Talent from the US, Europe and Asia have signed up for historic adventure film Myn Bala, which has just started shooting in Kazakhstan.

Produced by Kazakhfilm and New Film Format, the film is directed by Akan Satayev whose credits include Kazakhstan’s biggest box office hit to date, action thriller Racketeer, and Kazakh Oscar submission Strayed.

From the US and Europe, editors Nicolas Trembasiewicz (The Transporter) and Christopher Bell (The Bourne Ultimatum), sound editor Stephane Albinet (Tsar) and supervising post-production sound editor Jean Goudier (Alexander) have all boarded the film.

Hong Kong action director Teddy Chen, whose credits include Bodyguards And Assassins, has also joined the team as creative consultant, along with Central Asian DoP Khasan Kydyraliyev (The Light Thief).

Script consultants from the UK (Claire Downs) and the US (Martin Daniel) helped shape the coming-of-age story about a group of teenage warriors who battle their oppressors from the Dzhungar tribe.

Kazakhfilm’s Ermek Amanshaev is executive producer, along with producers Aliya Uvalzhanova (New Film Format) and Anna Katchko.

“We’re extremely proud to have this great mix of Asian and Western talent involved with Myn Bala,” said Uvalzhanova. “Kazakh films should stand on a par not only with Hollywood, but also Asian cinema in terms of strength of artistic expression and technical quality.”

The producers are in talks with US and European sales agents here in Cannes and will be presenting a trailer and first footage edited by Trembasiewicz and Bell.

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