Ermek Tursunov (, born 20 July 1961) Kazakh writer and screenwriter, one of the best Asian Film director according to Asia Pacific Screen Awards, master of sport, international class in futsal.

Biography

Ermek Tursunov was born in the settlement of

Narynkol Narynkol ( kk, Нарынқол, ''Narynqol'') - A village in Raiymbek District of Almaty Region of Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of Narynkol rural district. Located near the border with China, about 82 km east-south-east (ESE) f ...

Almaty Region Almaty Region ( kk, Алматы облысы, Almaty oblysy; russian: Алматинская область, Almatinskaya oblast) is a region in Kazakhstan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Its capital, from 1997 to 2022 was the ...

, on 20 July 1961. He joined a sports school at the age of 5. Ermek continued his sports career at university playing professional futsal. As a member of Kazakhstan's national futsal team, Ermek took part in the 2000 World Cup in Guatemala. He is a graduate

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Al-Farabi Kazakh National University ( kz, Әл-Фараби атындағы Қазақ ұлттық университеті, Äl-Farabi atyndağy Qazaq Ūlttyq Universitetı), also called KazGU or KazNU, is a university in Almaty, Kazakhstan. ...

(Dept. Of Journalism, 1984) and

All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (russian: Всероссийский государственный институт кинематографии имени С. А. Герасимова, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinemat ...

(Screenwriting and Film Studies Dept., 1990). In 1991, Ermek participated in Nevada-Semey movement

Anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan The anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan, "Nevada Semipalatinsk", was formed in 1989 and was one of the first major anti-nuclear movements in the former Soviet Union. It was led by author Olzhas Suleimenov and attracted thousands of people to its ...

, and as an NGO member spent 4 years studying in the USA. Later he worked as the CEO of the national broadcasting corporation Qazaqstan and Executive Producer of Channel 31 TV and radio broadcasting company.

Kelin Kelin was an ancient Iberian city located on the hill of Los Villares ( Caudete de las Fuentes, Valencia). The site was inhabited from the Proto-Iberian period (7th century BC) to the Late Iberian period (2nd to 1st centuries BC). The site was ...

was Ermek's debut as a director in 2008. This work was shortlisted for

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

as the Best Foreign Language Film. 2012 saw his movie The Old Man (Shal), inspired by Hemingway's

The Old Man and the Sea ''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a novella written by the American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cayo Blanco (Cuba), and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction written by Hemingway that was published during his lifetime. ...

. It collected numerous rewards, including Kulager, Kazakhstani national movie award, as the best movie of the year (2012); it was nominated for the

Nika Award The Nika Award (sometimes styled NIKA Award) is the main annual national film award in Russia, presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science, and seen as the national equivalent of the Oscars. History The award was established i ...

for the Best CIS and Baltic Movie in 2014.

Stranger A stranger is a person who is unknown to another person or group. Because of this unknown status, a stranger may be perceived as a threat until their identity and character can be ascertained. Different classes of strangers have been identified ...

(Zhat) became another major movie in Tursunov's career as a screen director. Kazakhstan nominated it for an

and

Asia Pacific Screen Awards The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative overseen by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and headquartered in Australia. In order to realise UNESCO's goals of promoting and preserving the different cultures th ...

(Achievement in Directing); it received NETPAC award in the 19th Black Nights Festival in Tallinn. Ermek Tursunov was elected Chairman of the Kazakhstani Union of Filmmakers in 2018.

Filmography

Bibliography

Tursunov wrote Mameluke, Seven Days in May, The Little Things in Life, Once Upon a Time.

Awards

He was awarded the title of

Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Honorary title of the Republic of Kazakhstan The Honored Worker of Kazakhstan ( Kazakh:''Қазақстанның еңбек сіңірген қайраткері'') was established pursuant to Law No.2676 On National Awards of the Republic of Kaz ...

in 2016, on the 25th anniversary of the country's independence.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Kazakhstani screenwriters Kazakhstani film directors High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors alumni 1961 births Living people