Sadyk Sher-Niyaz

Sadyk Sher-Niyaz (/səˈdɪk ˌʃɛər niˈæz/ sə-DIK SHAIR nee-YAZ; Kyrgyz: Садык Шер-Нияз [sɑˈdɯχ ˌʃer niˈjɑs]) is a Kyrgyz director and producer, best known for his work on the film Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains.^[1]

Sadyk-Sher Niyaz

Biography

Sadyk Sher-Niyaz was born on March 10, 1969, in the village of Chon-Kapka, Talas region, Kyrgyzstan. An ethnic Kyrgyz, Sher-Niyaz is married, the father of three children.^[2] At the age of 38 he left Kyrgyzstan to attend High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors in Moscow.^[3] His first feature film, Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains, was the Kyrgyz submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.^[4]

Sher-Niyaz is the founder of several organizations, including Aitysh Public Fund,^[5] "Kalemger" Literary Club,^[6] and Film Production Company Aitysh Film.^[7] In 2011, he started the Kyrgyzstan-Land of Short Films.^[8] Later in 2011, Sher-Niyaz became the Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Kyrgyzstan; he was re-elected to the position in January 2015.^[9] In 2012, he became one of the founders of the Ak Ilbirs Awards^[10][11][12] Later in 2011, Sher-Niyaz became the Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Kyrgyzstan, and was again re-elected to the position January 2015.^[9]

In late 2014, Sher-Niyaz founded the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. According to The Wrap, Sher-Niyaz created the Festival to help other Asian filmmakers in their Oscar campaigns: ″'I created the Asian World Film Festival to fill a void that I noticed was missing in America. There is a wealth of underrated filmmakers from our region that deserve recognition and this festival was designed to champion and promote them,' festival chairman and creator Sadyk Sher-Niyaz said.″^[13]

Education

• 2007–2009. - High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors in Moscow (workshop Vladimir Khotinenko, Pavel Finn, Vladimir Fenchenko )^[14]
• 1994-2000 - Kyrgyz National University (KNU), Department of Law
• 1983-1987 - Frunze Engineering College, Technician^[15]

Political activity

• 2021- First Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to France (with residence), Permanent Delegate of Kyrgyzstan to UNESCO
• 2021 Participated in the presidential elections (withdrew his candidacy after ^[16]|negotiations with Sadyr Japarov, who later became the President of the Kyrgyz Republic)^[16]
• 2015-2020 deputy of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan
• 2014 Sher Niyaz was nominated to the post of Minister of Culture^[17]
• 2010 - Minister of Culture and Information of the Kyrgyz Republic^[18]
• 2005 - Member of the State Commission for the stabilization of the political situation in the Kyrgyz Republic
• 2004-2007 – Elected to the Parliament Deputy Ombudsman (Akyikatchy)^[6]

State awards and titles

• Order of Manas I degree (2023) (Kyrgyzstan)^{[citation needed]}
• Order of Friendship II degree (2021) (Kazakhstan)^[19]
• The Dank (Glory) medal (2015) (Kyrgyzstan)^[20]
• State Prize of the Kyrgyz Republic named after Toktogul in the field of literature, art and architecture [ru] for historical epic film Kurmanjan Datka (2017) (Kyrgyzstan)
• Honored Worker of Culture of the Kyrgyz Republic (2011) (Kyrgyzstan) ^[20]
• Certificate of Honor of the Kyrgyz Republic (2006) (Kyrgyzstan)^[20]

• Gold Medal of TÜRKSOY for precious contribution to art and culture in the Turkic World (2022)^[21]
• The Honorary Citizen of the city of Culver City, Los Angeles (2019) (USA).^[22]
• The Honorary Citizen of the Manas region (2015) (Kyrgyzstan)

Filmography

Film[23]	Year
Pars (Son"s Duty)[24]	2007	Producer and Writer
The Salt[25]	2011	Producer
Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains	2014	Director and Writer[26]