Aktan Arym Kubat

Biography

Born in 1957 in Kyrgyzstan, he is a film director and one of the leading figures of contemporary Kyrgyz cinema. Between 1976 and 1980, he studied at the Kyrgyz State School of Arts. In 1981, he began his film career as a set decorator and production designer at Kyrgyzfilm Studio, named after Tölömüş Okeev. In 1997, he founded the independent film studio Beshkempir, and since 2004, he has served as Art Director of the Oy Art Production Company. He has played an active role in public and professional initiatives aimed at developing Kyrgyz cinema and was among the initiators of the strategic program “Kyrgyz Cinematography – 2010.” Directing Credits: 1998 - Beshkempir; winner of the Silver Leopard Award at the Locarno Film Festival. 2001 - Maimyl (The Monkey); screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. 2010 - Svet-Ake (The Light Thief); selected for the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. 2011 - Apam Üçün Beyiş (Heaven for My Mother). 2016 - Centaur; recipient of the CICAE Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. 2022 - Esimde (Shambala); world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival. He is a member of the European Film Academy and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy. He holds the title of People’s Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic, is a recipient of the Toktogul State Prize, the Order of Manas (Second and Third Class), the Knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters, and the TÜRKSOY Gold Medal for his contributions to the cinema of the Turkic world.