Suat Kocer
Suat Kocer was born in Erzurum in 1980 and has been writing in the field of cinema since 2002. His film reviews, research and review articles and interviews with well-known filmmakers were published in various national newspapers and cinema magazines. In 2010, he founded the cinema magazine named ‘Film Arasi’ (Movie break). He worked as a consultant in the field of cinema in various public institutions and organizations. Working as a consultant and jury member at various film festivals, Suat Kocer continues his film career with his projects as a screenwriter and producer. Kocer also continues to offer opportunities to young talents at the film festivals he coordinates. Having written 5 books in total so far, he wrote two story books, one on cinema and two novels.
Bolat Kalymbetov
Director, actor.
Member of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR (1984). Member of the Union of Cinematographers of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Honored Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Laureate and Prize-winner of international film festivals, awarded the Orders of “Kurmet” (2009) and “Parasat” (2017).
Zhanna Kuanysheva
Актриса
Zhanna Kuanysheva is an actress, Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR, member of the Union of Cinematographers of Kazakhstan. Graduated with a degree in Philology from the Kazakh State University named after S.M. Kirov in 1983. Her acting debut took place in 1972 in the film ‘Rain’ directed by S. Raibaev. Soon the actress got the role, which became a truly landmark role in her creative biography. In B. Mansurov’s film ‘Parable of Love’ Zhanna Kuanysheva played the main role. Shortly thereafter, she was invited to play the main role in the film ‘Keep Your Star’ directed by Sharip Bisembaev. This role contributed significantly to Zhanna Kuanysheva’s popularity, making her a beloved figure among the people. Today, the actress also continues to act in films and attend cultural events.
Taalaibek Kulmendeev
director, producer
Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Kyrgyzstan. Born in 1967 in the Issyk-Kul region, Kyrgyzstan. In 2002-2004 he studied at the Rosebud Academy of New European Cinema and Television (Roma, Italy). He was the director of the Cinema House named after Chingiz Aitmatov and the head of the National Film Studio “Kyrgyzfilm” named after T. Okeyev. Taalaibek Kulmendeev is the president of the Ak Ilbris Central Asian Academy of Cinematographic Arts, coordinator of the Oscar Committee of Kyrgyzstan and one of the founders of the Ak Ilbris National Film Award.
Elchin Musaoglu
Director, producer, scriptwriter
Azerbaijani theater and film director, producer, scriptwriter, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan (2016). Member of the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan, Member of the European Film Academy, Member of the Union of Documentary Filmmakers of Turkey, as well as the founder of the Society for Support of the Development of Documentary Films and Authorial Programs in Azerbaijan.
Aziz Zhambakiyev
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
He was born in Kazakhstan on July 10, 1987. In 2011 he graduated from the Kazakh National Academy of Arts named after T. K. Zhurgenov, specialty “cinema and TV director of photography. Winner of the Silver Bear of the Berlin Film Festival 2013 for outstanding artistic achievement (“Lessons of Harmony”). Since 2014 – Member of Asian Film Academy (AFA) in Hong Kong (China)
Cyrielle Nifle
Curator
Cyrielle Nifle is the international and digital development manager at CinéFabrique, a public film school based in Lyon and Marseille, France. Since 2018, Cyrielle Nifle has been working on the creation of a film school in Myanmar and the development of film the development of film training in Senegal, Central African Republic, Palestine and Singapour. Before working at CinéFabrique, Cyrielle Nifle has worked in Beijing, China, where she has organized film festivals and other film events.
Renaud Pecheur
Strategic designer since 2013 specialized in pedagogic program design for high schools in the creative/artistique/entertainment field. CEO of R2Design, a design studio specialized in strategy for academic fields.
Today, helping and accompanying high schools all around the world, partners of RUBIKA, in their development at RUBIKA France.
Murad Ibragimbekov
Director, scriptwriter, actor
Born in 1965 in Baku. 1989 – graduated from VGIK, Institute of Cinematography. 1983 – 1985 – served in the army. The winner of the award for the best short film -the Silver Lion of the Venice Film Festival 2003. Performed as an actor in films directed by Peter Greenaway and Larisa Sadilova. NIPCOW PROGRAM scholar, Germany. Author of the short story collection “The Anthropologist’s Departure” and the novel “Madagascar. Hitler Gave Us a Country”.
Elvira Mamytova
Producer
She graduated from Bishkek Humanitarian University in 2001 with a degree in «Linguistics – Theory and Practice of Translation». Since 2011 she has been working in the cinematography department of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Since 2016, she has headed the international relations department. Organizer and curator of various cultural forums, film laboratories and events, including within the framework of the Venice Film Festival and the Marche du Film of the Cannes Film Festival. She is the producer of the full-length feature film “Belek” by Dalmira Tilepbergen.
Asiya Baigozhina
Director
Graduated from the Kazakh State University (Almaty), completed the High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors (Moscow). Journalist. Screenwriter. Documentary film director. She began her career at the Kazakhfilm film studio as the editor-in-chief of the Association of Newsreel Documentaries and Popular Science Films. She was the artistic director of the Parallel youth studio. In the mid-nineties, she served as a screenwriter and editor for the first Kazakh TV series, ‘Crossroads’ (NTVNA ‘Khabar’). She worked in the republican media, and concurrently made films on her own. In 2008, she became the Dean of the Faculty of Cinema and TV at the Kazakh National Academy of Arts. Now she is an associate professor, leading a workshop on directing non-fiction films at the same faculty. She also works on creating independent documentary films
Safar Haqdodov
Sriptwriter, director, producer.
