In Almaty, the open defense of film projects applying for state financial support and the status of a national film has begun. 95 projects have advanced to the final stage of the competition.

The pitching is held in an open format and broadcast live on the official YouTube channel of the State Center for Support of National Cinema. Over three days, the authors will present their works to the Expert Council.

The competition started on March 1st. A total of 323 applications were received, of which, after document verification, 277 were submitted for consideration by the Expert Council. Following the first stage, 107 projects advanced to the second round, and after reviewing the complete set of documents, 95 were admitted to the open defense.

This year, the competition focuses on the transparency of selection, the quality of applications, genre diversity, and the participation of young filmmakers. Priority areas include family and intergenerational continuity, history and cultural heritage, the image of a modern labor hero, children's cinema, ecology, sports and a healthy lifestyle, as well as ideas of unity, peace, and public harmony.

On the first day, fiction film projects were presented. Following the pitching, recommendations will be formulated for works applying for state support and the status of a national film.