Biografi
Ruslan Akun is a filmmaker from the Kyrgyz Republic, Central Asia. He studied at American University – Central Asia and furthered his education in directing and cinematography at the School of Cinematic Arts, USC, Los Angeles. He is recognized as one of the most successful young film directors in the Kyrgyz Republic.
His short film "Herding" has received awards and official selections at over 50 prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Clermont-Ferrand, São Paulo, Brussels, Interfilm Berlin, Cottbus, and Stockholm International Film Festivals.
Ruslan’s second independent film, "Hello, New York," produced on a budget under $100K, became the highest-grossing box office hit in Kyrgyz Republic history. The film earned Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Music, and Best Editing at the Kyrgyz National Cinema Awards. With "Hello, New York," Ruslan set a new standard for Kyrgyzstan’s film industry.
In 2010-2011, he wrote a script of 10 stories, took his Canon T2i, and filmed his friends—who were not professional actors. They assisted with locations, props, funding, and more. The resulting film, approximately 110 minutes long, focused on Bishkek. His friends also arranged the theatrical release, and "Bishkek, I Love You!" quickly became a hit.
Ruslan Akun has directed and written numerous short films, educational films for children, and produced several successful TV shows for Kyrgyzstan’s public national TV channel.
Major Kyrgyzstani magazines OneMag, Bishkekchanka, and October ranked him as the #1 director of 2013.
