Mūğalım, the debut feature by Kazakh filmmaker Ayana Nurdinova, has been selected for the New Directors competition at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The 74th edition will run in Spain from September 18 to 26, 2026.
A music teacher in Balkhash
The 95-minute film follows Zhandos, a music teacher living in the small city of Balkhash who dreams of moving to a metropolis. When a patron nostalgic for his hometown offers him a chance to leave, Zhandos must decide what matters more: the art within him or his own place within art.
Born in Almaty, Nurdinova makes her feature directing debut after working as a production designer and assistant director. Oljas Dalelkhan leads the cast.
Competing for two awards
New Directors has selected 14 first and second features from 13 countries. Every title will compete for the €50,000 Kutxabank-New Directors Award, divided equally between the winning director and the film’s distributor in Spain.
The films are also eligible for the DAMA Youth Award, decided by a jury of 150 students aged 18 to 25.
