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development lab

Bukhara, Almaty and online, June–November 2024

The Development Lab is designed for filmmakers from Central Asian countries who want to enhance their skills in scriptwriting or film producing, establish new professional connections, and, under the guidance of international experts, write a full-length feature film screenplay and/or create a producing strategy for a project with international potential. The lab comprises two educational programs: the producers section and the screenwriting section. The goal of the lab is to develop a project for its further presentation to potential partners and international film institutions, as well as clients and producers in the region.

Rules & Regulations Privacy Policy FAQ: Development Lab
Filmmakers with full-length feature film projects in the early stages of development. Authors without projects but with experience in the film industry or creating audiovisual content in literature, journalism, playwriting, video blogging, or art may also participate in the program. Such participants will work on colleagues' projects.

Full information on the requirements for participants' professional experience and their projects is provided in the Rules & Regulations.
Participants must be over 18 years old and come from one of the Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. A good command of Russian and/or English is obligatory.

The maximum number of places in each section is 10, of which at most 3 are reserved for participants without projects.
Both sections will run simultaneously and consist of three modules, with the first module scheduled in 1-7 June in Bukhara (Uzbekistan), followed by an online module in 1-7 September and a final module in 1-7 November in Almaty (Kazakhstan). In the offline modules participants will work for 5 days from 9:00 to 22:00. The online module will last up to 10 days. Exact dates of the modules will be announced by May 1st. The program covers travel expenses and accommodation.
Modules will be conducted in English with synchronous or consecutive translation into Russian.
Participants in the producers section will develop a complete set of documents for seeking international and regional financing.
Participants in the scriptwriting section will develop a final text of the screenplay.
The open call for the Development Lab is held from March 6th to April 28th. Applications will be reviewed by the Alternativa Film Project team. Results will be announced on May 16th.
Biography and filmography
Motivational letter
Links to previous works
Brief synopsis and treatment of the project (for applications with a project in the scriptwriting section)
Brief synopsis, presentation, treatment, and preliminary budget of the project (for applications with a project in the producers section)

PARTICIPANTS. Producers

TRAVEL GRANT

Aigerim Satybaldy

Birds Fly South

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Aiman Toktassynova

The Mayor's Daughter

Laura Sabanbayeva

Broken Mirror

Assel Yerzhanova

Pay the Bill

Nazgul Dolotkeldieva

Husband

Mady Baljan

Juldyz

Odina Mahmad

The Fire of Inheritance

Ayana Mukhitova

Guardians of Zharokov

Aibek Daiyrbekov

Anatomy of Violence

Batyr Berdiev

PARTICIPANTS. Scriptwriters

POP UP RESIDENCY 2025

Aizhan Kassymbekova

Fourteen and a half

SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT GRANT

Sarytoka Amantay

From the Rocket to the Sea

SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT GRANT

Inkar Yesmagambetova

What's Best for the Child

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Raushan Sadyrbaeva

In the Woods

Sezim Adyranova

Asyrandy

Toktobek Usonov

Aizhan, Nurai and Sabira

Tolomush Zhanybekov

Balyk

Farhad Ghaffarpour

Antifraudsters

Mirzoulugbek Begibaev

Poachers

Daniyar ABDIKERIMOV

Tutors

Petri Kemppinen

Producers section
Expert at training programs EAVE, Medici and European Genre Forum, ex-CEO of the Nordisk Film & TV Fond

Myriam Sassine

Producers section
Producer, Festival Director, Mentor

Signe Zeilich-Jensen

Scriptwriting section
Script consultant, festival programmer. Currently works as a tutor in script development workshops and as an independent story editor

Saar Yogev

Scriptwriting section
Producer, co-founder of Black Sheep Film Productions and Electric Sheep GmbH, writer, script editor, guest consultant, jury member for film festivals

FAQ: Development Lab

We answer your questions about applying to the film lab

This year at the Development Lab, we will only be working with full-length feature film projects
Submission and participation are free of charge. Alternativa covers transportation to the venue and accommodation
English with translation to Russian
In English, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, and Turkmen languages in any combination. If you have documents in multiple languages, please submit all of them
Yes, but each project needs to be submitted separately
April 28th at 23:59 GMT+3
In a free-form style
This year, we are only accepting participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan for the Development La
One representative of the project can participate in the Development Lab
Open links to audiovisual projects in which you have participated
Tell us why you need this lab, what professional skills you currently lack, and what development you want to give to your project
Describe yourself, your education, and your professional and creative experience
A list of audiovisual works in any format you have participated in, such as music videos, short films, series, etc.
A brief summary of the screenplay on one page
A detailed summary of the screenplay (5–15 pages). It may also include the project's concept, plotlines, and dialogue excerpts
No, we expect a complete package of documents. There is still time before the deadline to write a treatment and prepare an estimated budget for the project
We guarantee that any materials provided are reviewed by our team and lab tutors only. All rights to them remain with the authors

