In January, filming began on the full-length folk action film titled “Shymyr”. This is the fourth film project invested in by Tolqyn Film Fund, managed by Dasco Capital. Production is handled by New Era Films, with the film’s release scheduled for May 7 this year.
The director of the film is Anvar Matzhanov, one of the most commercially successful filmmakers in contemporary Kazakh cinema. His portfolio includes several box-office hits that surpassed one billion tenge in gross revenue, such as “Taptym-au seni” (1.8 billion tenge), “Brother or Marriage 3” (1.3 billion), “Business in Kazakh Style in India” (1.3 billion), “Taptym-au seni 2” (1.1 billion), and “Business in Kazakh Style in Turkey” (1.1 billion).
The screenplay was written by Adilkhan Yerzhanov (an equally renowned author and director), Kuanysh Tokhanov, and Ainur Mubarova.
A strong cast has joined the project. The lead roles are played by Yerkebulan Dayyrov (No. 37, Täube, Qash), Azamat Satybaldy (Happiness Within Reach, Captain Baitasov, Racketeer 2), Akbota Nur (Last Love, Honest Swindlers, Pay Attention to Me), Abilmansur Serikov (5:32, Hunt for the Pink Rabbit, Dos-Mukasan), Olzhas Togymbet (Businessman, Mother’s Heart), Ashim Akhmetov (Qaitadan, At Least in the Movies, Kazhimukan), Eldos Shaikenov (Black Sturgeon, Dos-Mukasan), Almat Sakatov (Qaitadan, Kazhimukan), and others.
“Shymyr” is an authentic action film with a vivid national flavor, unique fight choreography, numerous stunt sequences, a brutal storyline, and a compelling social message centered on justice, masculinity, honor, and loyalty.
As emphasized by Dasco Capital CEO Darmén Sadvakassov, “private investment is a tool for the systematic development of Kazakh cinema. Through the Tolqyn fund, we bring the best international practices into the domestic creative industry — from project selection and financial modeling to production and distribution approaches. New business models allow us to expand the genre range of Kazakh films, improve their quality, and enhance the social value of content. In the long term, this helps build a sustainable film industry that is competitive both domestically and internationally.”
According to Ernar Kurmashev, CEO of Tolqyn Film Fund, “we expect ‘Shymyr’ to be a bold action film with a truly authentic hero and messages that resonate with every viewer. This is a rare action spectacle for Kazakh cinema, featuring some of the world’s strongest stunt performers — the Nomad Stunts team, which collaborates with major Hollywood studios and Netflix. The story conceived by Adilkhan Yerzhanov and directed by Anvar Matzhanov carries energy, character, and a harsh truth.”
Previously, Tolqyn Film Fund invested in the horror film “Dästur: Teris Bata” directed by Alisher Utev (successfully released on December 25), the action film “7 Karaqshy” by Kuanysh Beisek (scheduled for April 2026), and the detective comedy “Baika! Alayaq!” (release date: March 19, 2026). Film distribution is handled by Ascar Cinema (Meloman Entertainment), a leading film distributor in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus.
Tolqyn Film Fund is the first private investment fund in Kazakhstan focused on financing the production of full-length feature films and animation. The fund’s assets are invested in a portfolio of Kazakh and international film projects with commercial potential, with the aim of generating profit from theatrical release and distribution. Tolqyn Film Fund operates with an experienced team that conducts thorough selection, analysis, and management of film projects.
