chaired by seasoned US-based producer Georges Chamchoum, and made up of Cineuropa journalist Davide Abbatescianni, actor Soji Arai, Vietnamese DoP Linh Dan Nguyen Phan and Norwegian distributor Frank Stavik, crowned Dalmira Joy Tilepbergen’s The Gift (Kyrgyzstan) as its champion. The same picture also scooped the Award for Best Acting, handed out to young newcomer Zhannat Kuruchbekova, who shared her prize ex aequo with the talented Yersultan Yerman, star of Askhat Kuchencherekov’s Bauryna Salu [+lee también:
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Here is the list of this year’s award winners:

International Competition

Grand Prix
The Legends of the Eternal Snow – Alexei Romanov (Russia)

Best Director
Mirlan Abdykalykov – Bride Kidnapping (Kyrgyzstan)

Best Acting
Mouna Hawa – Inshallah a Boy [+lee también:
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Jury Prix for Best Cinematography
Aziz Zhambakiyiv - Shambhala [+lee también:
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Central Asian Competition

Grand Prix
The Gift – Dalmira Joy Tilepbergen (Kyrgyzstan)

Best Director
Askhat Kuchencherekov – Bauryna Salu [+lee también:
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Jury Prix for Best Screenplay
Sharipa Urazbayeva – Mental Loneliness (Kazakhstan)

Best Acting (ex aequo)
Yersultan Yerman – Bauryna Salu
Zhannat Kuruchbekova – The Gift (Kyrgyzstan)

Special Prize from the Mayor of Bishkek
Paradise at Mothers’ Feet - Ruslan Akun (Kyrgyzstan)

Special Prize from the Union of Cinematographers
Little Samurai - Sano Shinju, Yerlan Nurmukhambetov (Japan/Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan)

Special Prize from Ethno Media
Boshetunmai – Amantur Ormuk (Kyrgyzstan)