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Author Films and Co-production from Kazakhstan
Development and production of feature, documentary, and animated projects from Kazakhstan and Central Asia for international festivals and platforms.

About Us
An independent production company from Kazakhstan, focused on auteur cinema and international co-productions.
The focus is on stories where people, memory, family ties, social themes, and the Central Asian space are important.
Support for directors at all stages — from idea and script to visual solution. Work is carried out in partnership with teams in Kazakhstan and abroad.
The work is based on respect for the author's vision, transparent processes, openness to international cooperation, and attention to local context and global audience.

Formats
  • Auteur feature film
  • Short film
  • Documentary film
  • Auteur animation
Films
This section presents projects in development and production — films making their way from concept to festival release. Each story for us is a space for authorial expression and dialogue with the viewer.
In Development
"Pay the Bill"
(Kazakhstan)
Format: feature film
Director: Assel Aushakimova
Logline: After an unexpected call from a police officer, a 60-year-old woman spends a difficult night and day searching for her daughter, plunging into a world of universal indifference.

Press Kit
Laboratories and Markets:
2023
  • Talents from Central Asia - Tashkent IFF
  • Asian Project Market - Busan IFF
  • CAF Pitch - Bishkek IFF (winner)
2024
  • Central Asian Co-production Workshop - Cannes Film Festival (CTC)
  • Alternativa Development Lab
  • 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (UN Women, Embassy of France, Embassy of Belgium)
2025
  • West Meets East Screenplay Lab - Dhaka IFF
"The Cicadas' Call"
(Kazakhstan, France)
Format: feature film
Directors: Gulshat Omarova, Sergey Bodrov
Logline: Between urban noise and the endless steppe, a person tries to hear their own voice - through the cicadas' call, memory, and the impossibility of returning.
Co-production with the film company
"Le Petites Lumieres" (France)
Completed Projects
Films that have already met audiences at festivals and in cinemas.
"My Mother's Name Is Happiness"
(2020, Kazakhstan)
Format: short film
Logline: a desperate girl, who managed to escape from her home, realizes that her modest mother is the very person who needs to break free...
Director: Shugyla Serzhan
"Little Samurai"
(2024, Japan, Kazakhstan)
Format: feature film
Logline: in the Kazakh steppe, three children grow up too soon, discovering concepts of honor, responsibility, and inner strength – the path of a little samurai far from Japan.
Directors: Shinju Sano, Yerlan Nurmukhambetov
"Horse Thieves. Roads of Time"
(2019, Kazakhstan, Japan)
Format: feature film
Logline: a band of horse thieves kills the family's father. Olzhas, a 12-year-old son, deeply grieves his father's death and tries to cope with the evil that befalls his family.
Directors: Yerlan Nurmukhambetov, Lisa Takeba
For Authors and Directors
The company is open to collaboration with directors seeking their own artistic language and ready for creative dialogue.
Special attention is given to projects with strong visual potential, exploring the culture, space, and stories of Central Asia.
Interest lies in both art-house and commercial cinema, offering a fresh perspective and bold artistic solutions. Teams striving to bring significant and honest stories to life are invited for dialogue.
How we work with projects
Every project is unique, but the work is structured in a specific sequence—from the first acquaintance with the material to the film's release to the world. The process is built transparently at all stages with respect for the director's vision.
Selection and Dialogue
Materials are reviewed together with the director to determine the format of participation. Mutual trust and alignment on the project's vision are important.
Development and Partner Search
The project is refined and prepared for submission to funds, labs, and international programs. The search for partners, co-producers, and investors is underway.
Production and Post-production
Preparation and execution of the filming period, support for editing and sound work - editing, color correction, sound.
Festivals and Release
A festival program and promotion strategy are built, promotional materials are prepared, and communication with media and platforms is established.
Team
A small team of producers and cinematographers working with arthouse cinema and international projects. Our shared vision is honest filmmaking, attentive to form, space, and human experience.
Assel Yerzhanova
Producer,
Company Founder
works with arthouse cinema and international projects. She accompanies projects from the initial development stages to international festival releases, building a dialogue between the director's vision and the requirements of the international industry.
Gulsina Mustafina
Producer
works in arthouse cinema, commercial projects, and events. She organizes production at all stages – from planning and team formation to implementation and post-production, combining a creative approach with clear production logic.
Rustem Abdullin
Line Producer
organizes the filming process in various regions of Kazakhstan, knows local locations and the specifics of working on location, ensures the production process from preparation to shooting, building reliable logistics and conditions for the team's work.
Services and Co-production
The company works with directors, producers, and platforms, joining projects at various stages — from development to release. The approach is flexible and attentive to the specifics of each story.
Project Development and Packaging
Assistance in refining dramaturgy and visual solutions, while preserving the author's style. Preparation of a package for funds and co-producers: logline, synopsis, director's statement, mood board, basic budget, and calendar plan.
Line Production in Kazakhstan
Organization of "turnkey" filming not only in Astana and Almaty but throughout Kazakhstan: local team, casting, locations, permits, logistics, service production.
Film Co-production
Participation in projects as co-producers, connecting local stories with international partners and funding sources.
Festival and Release Strategy
Development of a film promotion strategy: festivals, market, pitching, promotional materials, press kit, release support. Organization of premiere screenings, communications with press, distributors, and platforms.
Producer Works
projects in which the team participated as executive and line producers
"Tulpan" (2002)
Format: Feature Film
Logline: This is the story of a Kazakh guy who lives in a family of nomadic shepherds and wants to get married, but cannot find a bride because there are simply none in the steppe. "This is a film with a huge heart. In it, man and space are closely intertwined, which on the one hand are in amazing harmony, and on the other, come into opposition" (Sergei Dvortsevoy).
Director: Sergei Dvortsevoy
"Daughter of Yakuza" (2010)
Format: Feature Film
Logline: The girl Yuriko is the granddaughter of the influential yakuza boss Tatsuo Yamada, whom everyone fears, and he fears for her. An epic historical saga that revives forgotten legends and cultural traditions. A film full of grandeur and inspiration, with stunning costumes and scenery.
Directors: Sergei Dvortsevoy, Guka Omarova
"First Spring Rains" (2011)
Format: Feature Film
Logline: Production Kazakhstan, Japan
Directors: Yerlan Nurmukhambetov, Shinju Sano
Festivals and Awards:
  • "Eurasia" IFF, 2011, Grand Prix
  • "Heimatfilm" IFF in Innsbruck, 2011, Grand Prix
"Winners are visible at the start" (2025)
Format: Feature Film
Logline: This is the story of 17-year-old Mila, who, striving for independence, escapes the chaos in her family and joins an open-water swimming team. But when her participation in a competition is threatened, Mila must decide what she is willing to do to keep her place on the team.
Director: Zhannat Alshanova
Our Values
Principles guiding our work with directors, partners, and teams.
Respect for the Author's Vision
The director is the author of the film. The producer's task is to help the vision come to life.
Process Transparency
Honesty in matters of budget, timelines, and production decisions.
International Dialogue
Collaboration with partners worldwide.
Long-term Relationships
It's important not just to make one film, but to build partnerships for years to come.
Quality at All Stages
From the first synopsis to the final master—attention to project quality.
Contacts
The company is based in Astana and Almaty and works with partners worldwide. For discussions of projects, co-productions, and cooperation — see contacts below.
Email for general inquiries:
filmfilmfilm@gmail.com
Email for projects and co-productions:
2filmfilmfilm@gmail.com
Thank you for your interest in our work. We look forward to new projects and partnerships.