Uzbekistan
Mariya Musakova
Focus Film and Theatre School, Director and Founder, Tashkent
Maria holds a degree in Japanese language studies from the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies (Far Eastern and South Asian Languages Department). She’s also a graduate of the Professional Management Programme launched by the PMP-20 Uzbekistan-Japan Centre for Human Development. Maria wrote music for twelve films, including Motherland (2006) and Lead (2012). Since 2016, she has managed Focus, a non-governmental film school in Tashkent, and holds the copyright for the respective business project, curriculum, and trademark.
Mirkhan Sagitov
Art and Culture Development Foundation at the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, Head of the the Special Projects Department, Tashkent
Mirkhan curated the first Samarkand Half Marathon, an international charity race, which turned from an ordinary running event into a big festival of contemporary culture. He is also a member of the organisational committee of the Navruz international half marathon in Tashkent, the founder of the Tashkent Runners community, and a speaker at TEDx Talks (How Running Changes People and Cities). Mirkhan holds a degree in social and cultural studies from the Tashkent State Institute of Arts and Culture.
Navruza Biynazova
Independent producer, Tashkent
She graduated from the philological faculty of Tashkent State University and later the Tashkent Institute of Arts. She got her master's degree in "dramaturgy of the stage and screen." Studied on the state television of Turkey TRT. She had worked on television for 24 years. She writes scripts for documentaries and feature films.
Odil Mukhamedov
WECOSMOS festival, producer, Tashkent
In the process of communication with representatives of the creative youth of Tashkent, I realized that in our environment there is a certain lack of a society that would unite people with common interests and would serve as a springboard for their self-realization in the field of culture and art. That is how the idea of MOC was born. It the society which organizes and implements the creative projects. In MOC people interested in joint cooperation will realize ideas through the exchange of knowledge, resources and experience. The main goal is to create a platform which will favor various representatives of the creative sphere, cooperation and the creation of new initiatives.
Otabek Suleymanov
Acoustic Faculty LTD, founder, Tashkent
After his graduation from the law faculty of the University of Sheffield (UK) in 2002, Otabek began his career with an insurance company, and then joined Centil law firm, where he is currently a partner. In 20018 he founded “The Faculty of Acoustics” and is currently the producer of the electronic music festival Stihia. He is a passionate vinyl records digger and has large collection of records mainly in electronic music genre.
Pahlavon Turdiev
The Black Quail Leather Brand, Founder and Head, Ferghana
After graduating from the institute, in search of himself and his main occupation in life, he began to make genuine leather accessories. The first owners of his work were his friends and relatives, who received them from him as a gift. The passion for the skin and the desire to create grew into more than just interest, which led to the official registration of the brand under the name “The Black Quail” on August 8, 2013. At the moment, there are 2 brand stores in Tashkent and a store in Bukhara will be opened soon. Also, 2017-2019 he was a co-founder of LLC “Ringo”, which was engaged in the production of natural smoothies under the same name, “Ringo” and was responsible for the promotion of this brand. Today, in partnership, he is working on a project for the production of leather shoes under the Wooden Pegs brand.
Rano Shodieva
Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, Director, Tashkent
Rano Shodieva - Honored Actress of Uzbekistan, Director of the Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, lecturer at the State Institute of Arts and Culture. She has 28 years of experience in cinema, played more than 200 roles, winner of the UNESCO prize for the best debut of 1997, winner of the International Film Festival “West-East-2007” Azerbaijan for Best Actress, winner of the nomination for the Golden Vityaz-2007 International Film Festival “Best Actress”, winner of the “Etirof-2013” Award is the best actress of the year and the festival “Eng Ulug, Eng Aziz”.
Saadulla Abdullaev
Men of Culture, co-founder and chief financial officer, Tashkent
Saadulla Abdullaev is a versatile young public activist. Despite his specialty as an economist, he was always interested in the creative industry. The creative association Men of Culture just needed a man like him, so he easily joined the structure of the organization and took on many administrative tasks. Also, Saadulla maintains his blog in the telegram “In the Garden”, where he describes his personal opinion about what is happening in the country, including the cultural segment of events. Sadi, as his friends call him, has already begun active entrepreneurial activity in the fields of education and IT.
