November 20, 2023
The main venue of the film market is the Arman Cinema (address: 104 Dostyk Avenue, Almaty, Kazakhstan).
General partners: Cinionic and Bihas, Harkness Screens, Association of Restaurateurs of Kazakhstan, Novotel Hotel, Kazakhstan Hotel, Visit Almaty, Etnomedia online cinema, Megogo online cinema, NIET independent film distributor.
Exhibitors: State Center for Support of National Cinema (Kazakhstan), TRAPEZA, Cinionic/Bihas, Tiger Films, Asia Cinema, Dear Silence, Epicentrum, Niet.
At the opening of the film market participants and guests were welcomed by EFM Director Elena Larionova, Partner Ekaterina Bordacheva, Managing Director of the Arman Cinema Irina Lebedeva, Consul General of France in the Republic of Kazakhstan Fabrice Neveu, Counselor of the Embassy of France on cooperation and cultural issues Alex Bortolan, Attaché of the Embassy of France on audiovisual cooperation Emmanuelle Faucilhon.
From September 11 to 14, 17 companies will make its presentation within EFM business program. Presentations of content and services for cinemas and online platforms will be held by:
Cinionic and Bihas — one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of film equipment and its distribution partner; Kinologistika – an independent international film distributor; Asia Cinema — a film equipment integrator and supplier; Asanafilm – a film distribution company operating in Kazakhstan and the CIS; State Center for Support of National Cinema (Kazakhstan); Tiger Films — the largest film production company in Kazakhstan; Megogo – an international media service; Sakha Film, a film production company and distributor; German Films, the National Center for the Promotion of German Cinema (Germany); Unifrance, the French Films Promotion Organization, and CNC, the National Cinema Center (France); RAY11, a film production company/animation studio (Georgia); Digital District, the European leader in post-production, special effects and color correction; Digital Solutions/Kinoplan, services and solutions for cinemas; NIET distribution, an independent film distributor.
On September 11, as part of the opening of the Eurasian Film Market, a joint presentation by the general partners of the film market, Bihas Distribution Company and Cinionic — a world leader in technical solutions for film projection — took place.
The integrator presented a wide range of technical solutions for cinemas and other public, social, cultural institutions and facilities. The offer includes direct supplies of professional equipment from the world's leading manufacturers: projectors, displays, congress systems, mounts and screens, home and professional acoustics, lighting and of course movie projectors. Cinionic, uniting several major manufacturers, is represented in the largest cinema chains all over the world and occupies 60% of the global market share.
The driving force behind the offer is the new generation laser projection.
Also, on the opening day, Kinologistika film distribution company held a detailed presentation. Anatoly Sergeev, the head of the company spoke about its own film production, presented exclusive materials that premiered at the forum, as well as shared plans for the release of films for the seasons 2023-2024.
Anatoly Sergeyev, Kinologistika:
"I was very happy to accept the invitation of Ekaterina Bordacheva and Elena Larionova to finally get to know in more detail the film distribution and industry of Kazakhstan as a whole, as well as to discuss possible cooperation with other representatives of the CIS and beyond. We also see this trip as a way to extend the summer for a few more days."
The presentation was conducted by the State Center for Support of National Cinema (Kazakh Cinema), which spoke about the amount of support for film production in Kazakhstan and presented a line-up of recent projects made with the support of the Center and are in production. Speakers at the presentation were Kurmanbek Zhumagaliuly, Chairman of the Board of the State Center for National Cinema Support, and Baurzhan Shukenov, Deputy Chairman of the Board.
One of the main focuses of Eurasian Film Market is to support the film industry of Central Asian countries. We have created some initiatives for this purpose.
#SEARCH program presentation will present full-length feature films and documentaries from Central Asian countries made in 2022-2023. The program includes more than 100 films from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.
The French Film Festival "French Premieres" will be held within the Eurasian Film Market to present the new recent French films.
At the press conference, Consul General of France in the Republic of Kazakhstan Fabrice Neveu noted in his speech that in addition to strengthening and development of economic and cultural ties between our countries, he observes the growing interest in Kazakhstani cinema in Europe. This is evident from the movies that passengers watch during air travel. He emphasized the importance of further development of relations between our countries, particularly in the field of cinematography.
The French Film Festival will open with the premiere screening of the film "Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe" directed by Martin Provost, which tells the story of the intense personal life of one of the greatest artists Pierre Bonnard, known for his exquisite works full of bright colors. The movie is provided by the distributor Arna Media CIS.
Screenings of French films for the audience will be held on September 12, 13, 14 from 18:00 in the Arman Cinema.
The organizer of the international film market is Eurasian Film Market LLP represented by the Director Elena Larionova Haug.
Elena Larionova Haug commented: "The main objective of Eurasian Film Market is to create a modern platform for the promotion of domestic and foreign projects and companies in the CIS countries, as well as to expand business opportunities between our countries and the world. Film market participants: film content producers (producers, producing centers, film production companies); film content buyers (distribution companies, sales agents, cinema chains and independent cinemas, streaming platforms, digital TV); foreign organizations promoting national film content; representatives of foreign funds and individual programmes to support film production and distribution; film service providers; film commissions; programmers of international film festivals.
Holding an international film market in Almaty moves the center of business relations in the CIS film industry to Kazakhstan, bringing together its main players. It ensures awareness of the opportunities in the film industry of Central Asian countries in the near and far abroad, attracting foreign investment and developing relationships with existing and new strategic partners. In its first year the Eurasian Film Market will gather 250+ delegates. Predominantly representatives from CIS countries. A large pool of participants from Russia has been confirmed, including independent distribution companies and other representatives of the film business. It should be noted that the geopolitical situation in the region has contributed to the fact that many Hollywood majors like Disney, Sony, Universal and others have moved their representative offices overseeing the film releases in the CIS to Kazakhstan. Thus, Kazakhstan is becoming the center of the regional film industry."
Ekaterina Bordacheva, Partner of the Eurasian Film Market, commented: "Eurasian Film Market brings together the interests of hundreds of film professionals from dozens of countries around the world. The Film Market helps to realize the main tasks of industry players: presenting their film projects to regional and foreign buyers, searching and selecting films, expanding business contacts, increasing the recognition of their brand if the company is engaged in providing film services, and developing new markets. We are creating a stable network of communications and connections, which in the future will become points of support for the development of stable and avant-garde business lines".
Kunzhana Ormanbetova, #SEARCH program Manager, commented: "Recently, the world has seen a lot of interest in Central Asian films. Undoubtedly, the world of cinema is familiar with the most significant pictures of Central Asia, which increases interest in contemporary cinema. Films shot in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan win awards at leading international film festivals and win the hearts of critics and viewers. #SEARCH program which will be presented at the Eurasian Film Market is a unique opportunity for our filmmakers to present their films to foreign buyers and establish mutually beneficial cooperation in the perspective of international partnership."
