Kazakh films may be relatively less well-known to Hong Kong audiences, but they have been gaining recognition in international film festivals in recent years - also, many new directors have emerged. This year, HKAFF will showcase a focus on Kazakh cinema. Some of the best works from the past decade will be featured, highlighting the variety of talented filmmakers (including Abel in the "New Talent Award"). These films reflect a succinct cinematic language and explore the relationship between the city and the steppe while addressing the distortions caused by modernization that still linger. Two essential works will be screened to provide a comprehensive understanding of the changes in contemporary Kazakh cinema: The Needle, which started the Kazakh New Wave, and Killer, a representative work of arthouse cinema.

The Kazakh film industry has been growing rapidly, benefiting industrial and arthouse films. Diana Ashimova, the producer of Fire, is also a festival programmer and lecturer. She will join the talk online, sharing the film industry's current situation and Kazakh cinema's development in recent decades.

Free Admission. Priority will be given to ticket holders of 27/10 5:00pm Fire.