The international competition promotes traditional values and cultural identity as an alternative to Western film awards<\/p>\n
A Russian WWII drama has won the top prize at the second Diamond Butterfly Eurasian film awards, an international cinema competition positioned as an \u2018anti-woke\u2019 alternative to mainstream Western film prizes.
\nThe ceremony took place in Moscow on Thursday, with 41 films from 19 countries competing for awards. Winners represented nine nations, including Russia, Serbia, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Cuba.<\/p>\n
Guests gather ahead of the Diamond Butterfly Eurasian Film Awards ceremony, Moscow, Russia, November 12, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Sputnik\/Ekaterina Chesnokova <\/p>\n
August,\u2019 directed by Nikita Vysotsky and Ilya Lebedev, was named Best Film. The Russian production, set during World War II, also won Best Production Design. The top award came with a diamond-encrusted statuette and a 10-carat Yakut diamond valued at over $1 million.
\nThe competition has expanded since its inaugural ceremony in Moscow last year, when 34 films from 17 countries competed and Chinese director Xu Zheng\u2019s \u2018Upstream\u2019 won Best Film.<\/p>\n
Producers Anatoly Maksimov and Konstantin Ernst receive the Best Film award for ‘August,’ with actor Sergey Bezrukov (center), at the Diamond Butterfly ceremony, Moscow, Russia, November 12, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Sputnik\/Ekaterina Chesnokova <\/p>\n
The Diamond Butterfly awards were established at the initiative of renowned Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov to promote cinema rooted in traditional values, cultural identity, and universal moral principles. Organizers have presented the project as an alternative to Western awards, which they accuse of increasingly prioritizing \u2018woke\u2019 ideology and political messaging over artistic merit.<\/p>\n
Cinematographer Aleksandr Plotnikov receives the Best Cinematography award for Kazakhstan’s ‘Evacuation’ at the Diamond Butterfly ceremony, Moscow, Russia, November 12, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Sputnik\/Ekaterina Chesnokova <\/p>\n
Russian President Vladimir Putin recorded a video message for the ceremony, praising the Eurasian Film Academy for upholding humanitarian ideals that \u201ccannot and must not depend on political circumstances, artificially imposed standards and dogmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Oscar-winning Russian director offers $1mn diamond prize at Moscow film awards<\/p>\n
He said that cinema could bring nations closer together through respect for cultural traditions, national identity, and diversity, while helping to overcome stereotypes and build trust.
\n\u201cRussia is open to partnership with everyone who is ready to contribute to dialogue between people and states and to building a more just world order,\u201d Putin added.<\/p>\n
Producer Yanin Martinez receives the Best Film Outside Eurasia award for Cuba\u2019s ‘Street 232’ at the Diamond Butterfly ceremony, Moscow, Russia, November 12, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Sputnik\/Ekaterina Chesnokova <\/p>\n
Other winners included Kyrgyz director Kanybek Kalmatov for \u2018Aitmatov\u2019, Iranian screenwriter Alireza Motamedi for \u2018Daughter of the Fairy Lady\u2019, and Kazakh actor Zhasulan Kopbergenov for \u2018Restart\u2019. India\u2019s M. M. Keeravani won Best Composer, while Cuba\u2019s \u2018Street 232\u2019 took the prize for Best Film Outside Eurasia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The international competition promotes traditional values and cultural identity as an alternative to Western film awards A Russian WWII drama has won the top prize at the second Diamond Butterfly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41104,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t