Azizzhan Zairov

Country: Kazakhstan

Field of activity: Director, writer, producer

I am Zairov Aziz was born on August 20, 1968. in Almaty. From 2 years old and up to 15 years old spent in an orphanage. I have a disability (Second group).

The goal is to become a real creative Person, help graduates of orphanages and people with disabilities to integrate into the community.

I graduated from the Kazakh National Academy of Arts named after T. Zhurgenov, film faculty (specialty «Screenwriter»).

After graduating from the Academy, I came to work at the Association of Parents of Children with Disabilities (ARDI) as a coordinator of creative workshops in the Center for Creative, Medical and Physical Rehabilitation of Children and Youth with Disabilities.

In 2000, I took part in the film festival, » LOOK IN A NEW WAY» a documentary-feature film «TURN ON THE LIGHT… ALTERNATIVE!» I was the author of the script and played the role in the picture.

In 2001, my novel «THE STARTING POSITION» was published in the movie almanac «BASTAU».

2002- I defended my diploma at the T. Jurgenev Academy of Arts. The thesis work was a collection of film novels «CONFESSION OF A CAREFREE ORPHAN».       In the same year, I was awarded by diploma of the film festival «ART AGAINST POVERTY». Nomination «SUCCESS IS I AM!» I was the author of the script and the director of the documentary film «OVERCOMING».

In 2004, with the film «Overcoming» I took part in the Film Festival «STARS OF SHAKEN»

In 2005-2006, I worked as a journalist of social categories in the republican weekly newspaper «Asia Today».

In 2010, I participated in the International Film Festival «BASTAU». Co-director and co-author of the short film «WINTER BUTTERFLIES»

In 2011, I participated in the Annual charity project «CINEMA AGAINST PAIN». Short film «WINTER BUTTERFLY» received GRAND PRIX in the category «THE BEST DIRECTOR’S DEBUT». The award was presented by the legend of the cinema world Alain Delon.

In 2014, co-authored with Kazakhstani filmmaker Mukhamed Mamyrbekov, we shot a feature-length social film «To Be or Not To Be?” which became the first part of the trilogy «Unlimited Possibilities.» The people with special needs, the students of the Rehabilitation Center “ARDI”, performed almost all the roles in the film.  The young guy, Tahir Umarov — disabled (1st group), diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the leading role. The film premiered in Almaty and Astana. For three weeks the film was in a limited distribution in the «Arman» and «Caesar» Cinemas. The film is a participant and prize-winner of international film festivals:

International  Euro Film Festival / Marbella Spain 2015 Best Photography, Direktor and Original screenplay AZIZ  ZAIROV, MUKHAMED MAMYRBEKOV, KAIRAT TEMIRGALY.  Almaty/Kazakhstan.

SUPERFEST  International Disability Film Festival 2015/ EXCELLENCE AWARD

San Francisco. USA.

Award  For Their Outsanding  Work in Film, OPEN CENTRAL ASIA International Arts Festival, LONDON UK 2017

In 2017, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of the Kazakhfilm Studios and the New World Video Studio, the feature film «Girl and the Sea» was shot, the second part of the trilogy «Unlimited Possibilities». In this picture, most of the roles are also performed by ARDI students with special needs. Dinara Sharipova is in the leading role. Because of cerebral palsy, her hands almost do not work and she does everything with her feet.

Now with Muhamed Mamyrbekov working on the third part of the dialogy «Unlimited Possibilities». Working title «Mom, I’m alive!» The story of Mom, who fights for the life of her child, who has cancer.

At this time, in along with film projects and social activities, I am working on a book about the orphanage and orphans. The title «The starting position or confession of a carefree orphan».

Since 2006 and to this day I hold the position — Head of videostudio of young disabled «NEW WORLD» under ARDI. We conducted video courses on the basis of the video studio «New World». I taught the children the principles of screenwriting. Now we apply all this in practice on the set.