ALMATY – Kazakhstan continues to strengthen its presence on the international festival circuit as “Mūğalım” (Teacher), the feature debut of director Ayana Nurdinova, has been selected for the New Directors competition at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious Class A festivals in Spain.
Kazakh debut ‘Mūğalım’ selected for San Sebastián festival. Photo credit: The State Center for the Support of National Cinema. “Mūğalım” becomes the first Kazakh film directed by a woman to compete at San Sebastián, marking an important milestone for the country’s film industry as a new generation of filmmakers gains international visibility.
The festival will take place in Spain from Sept. 18 to 26. Its New Directors section is dedicated to first and second feature films, serving as one of the industry’s most respected platforms for emerging directors. Commissioned by the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information and supported by the State Center for Support of National Cinema, “Mūğalım” follows a music teacher in the industrial city of Balkhash who dreams of moving to a larger city.
When the opportunity finally arrives, he is forced to confront a more profound question: what matters more – the art within him or his place within the world of art? While the film tells an intimate story about personal ambition and artistic purpose, its selection also reflects broader changes in Kazakhstan’s cinema.
Over the past decade, Kazakh productions have increasingly appeared at leading international festivals, signaling growing confidence in the country’s independent and auteur filmmaking. Recognition at San Sebastián carries particular weight. Alongside Cannes, Berlin and Venice, the festival is considered one of the world’s leading Class A film festivals and has long been recognized for discovering influential directors early in their careers.
The New Directors competition has previously introduced audiences to filmmakers who later achieved global acclaim, including Oscar-winning South Korean director Bong Joon Ho. The festival has also played an important role in the careers of Roman Polanski, Francis Ford Coppola and Pedro Almodóvar.
Its history includes landmark premieres such as Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” and the European premiere of George Lucas’ “Star Wars,” underscoring its longstanding influence on world cinema.