Safar Haqdodov was born on August 5, 1961. Since 1986 he started work at the film studio Tajikfilm. Since 2004 he founded and leads the International Film Festival “Didor” in Tajikistan, which is held every two years.
Since 2011 – Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of the Republic of Tajikistan. His debut short fiction film: ‘A dream in reality’ (1991) is awarded Grand Prix of the International Film Festival in Tampere (Finland). Also the films on his scenario: ‘True Noon’, ‘The Teacher’ , ‘The Road’ ( directed by N.Saidov) is awarded main prizes of many International film festivals.
Talgat Taishanov
DoP, director, academic.
Excellence in Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan award winner, a member of the Union of Cinematographers of CIS countries, a full member of the National Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and a full member of the Eurasian TV and Radio Academy.
Heleen Gerritsen
Producer, curator
Heleen studied Slavonic Languages, Eastern European History and Economics in Amsterdam and St Petersburg. In 2003 she moved to Germany and started freelancing as a researcher, documentary film producer and curator. From 2014 to 2016 she was director of the dokumentART film festival in Neubrandenburg, Germany. Since October 2017 Heleen is at the helm of goEast film festival, organized by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum (the German film institute). goEast focuses on cinema from the post-socialist space. Apart from contemporary programs and competitions, the festival features an academic symposium, a talent program for up-and-coming filmmakers, as well as several historical programs each year. Heleen is a member of the European Film Academy and a founding member of Documentary Association of Europe.
Nino Kirtadze
Director, actress, scriptwriter, editor
European Film Academy-award-winning director Nino Kirtadze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, she is based in France since 1997. She is one of the few Georgian directors who made her cinematic debut in France and quickly established herself as one of the leading film directors in Europe working with international coproductions. Her films deal with difficult and controversial subjects, placing the accent on the human drama and creating deep insightful human portraits.
Kirtadze’s films have won international acclaim and numerous prestigious awards at festivals worldwide. The highlights include Best Director Prize at Sundance for «Durakovo-village of fools», the European Film Academy award and Visions du Réel Grand Prize for “Pipeline next door”, Germany’s top award, the Adolf Grimme Gold, for “Chechen Lullaby” and the Cinema du Réel prize for “Tell my friends that I’m dead”.
Diana Abdullaeva
Director, student
Kazakh National Academy of Arts named after Temirbek Zhurgenov, Faculty of Cinema and TV, Department of Directing of Screen Arts, specialization in Film Direction7
Jihangez Dilnaz
Director, student
Jihangez Dilnaz, a 3rd year student studying Directing at the Turan Film Academy. She works on the production of short films and TV series. She was the creative producer of the educational web series ‘Bir qadam’, as well as the director of one of the episodes. Her documentary film ‘Alina’ with elements of narrative films, participated in such film festivals as the Baiqonyr (National Contest) and the KinoProba IFF.
Kyrmyzy Rustembekova
Director, student
Kyrmyzy Rustembekova was born on January 6, 2003. She graduated from the East Kazakhstan School of Arts named after People’s Artists of the Abdullin with a degree in Directing of Mass Theatrical Performances. She is currently a second year student at the School of Media and Cinema. She translated films, participants of the Method Independent Documentary Film Festival, from Russian into Kazakh.
Tsengel Davaasambuu, Mongolia
Producer
Tsengel Davaasambuu (PhD) is Mongolian film producer and professor of Mongolian National University of Arts and Culture. She has been a member of NETPAC since 2016 and served on juries for Busan International Film Festival, South Korea 2022 Busan Children and Youth Film Festival, South Korea 2022, Hanoi International film festival, Hanoi, Vietnam 2018, Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea 2017 and others.
Keoprasith SOUVANNAVONG, France
Film critic, journalist
Radio, TV and written press journalist. Since 1993 he works at Radio France Internationale (RFI). After having written and presented newscast and features and having reported on political and cultural events (such as film festivals) for 14 years, he is now chief editor at the Internet Service of RFI, which website is one of the world’s most visited French-speaking news site. Fond of cinema, he also acted in the feature film THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA, which received the “Caméra d’or” and “Prix de la jeunesse” awards at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1993, as well as the “César” award in Paris as the best first feature film, and which was later nominated for an Oscar as the best foreign film. Based in Paris, he has also been a jury member and president of various juries at different film festivals in the world. He is also a member of the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC).
Asel Sherniazova, Kyrgyzstan
Producer
Asel Sherniyazova serves as the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, shaping its narrative and promoting cultural exchange. As a first member of the Golden Globe Association from Central Asia, she contributes to the industry’s recognition and excellence. Actively involved in championing Asian cinema, Asel is a member of NETPAC. Additionally, she lends her expertise as an advisory board member of the Cinema Heritage Film Festival, furthering her commitment to preserving and celebrating cinematic heritage on the global stage.