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Timur Bekmambetov
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Timur Bekmambetov

Kazakhstan-born writer/director Timur Bekmambetov cowrote and directed the highest grossing film of all time in Russian cinema: 2006's Day Watch, the follow-up to his explosive 2004 international hit Night Watch, the fantasy/ thriller he also wrote with Sergei Lukyanenko.

Before he became a filmmaker, Bekmambetov studied at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. He went on to graduate from the A.N. Ostrovsky Institute of Theatre Arts in Tashkent in 1987 with a degree in theater and cinema set designing. After several years in the military, Bekmambetov began working in the field of advertising. For the next 15 years, he created and directed many award-winning television campaigns that would influence his distinct vision for film. Many of the ads received prizes and awards at both Russian and international festivals. In 2000, he became a member of the Russian Academy of Advertising.

Bekmambetov's film career began in 1992, when he collaborated with Gennadi Kayumov to write and direct Peshavar Waltz. The film was awarded with prizes for both Best Director and Best Cast at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic.

In 1999, the filmmaker produced and directed an eight-part miniseries for television, Our '90s. In 2000, he directed and co-produced (with Roger Corman) the feature The Arena. In 2002, Bekmambetov directed and co-produced (with Bakhyt Kilibayev) the film GAZ—Russian Cars.

Bekmambetov is currently producing the animated feature 9 for Focus Features. He also recently partnered with Universal to produce and distribute Russian-language feature films.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2008.

Timur Bekmambetov Facts

OccupationDirector, Screenwriter
BirthdayJune 25, 1961 (62)
SignCancer
BirthplaceAtyrau, Kazakhstan

Selected Filmography

Not available.