Director Anuar Matzhanov continues the successful festival journey of his horror comedy film Zheztirnak. The film received the “Best Score” award at the Birmingham Horror Film Festival & Convention held in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

This festival is one of the most prominent horror events in the UK, attracting a large audience every year. The program includes film screenings, competition sections, thematic exhibitions, and the Indie Film Awards ceremony. Zheztirnak won the Best Score award for its “original music with a Kazakh ethnic flavor.” The jury praised the soundtrack’s harmonious blend of national intonations, folk motifs, and modern cinematic sound. The film’s score was composed by Abai Akbaev.

“This victory is not only the success of the film but also a triumph of national music. We are proud that our cultural identity is being recognized internationally. This award proves that Kazakh music, folklore, and their spirit can be conveyed through a modern expressive language,” said Valeria Karaban, General Director of Clover Street Production.

According to her, in recent years Kazakh music and cinema have been actively entering the international stage, combining national traditions with contemporary sound. From the reinterpretation of folk motifs to original film compositions — all this is becoming part of the global cultural landscape.

Zheztirnak is a horror comedy based on Kazakh mythology. The story revolves around the relationship between a blogger and a girl from a wealthy family who turns out to be a mythical creature — a zheztirnak. The film was produced by Clover Street Production. The script was written by Sabit Rakhymbayev, Auez Turmagambetov, Nurali Sultanov, and Ilmir Sagitov. The main roles were played by Yesentai Niyazbayev and Dinara Mirasbek.

Previously, the film won the Grand Prix in the “Horror-Mystery Feature Film” category at The Bloody Horror International Film Festival in Canada, and was also screened at the Karatsu International Film Festival in Japan, where actor Yesentai Niyazbayev received the Best Supporting Actor award.

 

Source: egemen.kz