The film by director Alina Mustafina, "Gingerbread for Her Father, My Great-Grandfather, Her Grandfather," was among three nominees for the "Promising Documentary Film Director" award at the oldest and most respected Asian film festival in the United States, the 48th Asian American International Film Festival. The film was created with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Cinema Support Center.
This year, the festival's documentary program features 12 films from around the world. Only three were nominated, including a Kazakh film.
"Gingerbread for Her Father, My Great-Grandfather, Her Grandfather" is a road movie about three generations of women from Kazakhstan who travel to Poland to visit the grave of their great-grandfather, who died in World War II. The film raises themes of searching for roots, identity, continuity, and rethinking the past. The project has previously been recognized internationally, including the world premiere at the Busan Film Festival (South Korea), the European premiere in Turin (Italy), the Grand Prix for Best Film at the Cinema Verite Festival (Iran), the Presidential Prize for Outstanding Debut at the Bastau Festival (Kazakhstan), as well as a special screening at the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen (Italy) and the ORAI Festival. In addition, the film became the first documentary project nominated for the Critics' Choice Award in Kazakhstan in the Best Debut category.
The Asian American International Film Festival runs from July 31 to August 10, 2025 in New York City, with the award ceremony taking place on August 10 in Manhattan.