About

Known credits:
25
Birthday:
1961-07-20
Place of birth:
Narynkol, Almaty region, Kazakh SSR, USSR (now Kazakstan)
Website:
N/A

Ermek Tursunov

Overview

Ermek Karimzhanovich Tursunov (Kazakh: Ермек Кәрімжанұлы Тұрсынов; born 20 July 1961; Narynkol) is a Kazakh film director and screenwriter, one of the best Asian Film director according to Asia Pacific Screen Awards, master of sport, international class in futsal.

Ermek Tursunov was born in the settlement of Narynkol, Almaty Region, on 20 July 1961. He joined a sports school at the age of 5. Ermek continued his sports career at university playing professional futsal. As a member of Kazakhstan's national futsal team, Ermek took part in the 2000 World Cup in Guatemala. He is a graduate Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Dept. Of Journalism, 1984) and All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography (Screenwriting and Film Studies Dept., 1990).

In 1991, Ermek participated in Nevada-Semey movement Anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan, and as an NGO member spent 4 years studying in the USA. Later he worked as the CEO of the national broadcasting corporation Qazaqstan and Executive Producer of Channel 31 TV and radio broadcasting company. Kelin was Ermek's debut as a director in 2008. This work was shortlisted for Oscar as the Best Foreign Language Film. 2012 saw his movie The Old Man (Shal), inspired by Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. It collected numerous rewards, including Kulager, Kazakhstani national movie award, as the best movie of the year (2012); it was nominated for the Nika Award for the Best CIS and Baltic Movie in 2014. Stranger (Zhat) became another major movie in Tursunov's career as a screen director. Kazakhstan nominated it for an Oscar and Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Achievement in Directing); it received NETPAC award in the 19th Black Nights Festival in Tallinn.

Ermek Tursunov was elected Chairman of the Kazakhstani Union of Filmmakers in 2018.

Known for

Directing
2022 Beshmoynak Directing Director N/A
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2018 Guardian of the Light Directing Director N/A
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2015 Stranger Directing Director N/A
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2015 Junior Directing Director N/A
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2014 The Old Woman Directing Director N/A
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2012 The Old Man Directing Director 59
Average
2011 Seven Days in May Directing Director N/A
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2009 Kelin Directing Director 59
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Writing
2018 Guardian of the Light Writing Screenplay N/A
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2015 Stranger Writing Screenplay N/A
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2015 Junior Writing Screenplay N/A
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2014 The Old Woman Writing Screenplay N/A
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2012 The Old Man Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2011 Seven Days in May Writing Screenplay N/A
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2010 Late Love Writing Screenplay N/A
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2010 Wolf Trail Writing Writer N/A
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2009 Kelin Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2009 Who Are You Mr. K? Writing Screenplay N/A
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2008 Mustafa Shokai Writing Screenplay N/A
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2008 The Gift to Stalin Writing Screenplay 58
Average
2008 Native Dancer Writing Screenplay 58
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2007 Patchwork Quilt Writing Screenplay N/A
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2007 The Ultimate Fighter Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1997 Tax collector Writing Screenplay N/A
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1993 Abulkhair-Khan Writing Screenplay N/A
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