Comic Con, the largest geek culture festival in the CIS and
Central Asia, has wrapped up in Astana. For several days, the Kazakh capital
became a hub for fans of comics, science fiction, video games, and anime. This
year, the vibrant and unforgettable event drew more than 75,000 visitors,
including over 10,000 international guests from 36 countries. More than 150
Kazakh artists and artisans showcased their work at the festival. According to
the organizers, the event’s growing popularity has attracted increasing
attention from global celebrities. For the first time ever, the festival
featured three Hollywood actors. The headliners included Esai Morales, the
antagonist in the latest Mission: Impossible film; Scott Adkins, an action
movie star and member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and Andy Serkis, the
legendary actor behind Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.
«Incredible. I mean, I can't believe again that it's built
up over the last six years, it's reached this capacity. It feels ultra-modern,
all the latest technologies are represented there. Just the way it looks, it
really feels very, very up-to-date. The
cosplay, the detail in the costumes of everyone who's appearing is really
top-level. Just from talking to people in the film industry here, in the arts,
the ballet, the opera, it feels like everyone sees it as a very important
statement for the country that culture is fully supported,» Serkis said.
«I was very impressed with the depth of the questions that
were asked, you know, you could tell that the people there are very passionate
about their cosplay, about their stars, you know, the people who they've come
to see, so I was glad, you know. I haven't slept too much because of jet lag,
but it isn't draining, I feel the energy from the people keeps me going, so
that's a good thing,» Morales said.
One of the main highlights of the festival was the
international competition for professional cosplayers. Around 200 participants
from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China,
Moldova, Russia, the U.S., and Thailand competed for the title of best
transformation artist. The expert jury evaluated not only the participants’
resemblance to their chosen characters but also the craftsmanship of the
costumes, stage presence, and overall performance quality.
- Today, I am Zack Fair - a soldier on the path to his
dream.
- He's a merchant - essentially an NPC - but one of the most
charismatic I've ever seen. The moment you walk up to him, he goes: “Welcome!
What are you looking for?”
According to the organizers, Comic Con in Astana has quickly
become the leading event in the region’s creative industries. The festival's
economic impact is also impressive - an estimated 3.5 billion tenge was
generated for the city’s economy.
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