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Petri Kemppinen

Producers section
Finland

Expert at training programs EAVE, Medici and European Genre Forum, ex-CEO of the Nordisk Film & TV Fond

Expert on evaluation, co-developing and funding of film and tv drama content, Nordic and European audiovisual policy and training of film and TV professionals. He has been previously senior advisor at Finnish Impact Film Fund. His credits as a financier include such films as Palme d’Or winner The Square by Ruben Östlund, The Border by Ali Abbasi, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki by Juho Kuosmanen and Worst Person in the World by Joachim Trier.

Myriam Sassine

Producers section
Lebanon

Producer, Festival Director, Mentor

Myriam Sassine produced award-winning films such as 'Costa Brava Lebanon' by Mounia Akl, '1982' by Oualid Mouaness, 'Amal' by Mohamed Siam, 'Panoptic' by Rana Eid, 'Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano' by Cyril Aris, and 'Diaries from Lebanon' by Myriam El Hajj. In 2016, she co-founded the Maskoon Fantastic Film Festival, the first and only festival of its kind in the Arab region. She currently manages Aflamuna Connection, a co-production platform for Arab filmmakers. She also heads Tatino Films' international training program, Full Circle Lab Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Signe Zeilich-Jensen

Scriptwriting section
Sweden, The Netherlands

Script consultant, festival programmer. Currently works as a tutor in script development workshops and as an independent story editor

In 2021 Signe was a script editor trainee at the Torino Film Lab. She has a long track record in curating and managing festival programmes and international industry events, such as Holland Film Meeting, Meetings on the Bridge, and Books On Screen at Frankfurt Book Fair and the Berlinale. In 2023 she was the Acting Head of Programme at the Netherlands Film Festival. In 2023 she wrote the Dutch report ‘Really? REALLY’ (IDFA/Netherlands Film Fund) on the position and challenges of Dutch youth documentaries.

Saar Yogev

Scriptwriting section
Germany

Producer, co-founder of Black Sheep Film Productions and Electric Sheep GmbH, writer, script editor, guest consultant, jury member for film festivals

Saar Yogev is a seasoned producer and co-founder of Black Sheep Film Productions and Electric Sheep GmbH. Under his leadership, these companies have become renowned for acclaimed films and TV series, prominently featured and awarded at prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, and Toronto. Saar is also active as a writer and script editor and contributes to industry events and initiatives as a consultant and jury member, highlighting his commitment to fostering emerging talent. He is involved with the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Connecting Cottbus, the First Cut Lab, and many others.

Sezim Adyranova

Asyrandy

drama
Kyrgyzstan

An elderly rural couple, parents of five daughters, finally welcome a long-awaited son. However, they are haunted by the dark shadow of past losses. All the boys previously born in the family died sooner or later. To trick fate, the parents decide to take a desperate step: they sell their son to another family and then buy him back, presenting him as a girl.

Toktobek Usonov

Aizhan, Nurai and Sabira

drama
Kyrgyzstan

Young Zhibek secretly gives birth to a child in the bathroom of a student dormitory in Bishkek. Her mother, Sabira, feels guilty about the death of an old woman named Sofia, whom she had cared for in Italy. Zhibek’s sister, Aizhan, was left with a child by her boyfriend, expelled from her educational institution, publicly discussed on social media, and under immense public pressure, causing her goals and hopes for the future to shatter. Meanwhile, the childless Nurai learns that her husband, longing for children, secretly married another woman, Fatima. Nurai sets out in search of her missing husband. Aizhan and Zhibek, Nurai and Fatima, Sabira and Sofia – six women, six destinies, three stories. These stories reveal the depths of women's souls, their life pains, burdens, roles in life, as well as mercy, jealousy, and trust – three feelings, three states, and three ages.

