Content ANALYTIcs 6 StatISTIcs 14 PROfessIOnaL ORGanIsatIOns 20 PRODUctION 24 DISTRIBUTION 40 CInema CHAIns 44 FestIVALS & AWARDS 50 EDUcatION 56 BUSINESS PLATFORM | EURASIA SPOTLIGHT 60 FOREIGN COmpanIes 76 Eurasia IFF | 13th Edition | Bridging Cultures | Astana | July 22–28, 2017 | www.eurasiaiff.com FILM LIneUP | AVAILABLE ON CInanDO VL 84 COLONTITUL COLONTITUL 4 5 Zailiiskii Alatau ANALYTICS investors. Kazakhstan’s producers participate in international co-production and filmmakers regularly draw attention at the world’s leading film festivals. Although to date the Republic has no special Law on Cinema, drafts for a new legislation have been discussed in recent years both in the film industry and at the Ministry of Culture. Thus, in autumn 2014 the first industrial forum “Cinema of Kazakhstan” has taken place, where experts have discussed issues and The film market prospects for the development of the industry. The plans of the initiative group include the acceptance of a Law on Cinema that would allow Kazakhstani film of the Republic companies – irrespective of forms of ownership – to obtain regular state support both in the form of direct grants and through fiscal incentives, which will also of Kazakhstan in 2016 help involve foreign film crews. At present, the state film studio Kazakhfilm receives the state funding, which it uses most commonly to produce films in cooperation with independent producers that supply the ideas and scripts. Annually some 10 to 30 domestic films reach the screens, including co-productions. Cooperation with foreign XENIA LEONTYEVA, SENIOR ANALYST OF NEVAFILM RESEARCH companies takes place within the framework of the “Agreements about Joint Film Production with CIS States” of 14 November 2008. Mostly, Russia acts as the 6 main producer of films, since it has a larger list of international agreements on 7 joint film production, including the European Convention from 2 October 1992. Thanks to this, Kazakhstan has access to partners from European countries. From Europe, Russian films are the ones most in demand in Kazakhstan, which is linked to the general history and the mentality of the population in the two countries. Spectators are united also by a common language: Russian has the The Republic of Kazakhstan is the third largest film market in the CIS after the status of a language of interethnic significance and is spoken by almost the entire Russian Federation and Ukraine: 17.9 million people live in the country, and population of Kazakhstan, irrespective of nationality. Foreign films are released each of them goes to the movies 0.8 times per year. Like other countries of the in the Republic most often in Russian, since the market size currently does not former USSR, Kazakhstan has come a long way from the hardship of economic allow for additional dubbing of films into the Kazakh language, although some crisis during the early years of independence – also affecting the cinema –, films are dubbed all the same (especially children’s films). Domestic films also to the restoration of the film market at a high technological level. are often shot and distributed in Russian (also for reasons of expanding the distribution to other CIS countries, including Russia), even though largely they are Nowadays, all commercial cinema venues in the country are equipped with filmed in the Kazakh language. digital projection facilities. There are representations of Hollywood Majors in Kazakhstan, although mostly these are branches of their Russian offices. The In 2016 the Kazakh film market has shown the best results since independence: modern industrial base of the film studio Kazakhfilm, carefully maintained according to the Statistical Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK), the box since Soviet times, continues to operate and develop. Domestic films are shot office has reached 14.1 billion Tenge (nearly 37.3 million Euro), and number of with state support from the Ministry of Culture and with the support of private cinema admissions has reached 14.5 million. ANALYTICS ANALYTICS Admissions and box office in the Republic of Kazakhstan In the past year the number of the ticket sales in Kazakhstan has grown by 28 %; the market has recovered from the 12 % drop in 2015. The box office in the national currency (Tenge) has also increased (by 35 %); however, because of the 14 117,6 14 474,9 13 410,0 13 201,0 12 339,5 12 795,0 drop in the Tenge exchange rate, the market share has actually decreased by 12 11 300,5 11 588,0 % when calculated in Euros (in total the figure for 2015 was 42.3 million Euro). 