**Eurasian Cinema Academy Award Screenings Set to Launch in Beijing**
Beijing is preparing to host the Eurasian Cinema Academy award screenings, an event that will feature six feature-length films recognized with the prestigious Diamond Butterfly award during the inaugural ceremony held in Moscow last year. Scheduled from August 28 to August 30, the screenings will take place at the Art-House Cinema of the China Film Art Research Center.
Organizers have positioned the Eurasian Cinema Academy as an alternative to mainstream Western film awards, which they describe as "woke." The event aims to highlight films that embody both national and universal spiritual and moral values, encapsulated in the motto: “Any truth without love is a lie.”
The initiative has been significantly influenced by renowned Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov, who played a key role in establishing the Eurasian Cinema Academy and the Diamond Butterfly award, with backing from Russia’s Culture Ministry and Foreign Ministry.
The screening program will kick off with "Two People in One Life and a Dog," directed by Andrey Zaitsev from Russia. This film narrates the experiences of a married couple who endured the Great Patriotic War as children, showcasing themes of optimism, patience, and forgiveness despite the adversities they faced. The film received accolades for Best Actress and Best Actor at the inaugural ceremony.
Following this, the audience will be treated to "Erl-King," a film by Serbian director Goran Radovanovic, who won the Best Director award in 2025. This poignant narrative centers on an eight-year-old boy and his mother during the tumultuous period of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
The program will also feature "Dark Castle," a historical adventure film co-produced by Russia and Belarus, which has been recognized for its musical score with the Diamond Butterfly award. Additionally, the South African drama "Old Righteous Blues," directed by Muneera Sallies, will be screened, having been acknowledged for its screenplay by the Eurasian Cinema Academy jury.
The final day of screenings will include "Upstream," a film by Chinese director Xu Zheng, who won the Best Picture award last year for his portrayal of the challenges faced by a delivery driver. The lineup will conclude with "Ali Primera," a biographical film by Venezuelan director Daniel Yegres, which tells the story of the renowned singer-songwriter and won the Best Non-Eurasian Film award.
The inaugural award ceremony took place on November 27, 2025, in Moscow, where a jury evaluated a total of 34 films from 17 countries. The Diamond Butterfly statuette, adorned with nearly 5,000 lab-grown diamonds, was awarded to the winners, with the Best Picture recipient, Xu Zheng, receiving a ten-carat Yakut diamond valued at approximately $1 million. Other category winners were awarded five-carat diamonds worth $250,000 along with their statuettes.
In June, the organizers announced the commencement of the selection process for this year’s Diamond Butterfly awards, with the next ceremony slated for November 12 in Moscow. The upcoming screenings in Beijing are anticipated to foster cross-cultural dialogue and appreciation for diverse cinematic expressions.