Assel Aushakimova

Assel is a Kazakh director, screenwriter and producer. She is Berlinale Talents and Busan Asian Film School alumna. Her second feature film BIKECHESS (Kazakhstan-France-Norway) had its premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2024 and was awarded as Best International Narrative Feature of Tribeca 2024. It won Works in Progress award at industry section of Karlovy Vary IFF 2023. Her first feature film WELCOME TO THE USA had its world premiere at AFI Fest 2019 (New Auteurs). This is the first feature film in Kazakhstan with the protagonist from the LGBTQ community. It was awarded Grand Jury Prize as Best International Narrative Feature of NewFest New York's LGBTQ Film Festival 2020.