The film "Winners Are Seen at the Start" by director Zhannat Alshanova has won the "Best Debut Film" award at the 11th Baiqonyr International Debut and Short Film Festival.

The picture is the director's feature-length debut. It was produced by Accidental Films with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Center for Support of National Cinema, in co-production with filmmakers from France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Sweden.

The plot centers on 17-year-old Mila, who joins an open-water swimming team in her quest for independence and a changed life.

As part of the Film Critics Forum, film scholar and critic Inna Smailova, a member of the Expert Council at the National Center for Support of National Cinema, received a special award "For Contribution to the Development of Film Studies."

The festival concluded with a screening of Abdullah Karsakbayev's film "Alpamys Goes to School," dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the director's birth.