10 031,2 10 426,9 For three years running the share of national films in distribution has not fallen below 10 %. According to Nevafilm Research, 30 Kazakh films were distributed 8,3% 6,3% 12,8% 11,5% 10,6% in 2016. The most popular was the sequel to the 2014 comedy hit Daughter- Source: In-Law Sabina, directed by Nurtas Adambay, which is titled Daughter-In-Law Statistical Agency of the RK Sabina 2 and was released in 2016; it attracted over 330,000 spectators and occupied eighth rank in the overall Kazakh ratings, overtaking Disney’s Doctor 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Strange and Captain America: Civil War. Box office (mln Tenge) Admissions (thousands) Top 10 films in Kazakh distribution in 2016 Admissions percentage for national films Admissions Box office No Film title Release date Distributor (thousands) (mill. Tenge) 1 Suicide Squad 04.08.16 SulPak Cinema 511.9 551.6 Kazakhstan and European Countries: 2016 2 Zootopia 03.03.16 Meloman 504.7 494.1 8 No. Country Admissions (mill.) Currency Box office (mill.) 3 Moana 01.12.16 Meloman 412.5 388.1 9 1 France 213.1 Euro 1, 387.7 4 The Jungle Book 07.0 4.16 Meloman 370.5 370.8 20th Century Fox 2 Russia 191.1 Rouble 48,282.0 5 Deadpool 11.02.16 356.7 403.3 3 UK 168.3 Pound Sterling 1,222.0 Kazakhstan 4 Germany 121.1 Euro 1,023.0 6 Warcraft 26.05.16 SulPak Cinema 352.1 376.2 20th Century Fox 5 Italy 112.5 Euro 689.0 7 Kung Fu Panda 3 28.01.16 346.5 329.7 Kazakhstan 6 Spain 103.3 Euro 618.0 Daughter-In-Law 7 Turkey 58.3 Turkish Lira 692.0 8 07.03.16 SulPak Cinema 331.4 348.6 Sabina 2 8 Poland 52.1 Zloty 968.0 9 Doctor Strange 31.10.16 Meloman 329.1 350.1 9 Netherlands 34.2 Euro 288.0 Captain America: 10 Ukraine 24.0 Hryvnia 1,640.8 10 05.05.16 Meloman 312.1 349.2 Source: Civil War Nevafilm Research 11 Sweden 17.8 Swedish Krona 1,932.0 12 Ireland 15.8 Euro 109.0 13 Czech Republic 15.6 Czech Koruna 2,011.0 The leading players in distribution in Kazakhstan are companies that represent 14 Austria 15.1 Euro 134.0 the American Majors: 15 Portugal 14.9 Euro 77.0 16 Hungary 14.6 Forint 19,840.0 Meloman, which handles Columbia Sony, Walt Disney, etc.; Source: 17 Kazakhstan 14.5 Tenge 14,117.6 SulPak Cinema, which handles Warner Bros., Universal, etc.; European Audiovisual th 18 Denmark 13.5 Danish Krone 1,128.0 20 Century Fox Kazakhstan: official representation in Kazakhstan; Observatory, CNC, Russian Film Business 19 Switzerland 13.4 Swiss Franc 204.0 ProfSolutionGroup (Good Cinema), which has handled packages from Today, Statistical 20 Norway 13.1 Norwegian Krone 1,375.0 Agency of the RK Paramount, Central Partnership, Focus Features, Lionsgate etc. since 2016. ANALYTICS ANALYTICS The largest distributor of domestic films is the film studio Kazakhfilm; however, On the whole, at the beginning of 2017 Kazakhstan had a total of 78 commercial in recent years Kazakhstan’s producers have drawn attention also from cinemas with 272 screens, all of them digital and 62 % equipped with 3D representatives of the Majors, above all the company SulPak Cinema (in 2016 it capabilities. Over the last year, the market in the Republic has grown by 8 %, released 11 domestic films, whereas Kazakhfilm released only 5), and also the thus the deceleration after the 2015 crisis has been overcome (then the growth company Meloman (2 releases in 2016). was only 1 %, which was especially noticeable against the background of the rapid growth in 2014, with an additional 16 % of screens). Meanwhile Independent foreign projects are mostly released by Russian distributors directly construction work in the Republic will bring more shopping malls, which means or through small intermediary companies which, as a rule, deal with individual the growth of the cinema network will continue in the coming years. cinema networks in Kazakhstan (for example, with Kinopark or Chaplin Cinemas). Commercial cinemas in the Republic of Kazakhstan Top 5 Kazakh distributors in 2016 272 250 253 Number Number Admissions Box Office 224 216 No Distributor of films of releases (thousands) (mill. Tenge) 1 Meloman 127 116 6,127.7 6,282.4 41% 56% 60% 62% 62% 2 SulPak Cinema 71 65 5,015.4 5,268.8 3 20th Century Fox Kazakhstan 23 19 1,882.7 1,879.3 72 67 69 71 78 4 ProfSolutionGroup (Good Cinema) 12 10 338.7 361.0 Source: 5 Asia Kinoprokat 23 19 222.6 225.0 Nevafilm Research Source: Nevafilm Research 10 11 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 The company Meloman operates its own network of cinemas under the brand Cinemas Arsenal (sixth in the cinema rating). The largest cinema network in Kazakhstan Screens is the company Kinopark, which owns 19 % of all auditoria in the country; its Share of 3D-screens cinemas have the only IMAX screens in the country.