Sarytoka Amantay

From the Rocket to the Sea

drama, comedy
Kazakhstan

A ten-year-old fool named Sachok lives in a village near the Baikonur Cosmodrome. His family rents out their house to tourists who come to watch rocket launches. After hearing stories from the tourists about fishing in the Aral Sea, Sachok asks his father to take him there to catch his dream fish, a sturgeon. However, the father dies before fulfilling his son's dream. Determined to reach the sea, Sachok runs away from home with his friend Dastan, who has cerebral palsy. They wander through the steppe and join a bread delivery man named Ermek. Soon, they encounter Sachok's mother, Diana, who is searching for her son and eventually joins the boys on their journey. When the group reaches their destination, they find the Aral Sea has dried up. Sachok cries, and Ermek tries to cheer him up by wading into the mud but gets stuck in the quicksand. Sachok, Dastan, and Diana manage to pull him out and take him to the nearest village, hoping to revive him. The next day, Sachok wakes up and sees a healthy Ermek. He notices white dust on Ermek's shoulders and, touching it with the tip of his tongue, realizes it's salt. Rushing outside, Sachok sees the sea.

Tolomush Zhanybekov

Balyk

coming of age drama
Kyrgyzstan

Bek, a 16-year-old who stutters, lives in a dorm with his taxi driver uncle, Ermek, and often spends time with Zhaidar, a 60-year-old homeless alcoholic. Bek practices speaking techniques diligently but still struggles in social interactions, believing his difficulties stem solely from his speech impediment. Working at a fish market, he's nicknamed "Balyk" ("Fish") by classmates. He excels academically but avoids talking and confronting bullies. When Akylai, a new young history teacher, moves into the dorm, Bek develops feelings for her, but his shyness and stutter hinder him. As Ermek begins courting Akylai, Bek's jealousy leads him to sabotage his uncle's car. Despite Akylai helping him feel more at ease, his feelings remain unspoken as she and Ermek start dating. Sudden Zhaidar's death deeply affects Bek, but he ultimately learns to accept himself and connect better with others.

Farhad Ghaffarpour

Antifraudsters

triller, drama, comedy
Tajikistan

Three friends, Shakhzod, Manuchehr, and Eradj, seek easy money and quick success. They fall into the trap of scammers and lose all their savings, along with the trust of their loved ones. Obsessed with reclaiming what was stolen, the friends delve into the world of cons, studying the methods of fraudsters. Their attempts to recover the money fail, but the setbacks toughen them and drive them towards new goals. The friends decide to use their knowledge to expose fraudulent schemes and help people. They create an online resource dedicated to financial security, and their mission resonates with society. This is a story about friendship, the lust for easy money, redemption, and self-discovery.

Inkar Yesmagambetova

What's Best for the Child

social drama
Kazakhstan

Thirty-four-year-old Mira returns to her hometown after 11 years to mend her relationship with her daughter. She discovers that her daughter urgently needs surgery, but the father, her official guardian, refuses the operation for religious reasons. Mira has three days to regain custody of her child and save her.

Aizhan Kassymbekova

Fourteen and a half

teen drama
Kazakhstan

Fourteen-year-old Aiman is navigating the complexities of adolescence, a sad and difficult period of growing up. There are four girls in Aiman's family, and her mother is desperate to have a boy. Her father spends most of his time at work, trying to escape from the problems and the children's cries. Aiman is forced to look after her younger sisters and take care of the household. School is merely a backdrop to her endless, monotonous daily routine. What should a teenage girl do in this situation? Write poems! Aiman's only joy is poetry, which helps her understand the soul of a lonely teenager. This touching story focuses on emotions and finding one's place in the adult world.

Raushan Sadyrbaeva

In the Woods

mystery thriller, crime
Kyrgyzstan

Burul is a young police investigator who is not taken seriously by her male colleagues. A request comes to her department from a remote village where the brutally mutilated body of an official's son was found, and three of his friends went missing. Burul is sent to investigate the incident, with hopes that she will fail and leave the police force. In the village, Burul encounters rumors that the official's son was killed by a bloodthirsty creature from folklore called Zhez Tumshuk. Soon, the disfigured bodies of two of the missing friends are discovered, and the third emerges from the forest in a deranged state, raving about Zhez Tumshuk. The village is gripped by panic, but Burul does not believe in fairy tales. To uncover the truth, she studies the legends and meets with the local bakshi (shaman). She learns that a few years ago, the shaman's granddaughter was raped by a group of young men, and the murdered victims are the very rapists who escaped punishment. A discovery in the shaman's house proves to Burul that the most terrifying creature on the planet is a man.

