ASTANA – Zhanerke Rakhman, a senior expert at the Center for Regional Studies and Quality of Life, highlighted the economic and cultural potential of Kazakhstan’s film industry. She described cinema not only as an art form but also as a valuable economic asset capable of attracting investment, creating jobs, and driving related industries.
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According to Rakhman, Kazakhstan’s film industry began to develop rapidly in the post-Soviet period, when new ideas and artistic forms emerged. In recent years, the government has viewed cinema as both a tool for cultural identity and a driver of economic growth. Key state measures include funding for film projects, tax incentives for producers, professional training programs, and investment subsidies.
Beyond job creation, the film industry promotes tourism, while film exports boost national income and foster cultural exchange.
Zhanerke Rakhman, a senior expert at the Center for Regional Studies and Quality of Life. Photo credit: Rakhman’s personal archive
According to Rakhman, globally, cinema and the broader creative economy contribute significantly to national GDPs. In the United Kingdom, creative industries employ more than 2.1 million people and contribute around £116 billion (US$153 billion) to the GDP. Including related effects, their total contribution reaches £178 billion (US$235 billion) in gross value added.
In South Korea, the creative economy, driven by film, video games, dramas, and music, supports about 680,000 jobs, generates $115 billion in revenue, and earns $10.3 billion from exports.
In the United States, the creative economy accounted for 4.4% of GDP in 2021, or roughly $1 trillion. Around 4.9 million people work in arts and culture, slightly fewer than before the pandemic. Streaming services and online publications brought in $171.3 billion in revenue, making them the industry’s largest segment. Film production alone generated $68.9 billion.
In 2020, global exports of creative goods totaled $524 million, while creative services reached $1.1 trillion.
Kazakhstan also aims to expand its creative sector. According to the concept for the development of creative industries for 2021-2025, national goals include raising the creative economy’s share of GDP to 5% from 3.14% in 2021, increasing employment in the sector to 4%, and growing the number of small and medium-sized businesses by 1.5 times.
State support for creative industries is widespread worldwide. In the U.K., they included a £250 million (US$330 million) Cultural Investment Fund for museums and cultural venues; a £1.6 billion (US$2.1 billion) Culture Recovery Fund offering grants and low-interest loans; a £17.5 million (US$23 million) Create program to support creative businesses outside London; and the Creative Clusters initiative aimed at strengthening partnerships between universities and the arts industry.
In the British film industry, a key support measure is the tax credit, which generates around £100 million (US$131 million) in annual revenue. In 2022, spending on film and television production reached a record $6.27 billion. The industry contributes £4.5 billion (US$5.9 billion) to GDP and £1.2 billion (US$1.5 billion) in annual tax revenue.
In Kazakhstan, as of 2024, there were 121 registered film organizations, of which 100 were private, showing the dominance of the private sector. Twenty-nine organizations are run by individual entrepreneurs, while only four companies have foreign ownership.
Almaty leads with 20 film organizations, including one state-owned and two with foreign capital. Astana has ten, all private and domestic. The Zhambyl Region has the highest number of state-owned entities (nine), followed by the West Kazakhstan Region (five of 11 total), reflecting reliance on public support in some areas.
Box office revenue grew from 26.9 billion tenge (US$51 million) in 2023 to 43.9 billion tenge (US$83 million) in 2024. Foreign films accounted for around 24.2 billion tenge (US$46 million), while domestic productions earned 17.5 billion tenge (US$33 million).
Most feature film revenue came from Almaty, totaling 15.8 billion tenge (US$30 million). Co-productions and foreign projects generated an additional 974 million tenge (US$1.8 million). Revenue from state-owned film entities totaled just 150 million tenge (US$286,000), underscoring the private sector’s leading role.
However, the industry still faces challenges such as insufficient infrastructure, low private investment, dependence on state funding, limited diversity in film genres, weak marketing at home and abroad, a shortage of skilled professionals, and inadequate copyright protection.
Rakhman noted that Kazakhstan’s film industry holds significant growth potential. With its strong cultural base and increasing government support, the country could strengthen its influence across Central Asia and beyond. A true breakthrough, however, will require better infrastructure, greater private investment, stronger intellectual property protection, and a broader range of film content.
