Abstract
This chapter examines the current state of the film industry of Kazakhstan within the Central Asian region from the perspective of a globally emergent creative industry with aspiring producers in search of a global audience. Kazakhstan has used its vast national wealth to promote itself through narrative film and to provide an economic sustainable base for its filmmakers. The chapter frames the contemporary industry in its historical, social, political, and economic development as a post-Soviet creative industry promoting a ‘counter-Borat' representation, national identity, and transborder appeal. It uses the globalization theory of John Tomlinson and complex connectivity to better understand the contemporary trends of the Kazakh film industry and its challenges. Interviews with key Kazakh professionals in the film industry were conducted to provide their knowledge of the current industry, the influence and effect of globalizing forces, the changing national and regional context with its geopolitics, and their perspective on its cultural representations and filmic storytelling.