From May 22 to 27, the seventh Eurasian Film Festival brought a celebration of Eurasian cinema to London. Organized by Silk Road Media and the Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG), the event, held in partnership with the Romford Film Festival, showcased a range of artistic talents while fostering cultural and industry connections.
This year’s festival featured submissions from 23 countries, providing a diverse line-up of feature films, shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos, screenplays, and more. The event provided a platform for filmmakers to share stories rooted in Eurasia’s cultural heritage.
Prize-Winning Films
This year’s awards spanned a range of categories, honoring creativity and technical excellence. Highlights included Sirin’s Song by Elena Turova (Belarus) for Best Animation and The Master of the Altai Mountains by Vadim Vitovtsev and Ilya Tsyganov (Russia) as for Best Documentary. The Audience Award in this category went to Baltic Radiation by Aldona Grupas (UK). In the feature film category, Where The White Cranes Dance (Russia) and Aydillar (Uzbekistan) shared the top honor, with Magtymguly Pyragy (Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan) taking the Audience Award.
Kazakhstan made a strong showing in the Short Films category, with Poncha by Kaisha Rakhimova taking first place and Call by Asem Kuanishbayeva winning the Audience Award. Several screenplays and productions also received special jury mentions, including Daddy Arrived by Almaz Kossobaev (Kyrgyzstan), emphasizing the festival’s role in highlighting emerging talent.
Literature Meets Film
A notable theme this year was the dialogue between literature and cinema. Presentations included The Legends of the Great Silk Road: Adventures of the Spirit of Time a children’s book series by Gulchekhra-begim Makhmudova, exploring its adaptation into film. Ukrainian poet Serhii Bely also unveiled a project based on his novel The Maestro and the Muse.
Special Recognitions and Events
The festival also celebrated cultural contributions, with the Poezija Londyn Foundation presenting honorary medals to individuals such as Zhazira Zhanabayeva (Kazakhstan), whose art exhibition ran concurrently with the festival. A crowdfunding event led by actress Francesca Mepham generated significant interest in new projects, showcasing the event’s collaborative spirit.
Submissions are now open for the 2026 season, as the festival continues to spotlight Eurasian cinema on the global stage.
