Astana to host International Action Film Festival July 1-5

From July 1st to 5th, 2011 the Kazakh capital of Astana will be hosting the 1st annual ASTANA International Action Film Festival organized by Timur Bekmambetov, a Russian director of Kazakh origin, producer and screenwriter who has worked on films and commercials. He is mostly popular for the Russian film Night Watch (2004) and its sequel Day Watch (2006), and the American film Wanted (2008). This was announced by the Press Service of Astana action movie festival. The festival takes place on the eve of the capital’s anniversary. The organizers will present Kazakhstan’s people a true celebration of the cinema: the event will bring together international cinema stars, famous actors, directors, artists, producers and potential investors. The Film Festival is a perfect opportunity to showcase the dynamic capital of Kazakhstan, at the same time presenting the best action films. The official festival program includes over 20 full-length feature films made in the USA, Europe, Asia, and the CIS. For the five days viewers will be able to see popular movies, visit the pre-premiere screenings of the new films of the year. Opening ceremony of the Festival will be held at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. The Festival will also feature the final of the screenplay competition sponsored by Timur Bekmambetov. The winner will get an opportunity to develop a script with Bazelevs Company. Bazelevs, founded by Bekmambetov, produces commercials and films, some of which have made it to the top of the Russian distribution list like "The Irony of Fate. Continuation", "Night Watch", "Day Watch", post-production of the “Wanted”, "Black Lightning" and “Yolki” («Six degrees to celebration»).