ASTANA – Cameraman Yerkinbek Ptyraliyev, who filmed “Dala Kaskyry” (“Steppenwolf”), a movie directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov, became the first Kazakh to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the organization that votes for Oscar winners.
The film received high marks from the jury at the Fantasia International Film Festival, taking place from July 18 to Aug. 4, in Montreal, Canada, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information on July 29.
Berik Aitzhanov and Anna Starchenko, who played the main roles, were recognized as the best actors for their lead roles in the film.
The movie tells the story of Tamara, who hired a former investigator to find her son who disappeared during unrest. Premiered at the Category A Film Festival in Rotterdam it was awarded at the Reims Polar Film Festival in France.
The film won the grand prize, the Golden Raven statuette, at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) in April.
