Darezhan Omirbayev

Film Director

Darezhan Omirbaev was born in 1958 in the village of Uyuk, in the Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan.

After completing his studies in applied mathematics, Omirbaev attended the VGIK (Institute of Higher Cinema Studies) in Moscow. For several years, he was a critic for the magazine “New Film”.

1988 – first short feature, Shilde (July), was selected for a kazakh cinema perspective and shown in twenty cities in Canada and United States.

1992 – Kairat, his first feature, won the Silver Leopard and the Fipresci Prize in Locarno (1992), the Silver Montgolfière in Nantes , the Grand Prix and the Critics Prize in Strasbourg (1993).

Kairat was released in France in December 1997.

1995 – Kardiogramma feature – Competition in Venice (1995) – UNESCO prize;

The film received the Jury’s Prize in Nantes, Grand Prix in Singapore IFF.

Kardiogramma was released in France in 1997.

1998 – Killer feature – Official Selection in Cannes , Prize “ Un Certain Regard ”.

It also won the Best Script Prize in Teheran (1999). It has been selected in many festivals: Tokyo, Pusan, Toronto, Rotterdam, Nantes, San Francisco, etc. Killer was released in France in January 99.

2001 – The Road his fourth feature was in Official Selection in Cannes (2001) – Un Certain Regard.

It has been selected in many festivals: Tokyo, Pusan, Toronto, Rotterdam, Nantes, etc.

The film was released in France in January 2002.

2005 – About Love, short film, 33 minutes, produced by Koréa.

2007 – Chouga feature film, received the Jury’s Prize in Nantes, Vesoul (co-prod: Kazakhstan, France, Japan)

2012 – Student feature film, participated in CANNES – Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, Busan IFF, Tokyo IFF, FUCINAM IFF, Lisbon IFF, Haifa IFF, Golden Orange Antalia IFF, etc.

2021 –  Poet feature film  won BEST DIRECTOR award at Tokyo IFF, participated Berlinale Forum, Viennale, won Grand Prix of LEFFEST,  Olhara IFF (Best Film), was screened in Center Pompidou, etc.\

2022 – Last Screening – 30 min – Locarno IFF, Viennale IFF