Director of 10-episode drama about Kazakh khanate named

Aktoty Raiymkulova, the Director of the Culture and Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan, made the news public after the enlarged sitting of the ministry on Monday.

"Abdrashev is renowned for his work on such films as The Gift to Stalin, Kurak Korpe, Leader's Way," Ms Raiymkulova said. According to her, the film crew is currently looking for suitable locations for filming. Some of the major characters have already been cast. Earlier, Kazakhstan's Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly announced that the period drama will consist of 10 episodes instead of initially planned 20. The Chinese and U.S. consultants will help develop the series. It is expected that it will premiere at the end of 2015. The Ministry does not rule out the possibility that Turkish, Russian, Jordan, Greek, Israeli, Taiwanese, Singaporean and TV channels in other countries will buy the TV broadcast rights to air the much-talked about period drama dated to the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh khanate.