Aruan Anartayev
Aruan Anartayev – a film director and producer from Central Asia, Kazakhstan. Aruan has fiction cinema, creative documentary and individual direction education background. Since 2017, Aruan has worked as an executive producer at the documentary film studio Tihiy Svet in Almaty. In the authors' creative documentaries, Aruan is managing the production, film distribution, fundraising and impact campaigns. Aruan twice won grants from State Center for support of National Cinema (Kazakhstan) in 2020 and 2022 and with it produced fiction films. As a producer, he led the production of commissioned films and social impact films for renowned regional and international organizations, such as: The WHO, World Bank, UNFPA, UNDP and many others. In 2022-2023 he participated in the EXO Workshop by the Institute of Documentary, where under the guidance of international tutors he learned the basics of international co-production. Filmography: ● “Face the Music” / full-length documentary, 2019 / producer ● “Qoryqpa” / full-length documentary, 2024 / producer ● “Warm Lake” / short fiction film, 2021 / producer and director ● “Joqtau” / full-length fiction film, 2024 / producer and director ● “Qyzbolsyn: May it be a Girl” (work in a process) / full-length documentary / 2025 / producer Recent Awards: ● 2023 Alternativa ALTER Award / “Qoryqpa” (“Streets Loud with Echo”). ● 2023 EXO East Doc Platform Cut Thru the Noise Award / “Qyzbolsyn” (May it be a Girl”). ● 2023 EAST DOC PLATFORM 2023 Special mention / “Qyzbolsyn” (May it be a Girl”).
Banu Ramazanova
Banu Ramazanova is a Kazakh producer and director of documentary and feature films. Received a BA with Honors in Film and Screen Studies from the UK and was accepted into the MFA Filmmaking program at the New York Film Academy. PhD student specializing in "Directing”. Her debut directorial work - the full-length documentary film "over the barriers" was shown at many international film festivals and received 14 prizes. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation. Her study analyzes the influence and interaction of international trends and features of Kazakh culture on the development of documentary cinema in the country.
Yulia Levitskaya
Born on Sakhalin Island, currently lives and works in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Basic education - architect and director-animator, additional - Screenwriting and Special makeup courses. In the background - design and contemporary art, film studio "Kazakhfilm" (production designer, costume designer) From 2010 to the present - co-founder and head of the company ARTDEPARTMENT.KZ The company specializes in the creation of feature and genre films, as well as the production of special makeup and special effects (FX Makeup & Practical Effects) Author and head of the training program Workshop of ultra-short films "European-Asian" (Sakhalin IFF and Almaty) Author and co-organizer (together with Eldar Shibanov) - local film market CONCEPT Trainer from Kazakhstan in Script LAB - UNESCO CA 2022 Participant of Biennale Cinema College 2022 (together with Eldar Shibanov) Author of the practical course "ARTCONCEPT and producing in cinema" Main focus today - independent auteur and genre cinema - artistic concept, screenplay, producing, directing.
Eldar Shibanov
Eldar Shibanov is an independent director and screenwriter based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Together with Yulia Levitskaya, they became finalists of the Biennale Cinema College pitching. The project received a grant of 150,000 euros. The premiere of the debut film “Mountain Onion” took place at the 79th Venice Film Festival. Studied in the “Showrunner” workshop class of Zhora Kryzhovnikov at the “Industry” film school. Eldar creates personal and vivid films.