A Leap for the “Leopard”

Alshanov Rakhman Alshanovich

Rector of Turan University,

Doctor of Economics, professor

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The film by Jannat Alshanova, lecturer at the Higher School “Turan Film Academy” of Turan University, was presented at the Locarno Film Festival.

From August 6 to 16, Switzerland hosted the 78th Locarno Film Festival. For us, one of the key highlights of the festival was the world premiere of Jannat’s debut feature “The Winners Are Visible at the Start”. In the international distribution, it was released under the title “Becoming”, Jannat Alshanova’s full-length film, presented in the competition section Concorso Cineasti del Presente – “Filmmakers of the Present”.

At Jannat’s invitation, my wife Aelita and I flew via Istanbul to Zurich. From there, a three-hour train ride through an alpine valley past stunning emerald-like Swiss lakes took us to Locarno, a cozy town in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino with a population of 16,400, founded back in 807. Since its launch in 1946, the Locarno Festival has become the fourth most significant European film festival after Cannes, Venice, and Berlin.

Globally, thousands of film festivals are held, but the most prestigious ones are accredited by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) and must comply with strict requirements: they must be international, held annually, and competition films must be world premieres that have not previously participated in any other competitions. To our surprise, we learned that the world-famous Hollywood Oscars are not technically a festival, although the selection of films and the voting process for nominees are conducted under FIAPF-approved rules. The Academy Awards remain the highest distinction, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The first international film festival in history is considered to be the Venice International Film Festival, which has been held since 1932.

Kazakh cinema has been presented at this Swiss festival for over 30 years. Domestic films have won the most prestigious awards, and despite challenges, Kazakh cinema has been steadily developing in recent years, becoming increasingly recognized worldwide. Locarno has opened the way for many of our films.

“Golden Leopard”:

In 1993, Yermek Shinarbayev’s film “A Place on the Gray Triangle” won the festival’s main prize.

“Silver Leopard”:

In 1992, Darezhan Omirbaev’s debut feature Kairat was awarded the Silver Leopard and the Fipresci Prize (International Federation of Film Critics).
On August 14, 2020, Jannat Alshanova’s short film History of Civilization received the Silver Leopard and a monetary award of 5,000 Swiss francs.
In August 2019, the film “Mariam” by Kazakh director Sharipa Urazbayeva and Russian producer Anna Kachko entered the main competition program Cineasti del Presente.
In August 2024, two Kazakh films were presented in the Locarno competition program: Aruan Anartay’s debut “Joqtau” and Olga Korotko’s second feature “Shegirtkeler, take the stage”.
In August 2025, Jannat Alshanova’s debut feature “Becoming” was shortlisted in the Cineasti del Presente section alongside 14 films from France, Spain, Canada, Argentina, South Korea, and other countries.

Festival screenings take place in 10 cinemas across the city, as well as in the open-air cinema at Piazza Grande, which seats 8,000 and features a 26×14 meter screen. All screenings of Jannat’s film were sold out. On the day of the world premiere, all 450 tickets at the main festival cinema PalaCinema were sold. After the screening, the audience gave the crew a standing ovation, followed by a lively discussion. Viewers from various countries praised the film, the performances, and the lead actress Mila, played by Tamiris Zhangazinova, alongside her young co-star. Locarno residents, long nurtured on auteur cinema, recognized Tamiris on the streets the following day, complimenting her performance. One can only imagine the emotions of young actress Medina Sagindykova’s parents as she walked the red carpet for the first time in her life, side by side with director Jannat Alshanova and lead actress Tamiris Zhangazinova. “Red carpets, cameras, interviews, Swiss media publications – and among all this, a Kazakh actress proudly and gracefully carrying our art onto the world stage,” wrote her sister Nazym Zhangazinova.

Film critics and journalists responded widely. As film scholar Zhuldyz Alieva noted: “Known for its bold approach to selecting and supporting independent and auteur cinema, the Locarno Festival plays a key role in discovering new talents and presenting innovative works to the film community. The ‘Filmmakers of the Present’ section showcases relevant and powerful young cinema, where Becoming stands alongside other debut and sophomore films from around the world. Alshanova embodies a new cinematic identity, centered on the themes of coming-of-age and self-discovery.”

Indeed, Jannat’s film proved to be a complex narrative of 17-year-old Mila’s life journey. Each episode or mise-en-scène could have been developed into a separate drama, thriller, or tragedy. Yet without dwelling on the problems, Jannat skillfully guided the protagonist through the challenges faced by today’s youth, as if across a minefield. It is clear the film has a promising theatrical future.

The production of “The Winners Are Visible at the Start” brought together studios from five countries: French Films de Force Majeure, Kazakh Accidental Films, Dutch Volya Films, Lithuanian M-Films, and Swedish Kjellson & Wik. The project was also supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Filming took place in Kazakhstan – in Almaty and Almaty region from August to September 2024. Post-production was completed in early summer 2025 across three countries: France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Lead roles were played by Tamiris Zhangazinova (Mila), Lithuanian actor Valentin Novopolski, Assel Kaliyeva, and Medina Sagindykova. French producer Jean Laurent Xynidis provided significant support, while the cinematography was led by Caroline Champetier, known for her collaborations with Leos Carax on Annette and Holy Motors. The film was produced with the support of the State Center for National Cinema Support and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Even before production began, the project had been selected for numerous international film markets and laboratories. Among them is “When East Meets West”, where Alshanova won the forum’s main prize and €5,000, and was recognized as Best Female Director by the European Women’s Audiovisual Network. She also received a three-week residency at Pop Up Film Residency. Additionally, the project participated in TIFF Lab at the Toronto International Film Festival, ACE Producers Lab, as well as film markets such as Cinemart (Netherlands), Gotham Week (New York), and Red Sea Souk (Saudi Arabia).

Jannat Alshanova graduated from the London Film School with a Master of Arts in Filmmaking. Her name is already well known at major festivals – Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, Locarno – and at prestigious venues such as Barbican Centre, Tate Modern, Art Basel, and The Asian Film Archive. In 2020, she won the Silver Leopard (Pardo d’Argento) for her short film History of Civilization at Locarno. In 2021, Jannat founded her own independent film company, Accidental Films.