Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
From 14 to 18 September 2024, the IV International Festival of Poetry and Visual Arts “Voices of Friends: Poetry and Art” took place in the picturesque city of Burabai, Kazakhstan. Organised by the British non-profit organisation Eurasian Creative Guild (London) with the support of the Shchuchinsk Higher Pedagogical College and local hotels, the festival gathered over 50 participants from 15 countries, including Kazakhstan, the UK, the USA, Ukraine and others.
The festival began with a meeting at the Skala eco-hotel, where participants were introduced to the programme. The main events took place at the Higher Pedagogical College of Shchuchinsk, with a screening of youth films as part of the “Cinema of the Future” programme. Among the works presented were “The Ghost of Queen Mary” (USA), “Being 22” (Iran) and “Yes, We Are Different” (Kazakhstan), among others.
The official opening ceremony, held in conjunction with the awards ceremony of the Burabay International Short Film Festival (BISFF), was a captivating mix of words and visual storytelling. The BISFF attracted over 80 film submissions and the judges awarded the coveted ‘Best Short Film’ prize to Parker Croft’s ‘As Easy As Closing Your Eyes’. Best Social Drama went to Zhandos Dzholdoshov’s Connection (Bailanysh), while Anna Koryakovtseva’s The Saviouress: The Mystery of a Buddhist Icon won Best Documentary. Best Animation went to Erwan Le Gal’s The Forest Of The Honey Bees.
Throughout the festival, workshops, roundtables and presentations took place, allowing participants to discuss topics such as creativity, business and cultural exchange. Special attention was given to the presentation of new books by last year’s laureates, including works by Marcel Salimov “With a Smile Around the World”, Marini Alyasova “Wise Tales for Children and Adults” and Nurlan Toksanov “24 Zodiac Signs”.
The festival also recognised outstanding contributions to the arts. The prestigious Jonathan Fraer Medal was awarded for contributions to the development and promotion of cultural projects in Eurasia:
– Shavkat Ismailov
– Raushan Burkittbaeva-Nukeonova
– Marina Alyasova
– Elena Soboleva
– Alexander Kazarnosvsky
– Gennady Gorovy
– Bakhtyguľ Mahanbetova
The evening of the 18th of September became the highlight of the festival with the awarding of prizes in various competitions. It all started with the Cinema Future festival.
Winners in the 11-13 age group
1st place “Yes, We Are Different” (Kazakhstan)
2nd place “Next Time” (Lithuania)
Winners in the 14-22 age group
1st place “The Ghost of Queen Mary” (USA)
2nd place “To Be 22” (Iran)
3rd place “BEYNE” (Kazakhstan)
Best Cinematography – “In Search of Hidden Beauty” (Canada)
Best Director – “Please. We Are Worried” (Kazakhstan)
Best Actor – Noam Minkin (Israel), film “Spelling Surprise”
The Audience Award went to the film “Fair Crime” (Kazakhstan)
Winners of “IV Voices of Friends”
The Audience Award went to Maria Muchinskaya.
Category “Poetry”
1st place Mikhail Ananov (Georgia)
2nd place Anetta More (UK) and Nadja Roth (Germany)
3rd place Indira Laktaeva (USA)
Category “Visual Arts”
1st place Shaizada Baikenova (Kazakhstan)
2nd place Maria Yanovskaya and Anastasia Kalinovskaya (UK)
3rd place Roza Red (Russia) and Olesya Davidovskaya (Lithuania)
Winners of “XIII Open Eurasia”
Category “Children’s Prose” (Maria Shevel Prize)
1st place Irina Gurkova (Russia) and Elena Makarova (Uzbekistan)
2nd place Nina Yagolnitser (Israel)
3rd place Valeria Strekaovskaya (Ukraine)
Category “Non-fiction” 1st place Tatyana Lynchik (Russia) 2nd place Olga Shpakovich (Russia) 3rd place Alex Arlev (USA) Category “Prose” 1st place Anna Garib (Great Britain) 2nd place Saltanat Khamzeeva (Kazakhstan) 3rd place Athena (Kyrgyzstan) and Aida Reger (Kazakhstan)
The festival attracted over 500 guests who left with unforgettable impressions and positive emotions. The organisers thanked all participants and partners for their support and contribution to the success of this cultural event.
The vice-president of the Guild, Marat Akhmedzhanov, extended an invitation to participate in the next Guild Festival, which will be held in Scotland from 28 to 30 November.
