Kazakhstan picks Iran animation

Iranian animated piece ‘Kelileh & Demneh’ grabs award at the Eurasia International Film Festival in Kazakhstan.

Directed by Alireza Tavakoli, the animation took home the Special Jury Award at the Children’s Fest section of the event.

Kelileh and Demneh are two young jackals. The drama starts in the middle of a rainy night when the horrified owl pays a visit to the king of the jungle to report about the excessive hunting he had witnessed.

‘Kelileh & Demneh’ is the Persian version of ‘The Panchatantra’, which is a Sanskrit ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in verse and prose, arranged within a frame story.

The original Sanskrit work, which is believed to be composed around the 3rd century.

Established in 1998 in Kazakhstan, the Eurasia International Film Festival is the major film forum in Central Asia.

The Festival’s main goals are to support the film industry in Kazakhstan, further the appreciation of motion picture arts for people of all ages and build the platform for successful cooperation between Asia and Europe.

FM/AG