Kazakh Film Wins Big at Italy’s Ischia Film Festival

The Kazakh Culture and Information Ministry has announced that film director Askhat Kuchincherekov’s critically acclaimed film Bauryna Salu was awarded Best Feature Film at the 23rd Ischia Film Festival, held on the picturesque Italian island of Ischia.

The film was made possible with support from the Kazakh Culture and Information Ministry, as well as the State Center for Support of National Cinema, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Bauryna Salu has garnered widespread international recognition, earning numerous accolades including Best Youth Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the Grand Prize at the Baku International Film Festival, and a special award at France’s Cinema Heritage Festival. In addition, the film’s cinematographer, Zhanarbek Yeleubek, received the Best Cinematography award at the 10th Asia World Film Festival.

The film’s momentum continues as it was chosen to represent Kazakhstan in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Set in rural Kazakhstan, Bauryna Salu tells the moving story of a young boy who is handed over to his grandmother at birth in accordance with the traditional nomadic practice of “Bauryna Salu,” a custom in which a close relative, rather than the biological parents, raises the child. When the grandmother passes away, the 12-year-old boy is sent to live with his birth parents for the first time, struggling to forge a connection with them after years apart.

With its deeply personal narrative and powerful cultural themes, Bauryna Salu continues resonating with audiences and critics around the world.