International scientific and practical conference "Media and Film - the leading creative industries of Kazakhstan"

On December 14, in Almaty Management University hosted The International Scientific and Practical Conference: “Media and Film - the leading creative industries in Kazakhstan”, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Conference was run by Media and Film School and Center for Creative Industries in partnership with JSC "Qazaqfilm" and N. Nazarbayev Foundation.
This conference was dedicated to achievements and challenges in the field of cinema arts and media experienced over 30 years of independence, as well as to development prospects for upcoming periods.

Main Conference delegates – creative entrepreneurs and professionals from the media and film industries: producers, directors, journalists, PR specialists, as well as entrepreneurs, managers of the creative industry, business and financial institutions.
Anara Sekeyeva, Dean of AlmaU Media and Film School during the opening session noted that the purpose of the conference was to discuss modern problems and trends in the development of media and film industry in Kazakhstan in the context of global challenges: i) the past (important achievements and foundations); ii) the present (the state of affairs in the creative industry today); and iii) the future (achieving new levels).

The participants of the plenary session discussed the role of the creative industry in the social transformation of modern society, as well as topical issues and problems of media and film: a overview from the outside.

"The creative economy has been actively discussed recently," said Dana Shayakhmet, director of AlmaU's Centre for Creative Industries. "Last week, the Creative Industries Concept until 2025 was adopted, which means that the state has actively taken up this sector, and we very much hope that there will be a lot of support, primarily for young people in this direction. My colleagues from AlmaU and I decided to go a step further. The concept as a whole regulates all creative industries, this includes literature, fashion, crafts, various IT directions, computer games, etc. And as our university has opened a School of Media and Film for a reason, we decided to look at today's agenda in this context".

The plenary session also included speeches by: Gulnara Asanbayeva, Regional Media Literacy Consultant at Internews Kazakhstan; Chary Barchioglu, PhD, Head of Emerging Asia Region; Cintana Education USA (online); Asel Karaulova, President of Kazakhstan Press Club, Chairman of NABI and others.

There were also master classes: "The New Reality in Media Education: Opportunities and Prospects" by Zhazgul Ibraimova, Programme Coordinator of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) in Central Asia, and "How to Recognise Fake" by Pavel Bannikov, Editor-in-Chief of FactCheck.kz.

Afterwards, the participants split into two sections: "New Media: Specifics of Communication with Young Audiences" and "Cinematography of Independent Kazakhstan", moderated by Gulnara Abikeyeva, where professionals discussed how cinematography influenced the formation of independence in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The discussion panel "New Media: Peculiarities of Communication with the Youth Audience" was notable for its unusual composition. Speakers included both representatives of youth media and young people themselves.