KAZAKHSTAN — THE PLACE TO BE DEAR FRIENDS, GREETINGS FROM KAZAKHSTAN! We are happy to share with you great news about our country. In 2019, the New Film Law was adopted and the Kazakh National Cinema Center was established! The new law introduces a Cash Rebate of 30%, fosters international co-productions and opens up Kazakhstan to worldwide cooperation and partnerships. Kazakh Cinema Center is a single operator for all new cinema endeavors. Don’t miss the opportunity to discover Kazakhstan’s enormous potential! YOUR KAZAKH CINEMA TEAM CONTENT 1 2 K AZAKHSTAN: K AZAKHSTAN: GENERAL FILM INFORMATION INDUSTRY 7 14 3 4 5 KAZAKH CINEMA: FILM FESTIVALS K AZAKHSTAN’S STATE CENTER & FILM RECENT FILMS FOR SUPPORT OF ASSOCIATION / NATIONAL FILM ORGANIZATIONS 21 27 39 5 K AZAKHSTAN: GENERAL INFORMATION 1 IN 2019 MAJOR CHANGES REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN MARKED THE DEVELOPMENT GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE FILM INDUSTRY IN K AZAKHSTAN. Continent Eurasia Region Central Asia • THE LAW ON FILM WAS Country Kazakhstan ADOPTED Population 18,5 mln. / More than 130 nationalities Government Presidential Republic • THE KAZAKH NATIONAL FILM Capital Nur-Sultan / Population 1 078 362 STATE CENTER WAS LAUNCHED Other major City Almaty / Population 1 863 000 Territory 9th place in the world: 2 724 900 sq. km KAZAKHSTAN’S FILM BUSINESS Languages Kazakh & Russian HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST Religion Islam / 70,2% • Christianity / 26,3% PROMISING CLUSTERS OF THE KZT NATIONAL ECONOMY. Currency Kazakh tenge / KZT Exchange: $1 = 379.7 9 RUSSIAN FEDERATION Nur-Sultan Oskemen KAZAKHSTAN Almaty MONGOLIA Mangystau Taraz TURKEY CHINA INDIA GEOGRAPHY Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and it’s From canyons and deserts to largely located in Asia while the most western parts are in Eastern Europe. Kazakhstan’s terrain extends west to east mountains, forests and lakes; from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains and north to from ultra-modern cities to south from the plains of Western Siberia to deserts of Cen- tral Asia. boundless plains. Embark on a new adventure in CLIMATE Kazakhstan Kazakhstan has four distinct seasons: frosty winter, blossom- ing spring, hot summer and colorful autumn. 11 K AZAKHSTAN: FILM INDUSTRY 2 KEY INDICATORS 2019 • KAZAKHSTAN HAS OVER 50 Number of releases in 374 distribution ACTIVELY WORKING PRODUCTION COMPANIES MOSTLY LOCATED IN Number of national 44 ALMATY, SOME ARE OPENING IN releases in distribution NUR-SULTAN AND OTHER CITIES. THE NUMBER IS GROWING. Box office 18.4 billion KZT = $49.6 million USD • KAZAKHFILM STUDIOS IS THE Admissions 17.8 million LARGEST STATE OWNED FILM STUDIO FOUNDED IN 1934. IT Number of cinemas 96 HAS ALL STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT, SOUNDS STUDIOS, PRODUCTION AND POST- Number of screens 386 PRODUCTION FACILITIES. Average ticket price 1 033 KZT = $2.7 USD • KAZAKHSTAN HAS SEVERAL FILM SCHOOLS: KAZAKH NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ARTS N.A. ZHURGENEV, TURAN UNIVERSITY etc. • THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF FILM • DOMESTIC FILMS ALSO ARE OFTEN FUNDING: STATE AND PRIVATE. SHOT AND DISTRIBUTED IN ANNUALLY 40-45 NATIONAL FILMS RUSSIAN (ALSO FOR REASONS OF REACH THE BIG SCREEN. KAZAKHSTAN’S EXPANDING THE DISTRIBUTION PRODUCERS PARTICIPATE IN TO OTHER CIS COUNTRIES, INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION INCLUDING RUSSIA). AND FILMMAKERS REGULARLY DRAW ATTENTION AT THE WORLD’S LEADING • IN 2020 ELECTRONIC TICKET FILM FESTIVALS. SYSTEM IS LAUNCHED (BASED ON THE RUSSIAN UNIFIED FEDERAL • FOREIGN FILMS ARE RELEASED IN AUTOMATED INFORMATION KAZAKHSTAN MOST OFTEN IN RUSSIAN SYSTEM). MARKET TRANSPARENCY (WITH KAZAKH SUBTITLES), WITH AND 10%-15% GROWTH IS EXCEPTION OF LARGE-SCALE OR EXPECTED. CHILDREN’S FILMS, WHICH ARE ALSO DUBBED INTO KAZAKH LANGUAGE. • 54 CINEMAS WILL BE LAUNCHED IN NEXT YEARS. • EACH YEAR THE BOX OFFICE GROWS SIGNIFICANTLY. 15 INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FILM FROM KAZAKHSTAN RECENT YEARS: MONGOL / Academy Award, Oscar Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, 2007. AYKA / Best Actress Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival, 2018. TULPAN / Grand prize UN CERTAIN REGARD, Cannes Film Festival, 2008. HARMONY LESSONS / Silver Bear, Berlin International Film Festival, Competition, Germany, 2013. THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD / Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, France, 2018. A DARK, DARK MAN / Main Competition of the 67 th San Sebastian International Film Festival, Spain, 2019. MARIAM / 72 nd Locarno Film Festival 2019 in Competition LOCAL BOX OFFICE SUCCESSES TOMIRIS KAZAKH BUSINESS OFFLINE HOLIDAYS: Director Akan Sataev FRANCHISE A NEW STREAM Director Alen Niyazbekov Director Ernar Kurmashev SCREENINGS AT EFM 2020: • Kazakh Business in Korea Saturday February 22 nd • Kazakh Business in Africa at 6:20 PM – Cinemaxx 16 • Kazakh Business in America