Kazakh Film Wins Top Award at Golden Lion Festival in India

The Kazakh film Citizens of the Roof has secured two nominations at the Golden Lion International Film Festival (GLIFF) in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, as reported by the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information on January 6, The Caspian Post reports citing The Astana Times.

The film was honored as the Best International Feature Film and won the Best Debut Filmmaker of Feature Film award. Notably, the movie highlighted five female debuts: producer Aliya Sharipbayeva, screenwriter Zhanna Timofeyeva, production designer Yelena Aitova, actress Lidiya Yartseva, and director Gulshat Smagulova.

“Citizens of the Roof” tells the story of the friendship between Damir, a young man with a troubled past, and Kostya, an autistic teenager. The film touches on themes of social adaptation for people with special needs and the value of inclusion.

The film was also recognized as a quarter-finalist at the Oniros Film Awards in New York in December 2024.

Excerpts from the film. Photo credit: gov.kz