Mirzoulugbek Begibaev

Poachers

social drama, crime
Uzbekistan

3 low-life Uzbeks work as dog poachers for a slaughterhouse. As one of them gets bitten by a dog with rabies, they search for a way to cure him without reporting to the hospital or police. The friends bribe the sanitary epidemiology official and get him involved to report a fake rabies case in a rural region and confiscate dogs from all families of the area for slaughter.

Laura Sabanbayeva

Broken Mirror

crime comedy
Kazakhstan

Berik, Serik, and Kairat robbed a jewelry store. Among their loot was an engagement ring with an expensive diamond called "Tears of Joy." The ring was custom-made for a crimе boss from the 90s, now an influential businessman, Yerzhan Bulatovich. He intended to give the ring to his wife for her birthday. Yerzhan urgently needs to find the ring, so he hires a bounty hunter known as the Misanthrope.

Aiman Toktassynova

The Mayor's Daughter

drama
Kazakhstan

Anar, a successful corporate lawyer in New York and daughter of a mayor in Kazakhstan, is called back to her hometown after a local school collapse threatens her father's career. Upon investigating, she discovers her father's involvement in the tragedy and is torn between her familial loyalty and legal duty. As she reconnects with her former school friend Rumisa, now her father's mistress, Anar uncovers other sinister facts about her father and her mother’s complicity. Anar ultimately decides to betray her father by handing over evidence to the police. Her father disowns her, and Anar leaves the city, looking forward to a new beginning.

Aigerim Satybaldy

Birds Fly South

drama
Kazakhstan

Zeynep, a teacher, discovers her husband's affair, leading to marital strain. A tragic accident complicates matters. She faces debt and family pressure while grappling with resentment. Meeting Kunai, her husband's lover, prompts empathy and self-reflection. Despite anger, Zeynep forgives and vows to aid her husband's recovery before focusing on her own path forward.

Assel Yerzhanova

Pay the Bill

drama
Kazakhstan

A 60-year-old woman spends the evening with her grandchildren while her daughter celebrates her birthday. Suddenly in the middle of the night she gets a call from a policeman who informs her that her daughter has not paid the bill at the bar, and it is necessary to do it. This woman faces a difficult night and day searching for her daughter and trying to understand what happened.

Nazgul Dolotkeldieva

Husband

drama
Kyrgyzstan

Naran, a farmer who lived through the fall of the USSR and the turbulent 90s, doesn't believe in God and relies only on himself. After his only son dies, he falls into a deep depression. Naran's best friend, Zamir, a former gangster turned preacher, suggests that Naran turn to religion for peace. Naran closes his business, donates all his money to the mosque, and performs the nikah ceremony with his partner, Raisa, but still finds no peace. Meanwhile, Naran's daughter-in-law, Alina, becomes the object of men's desires in the village, who justify their actions with religion. Unable to bear the patriarchal society any longer, Alina decides to flee. Realizing he has feelings for Alina that bring him peace, Naran decides to escape with her.

Mady Baljan

Juldyz

tragicomedy, grotesque
Kazakhstan

Juldyz is preparing for her wedding, but a secret that she is hiding from her fiancé could ruin her happiness.

Odina Mahmad

The Fire of Inheritance

drama
Tajikistan

The sudden death of Maryam shattered the dreams of the deaf-mute Rizo. After she died, the mullah and the village head came to their house and divided the inheritance according to Islamic laws. This caused a rift between the children and their father: before no one knew who would receive what, and the family lived peacefully. The children want to arrange a wedding for Rizo, who has a bride, but their father opposes this decision as he also wants to take a new wife. The involvement of the mullah and the village head complicates the situation. Finally, the house that was inherited burns down, leaving everyone with nothing.

Ayana Mukhitova

Guardians of Zharokov

family drama, musical
Kazakhstan

An abandoned building on Zharkova Street has become a beloved community center "Tochka". When ALM Construction decides to demolish it, the local residents band together to save the place. Dive into the captivating story of the "Guardians of Zharоkova" struggle, packed into a musical filled with covers of popular Kazakh songs.

Aibek Daiyrbekov

Anatomy of Violence

drama
Kyrgyzstan

A girl was raped in her youth and then married against her will - the protagonist of the film was born from this marriage. When he grew up, he also stole а girl and married her. They had a daughter. When she turned 16, she was kidnapped for marriage. The protagonist realizes with horror that, perhaps, over the last hundred years, 99% of women in Central Asia were forced into marriage. He understands that he is obliged to stop this tradition of violence, which is repeated from generation to generation.