Monday February 24 th at 6:45 PM – Cinemaxx 19 • Kazakh Business 17 WHY SHOOTING IN K AZAKHSTAN • 30% CASH REBATES • NEW FILM LAW BOOSTING CO-PRODUCTIONS • SPECTACULAR LOCATIONS • LOW SHOOTING COSTS • PROFESSIONAL RELIABLE FILM TEAMS • MODERN SAFE ENVIRONMENT • UNIQUE HOSPITALITY KAZAKH CINEMA STATE CENTER FOR SUPPORT OF NATIONAL FILM 3 WHAT WE DO FILM FUNDING NATIONAL CINEMA DEVELOPMENT AND CO-PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES BRINGING FOREIGN FILM SHOOTS TO KAZAKHSTAN NEW INCENTIVE: 30% REBATES INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION & COOPERATION FESTIVALS, FILM MARKETS, FORUMS FILM DISTRIBUTION LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF NATIONAL CINEMA PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION & TRAININGS LOCAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT WHO WE ARE KAZAKH CINEMA CENTER Gulnara SARSENOVA Chairman of the Board, Producer Anna KATCHKO Chief Advisor and Curator of International Strategy, Producer Regina TODERENCHUK International Expert / Kazakhstan’s International Policies / Festivals. WhatsApp +7 705 454 8525, Email [email protected] Esenya ABENOVA International Expert / Rebates / Incentive / Co-production. WhatsApp +7 778 828 0881, Email [email protected] Assel YRYS International Expert / Trainings / Workshops / Cooperation. WhatsApp +7 701 971 1117, Email [email protected] 23 FILM FESTIVALS & FILM ASSOCIATION / ORGANIZATIONS 4 ALMATY EURASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FESTIVAL Almaty International Film Festival is one of Eurasia International Film Festival is not only the the most important annual cultural events in unique event that unites the filmmakers from all Almaty that gathers film industry profession- over the world, it is a big cultural project that very als from different continents, builds bridges much contributes to the dynamic economic, polit- for international cooperation and creates ical and social development of Kazakhstan, that es- perfect networking opportunities for local tablishes the dialogue between different cultures filmmakers and project development within despite the multiple languages and that widens the AFF Business Forum. spiritual connections with foreign countries. Date: 20-26 September, Almaty Date 1 – 7 July, Nur-Sultan www. almatyfilmfestival.com www.eiff.kz “BASTAU” INTERNATIONAL SHAKEN AIMANOV STUDENT AND DEBUT FILM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FESTIVAL “Bastau” International Student and Debut Shaken Aimanov International Film Festival is a suc- Film Festival aims to develop international cessor to Stars of Shaken Festival in a significantly cooperation and cultural exchange between updated format. Currently, it is the world’s only fes- young filmmakers from all around the world. tival devoted to films from Turkic-speaking countries. The festival’s motto is: «NEW GENERA- It bears the name of Shaken Aimanov, a legendary TION CINEMA». figure in CIS cinema, a founding father of Kazakh cin- ema and an iconic film director in Kazakhstan. Date: 12-17 October, Almaty Date: 18-22 April www.bastauiff.kz www.aimanoviff.com 27 THE BAIQONYR “USHQYN” INTERNATIONAL SHORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL The Baiqonyr International Short Film Festival is an “USHQYN” International Film Festival is important event for filmmakers of Central Asia who created to support and promote young, create short films. The festival includes two compet- talented and courageous filmmakers, who itive and several non-competitive programs. Only at study in domestic and international film Baiqonyr ISFF, you can be a witness to a lot of pre- schools. mieres. Baiqonyr International Short Film Festival is one of the largest short film festivals not only in Ka- zakhstan but also in the CIS! Date: 2-6 September, Almaty Date: 21-24 th of April www.baiqonyrfilmfest.kz www.baiqonyrfilmfest.kz NATIONAL ACADEMY UNION OF MOTION PICTURE, OF FILMMAKERS ARTS AND SCIENCES OF KAZAKHSTAN The National Academy of Motion Picture Public organization for professionals in the film Arts and Sciences (or National Film Academy) industry. is a professional nonprofit organization with the goal of advancing the arts, business and ACTIVITY: sciences of motion pictures in Kazakhstan • Protection of social, author’s, related and labor rights, and Central Asia. intellectual property and professional interests of its members. The Academy runs the Eurasia Internation- • Initiation of and participation in the development and al Film Festival, the Eurasia Film Market, and discussion of legislation and other statutory acts concerning has established its own annual awards, called cinema. The Tulpars. • Exchange with filmmakers from other countries. The Academy is a co-founder of the Gradu- • Educational, scientific, research and advertising / publicity ate School of Producing in partnership with work in the cinema sphere. the Almaty Management University (MBA / MFA). FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION OF KAZAKHSTAN Independent