Kazakhstan has been submitting film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film category since 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union.

As of 2026, Kazakhstan was nominated only once, for Mongol (2007). The country is so far the only in the Central Asian region to be nominated in the category.

Submissions The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1956.

Among the 24 films submitted by the Soviet Union, only one production was produced by a Kazakh film studio: The Ferocious One (1974). While Prisoner of the Mountains (1996), nominated representing Russia, was directed by Sergei Bodrov, and was a Kazakh co-production.

After its first submission in 1992, although the Kazakh film industry continued to produce a number of small, independent films that achieved success at international film festivals (including Killer, Shiza and Little Men), Kazakhstan did not submit any other films for consideration until 2006.

Kazakhstan's first three submissions were epic historical dramas, showcasing key moments in pre-Soviet Central Asian history. The Fall of Otrar (1991) and Mongol (2007) take place in the 13th century, while Nomad (2006) is set in the 17th century. The Fall of Otrar was produced by Kazakhfilm studio while Kazakhstan was still a part of the Soviet Union. Nomad, the most expensive film ever made in Kazakhstan, was bankrolled by the Kazakh government and told the story of the young Ablai Khan, who would eventually unite a number of Kazakh tribes on the steppes of 18th century Kazakhstan. Mongol is a biography of the famed Mongolian leader Genghis Khan, from his childhood as a slave until the beginning of his conquest of much of the known world.

Kelin (2009) and Ayka (2018) advanced to December shortlists, but were not nominated.

Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by Kazakhstan for review by the Academy, by year and the respective ceremony.

Year(Ceremony) English title Original titleIn October 2017, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev issued a decree to use Latin script, instead of Cyrillic script. Director Result 1992(65th) The Fall of Otrar Отырардың күйреуі Ardak Amirkulov 2006(79th) Nomad Көшпенділер Sergei Bodrov, Talgat Temenov and Ivan Passer 2007(80th) Mongol Моңғол Sergei Bodrov 2008(81st) Tulpan Қызғалдақ Sergey Dvortsevoy 2009(82nd) Kelin Келін Ermek Tursunov 2010(83rd) Strayed Заблудившийся Akan Satayev 2011(84th) Returning to the 'A' Возвращение в «А» Egor Konchalovsky 2012(85th) Myn Bala Жаужүрек мың бала Akan Satayev 2013(86th) The Old Man Шал Ermek Tursunov 2015(88th) Stranger Жат Ermek Tursunov 2016(89th) Amanat Аманат Satybaldy Narymbetov 2017(90th) The Road to Mother Анаға апарар жол Akan Satayev 2018(91st) Ayka Айка Sergey Dvortsevoy 2019(92nd) Kazakh Khanate – Golden Throne қазақ хандығының алтын тесігі Rustem Abdrashev 2020(93rd) The Crying Steppe Ұлы дала зары Marina Kunarova 2021(94th) Yellow Cat Сары мысық Adilkhan Yerzhanov 2022(95th) Life Жизнь 2024(97th) Bauryna Salu Баурына салу Askhat Kuchencherekov 2025(98th) Cadet Кадет Adilkhan Yerzhanov 2026(99th) Abel Әбіл Elzat Eskendir

See also List of Soviet submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film List of Russian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

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