Meet Margulan Zhunisbek

We were lucky to catch up with Margulan Zhunisbek recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Margulan, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Although I am engaged in filmmaking, I am interested in studying everything in other areas of activity. There are things that I am more passionate about than others, but sometimes I catch myself thinking that in other areas of activity I can find connections with each other. Thus, I draw knowledge from different sources, which, to my surprise, allows me to find non-standard solutions to problems.

In addition, proactivity and constant “hunger” give me a boost to effectively gain knowledge and at the same time be useful in the team, no matter where I work. The visual language of cinema, oddly enough, taught me to act more and talk less. And even if I do speak, then clearly and to the point.

Although the above factors affect my effectiveness, the foundation for all this was laid by my hardworking parents. Whatever the level of the task, a pragmatic, humble and goal-oriented approach allows me to get things done.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a Director, Writer, Cinematographer.
Currently, I’m studying in Los Angeles getting my MFA degree in Filmmaking at New York Film Academy.

I was born in Astana, Kazakhstan, I’ve been making films since 2016 when I was still in high school. I learned the basics of film production from screenwriting to cinematography by myself. One interesting thing is that I started studying filmmaking after I was fascinated by narrative video games. I made my first films together with my classmates, who were my actors. Although the quality left much to be desired, the foundation was laid. In April 2017, I participated in the international competition Infomatrix in the Short Film category, where I won a gold medal, which was a definite boost for me. At that moment I realized that I wanted to continue making films.

Also in 2017, I entered the Kazakh National University of Arts to major in film directing. It was a long 5-year training where I honed my skills as a director. Our group created practice for ourselves, participating in each other’s film sets, and at some point I realized that I needed more practice with a clear structure of how a film set should operate by Hollywood standards. Subsequently, I was thinking about radically changing my field of activity, because I was no longer seeing clear prospects in this direction.

Around this time, I got into my university’s mobile exchange program, thanks to which I was able to study at the Portuguese university – Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias. I was able to have hands on practice at a school with good technical equipment for production and post-production. In addition, I managed to find myself in a season when the university hosted international film festival and workshops in various media sectors – film production, video game development, music. This journey gave me a new practical perspective on how to approach art, not to mention the opportunity to travel around Europe.

I completed with my undergraduate degree in 2022 and immediately applied to the MFA program at the New York Film Academy. While I was waiting for results, I managed to work in the field of management, seemingly unrelated to cinema, but there I gained experience and developed business communication skills. By the end of 2022, I received the news that I had been accepted into NYFA through the Bolashak state scholarship program, which I had applied for.

In April 2023, I flew to Los Angeles and began my studies in Filmmaking, where we had practice in all film production positions and for me it became a second wind. Having caught the momentum, I began to absorb all the knowledge I could and started going to film sets with a clear production standard.

After a year here, I managed to participate in numerous projects and wrote, produced and directed my film “Permission to Live,” which will soon be in its film festival run. It’s the story about second chances, when sometimes you need to take a step back in order to become a better person.

After 8 years of experience in filmmaking, I am more ready than ever to continue progressing in the industry.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Being open-minded.

Being open to new ideas (those that are not harmful to health) often led me to unexpectedly positive results.

2. Having a genuine curiosity in everything

As I said earlier, if you draw knowledge from different sources, your worldview expands.

3. Being pragmatic

Whatever your ambition, you need to often remind yourself to take a moment and think about your next moves, instead of diving in like a fish. Calculating my strengths, capabilities and resources methodically led me to the desired results.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My family is very supportive of me in my journey. Determination is one of the most important skills they taught me. “There are no unsolvable problems” is a phrase that is always on the lips of my parents. In the most difficult moments of my life, I often repeat these words to myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themargulis/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themargulis/

Image Credits

Surya Nikhil