Castings in Almaty and Astana: Kazakhstan's film market for actors
Castings in Kazakhstan — an opportunity for actors from Russia and the CIS to enter a rapidly developing film market. According to the Ministry of Culture of Kazakhstan, in 2025, 73 films were shot in the state language and 28 in Russian. The average budget for a Kazakhstani film is 120 million tenge, which opens good prospects for actors.
Contents
- Overview of Kazakhstan's film market
- Where to find castings in Almaty
- Castings in Astana: features of the capital market
- Actor fees in Kazakhstan
- Documents for working in Kazakhstan
- Major production companies and studios
- How to prepare for a Kazakhstani casting
- Development prospects
Overview of Kazakhstan's film market
The Kazakhstani film market is experiencing a period of active growth. At GetActress, we see an increase in castings from Kazakhstan by 340% over the past two years. This is due to several factors:
State support
- Film Development Fund allocates up to 2 billion tenge annually
- Tax benefits for film production
- Support program for young directors
International projects
True, most major international projects are still filmed in Almaty, but the situation is changing. One of our actors shared that over the past year he participated in three joint Kazakhstan-Russian projects.
| Year | Number of films | Budget (million tenge) | Share of Russian-language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 89 | 8,500 | 35% |
| 2024 | 94 | 10,200 | 32% |
| 2025 | 101 | 12,100 | 28% |
Where to find castings in Almaty
Almaty remains the film capital of Kazakhstan. According to our data, 67% of all castings take place here. Main platforms for searching:
Professional platforms
- GetActress — growing database of Kazakhstani castings
- Casting.kz — local platform with a good database
- Instagram — many casting directors publish announcements
Almaty film studios
- Kazakhfilm Studios — the country's oldest studio
- Art Pictures Studio — specializes in commercial cinema
- Satai Film — young studio with ambitious projects
- Alem Cinema — focus on auteur cinema
Honestly, many Russian actors underestimate the Almaty market. A casting director working through our platform notes: "Competition here is many times less than in Moscow, and projects are becoming increasingly high-quality".
Advertising agencies
- BBDO Almaty
- Leo Burnett Kazakhstan
- Ogilvy Almaty
- McCann Almaty
Castings in Astana: features of the capital market
Astana (Nur-Sultan) is actively developing as the country's second film center. It has its own characteristics:
Types of projects
- Government orders — historical films and series
- Corporate video — high budgets, good fees
- Documentary films — growing segment
- Advertising — lots of work for background actors
Key Astana studios
- Astana Film — government projects
- Capital Cinema — commercial projects
- Nomad Pictures — international co-productions
According to our platform data, the average fee in Astana is 15-20% higher than in Almaty, but there are fewer castings.
Actor fees in Kazakhstan
Fees in Kazakhstani cinema vary significantly depending on the type of project and the actor's experience:
Film and series
| Role | Almaty (tenge) | Astana (tenge) | In rubles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead role | 800,000 - 2,500,000 | 900,000 - 3,000,000 | 180,000 - 675,000 |
| Supporting role | 200,000 - 600,000 | 250,000 - 700,000 | 45,000 - 158,000 |
| Episode | 50,000 - 150,000 | 60,000 - 180,000 | 11,000 - 41,000 |
| Background | 8,000 - 15,000 | 10,000 - 18,000 | 1,800 - 4,050 |
Advertising
- Federal advertising: 150,000 - 800,000 tenge
- Regional advertising: 80,000 - 300,000 tenge
- Internet advertising: 40,000 - 150,000 tenge
There's a nuance here — many Kazakhstani production companies are willing to pay Russian actors extra for a "Moscow accent" in Russian-language projects.
Documents for working in Kazakhstan
To work as an actor in Kazakhstan, Russian citizens need certain documents:
Required documents
- Passport — for entry into the country
- Work permit — for shoots lasting more than 30 days
- Certificate of no criminal record — for long-term projects
- Medical certificate — standard requirement
Taxation
- Residents: income tax 10%
- Non-residents: income tax 20%
- Social tax: 9.5% (for residents)
Many actors register as self-employed to reduce tax burden, but in Kazakhstan this works differently.
Currency legislation
- Fees can be received in tenge or dollars
- Transfer to Russia — through banks or international systems
- Commission is 2-5% of the amount
Major production companies and studios
Key players in the Kazakhstani film market actively search for new faces:
Top-10 studios by number of projects
- Kazakhfilm Studios — 12-15 projects per year
- Art Pictures Studio — 8-10 projects
- Satai Film — 6-8 projects
- Alem Cinema — 5-7 projects
- Astana Film — 4-6 projects
- Nomad Pictures — 3-5 projects
- Capital Cinema — 3-4 projects
- Zerde Film — 2-4 projects
- Arman Film — 2-3 projects
- Kazakh Cinema — 2-3 projects
International co-productions
- Kazakhstan-Russia: 15-20 projects annually
- Kazakhstan-Turkey: 5-8 projects
- Kazakhstan-Korea: 2-3 projects
- Kazakhstan-China: 1-2 projects
One of the directors we work with noted: "Kazakhstani producers are very open to collaboration with Russian actors, especially if they have film experience".
How to prepare for a Kazakhstani casting
Preparation for a casting in Kazakhstan has its own peculiarities:
Language requirements
- Kazakh language — a big plus, but not required
- Russian language — fluency is mandatory
- English language — for international projects
Cultural features
- Respect for elders and traditions
- Understanding of Kazakh history and culture
- Readiness to work as a team
Truthfully, this doesn't always work — in commercial projects, acting skills matter more than cultural preparation.
Portfolio and resume
- Photos: professional shots in Kazakhstani style
- Demo reel: include work in Russian
- Resume: indicate willingness to relocate
As with any casting preparation, it's important to avoid typical resume mistakes.
Technical preparation
- Self-tape: quality recording at home
- Online casting: stable internet and good camera
- Documents: scans in electronic form
Development prospects
The Kazakhstani film market shows steady growth:
Forecasts for 2026-2027
- Increase in number of projects by 25-30%
- Growth of average budgets by 40-50%
- Development of streaming platforms
- More international co-productions
New opportunities
- Streaming services — Kazakhtelecom launches its own platform
- Educational content — growing demand for children's programs
- Corporate video — many orders from large companies
- Documentary cinema — state support for the genre
Challenges and risks
- Currency fluctuations affect budgets
- Competition with Turkish and Korean content
- Need to develop film education
We analyzed over 2,800 castings over the past three years and see that the Kazakhstani market is becoming increasingly professional. Many of our actors successfully work in Almaty and Astana, combining it with Russian projects.
Summary: The Kazakhstani film market offers real opportunities for Russian actors. Average fees are 150,000 tenge, competition is lower than in Moscow, and project quality is growing. The main thing is to prepare properly and understand local specifics.
Ready to try your hand at Kazakhstani cinema? Create a free profile on GetActress and get access to exclusive castings from Almaty and Astana.