We recently connected with Yegor Buga and have shared our conversation below.

Yegor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I am studying directing at the New York Film Academy. Since childhood, I have been involved in theater, traveling to festivals and representing Kazakhstan in various European countries. During that time, I started thinking about films—how I would reshoot certain scenes, which actors I would include—and this passion led me to choose directing as my profession.

I am grateful to my parents, school, crewmates and my own interest in cinema and acting for shaping who I am today.
The key to growth, in my opinion, is combining theory with constant practice.
As one of my teachers used to say: you become a director when you’re constantly filming, a writer when you’re constantly writing, and an editor when you’re constantly editing. I strive to follow this approach, working as often as possible with my friends and team.

To accelerate my development, I push myself to work harder, leaving laziness behind, and I’m not afraid of making mistakes because they make us stronger if we learn from them. Of course, there are always challenges along the way—family circumstances, inner doubts, and the constant battle with yourself. But it is by overcoming these difficulties that we truly grow.

Yegor, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am from Kazakhstan, from a small city in the north of the country called Kostanay. In my early childhood, I never imagined that I would fall in love with theater and cinema. It all began when I was offered a small role in a school play. After successfully passing the audition, I joined our children’s theater troupe.

Over time, we were invited to festivals in Europe, performing in cities like Verona, Dubai, Berlin, and in Poland and the Czech Republic. We participated in international children’s acting competitions and often won prizes. Our program showcased the culture, traditions, and folklore of Kazakhstan. Much of our success was due to our inspiring leader, Nina Dmitrievna, and countless hours of rehearsal.

As I grew older and entered high school, I developed an interest in video editing. I worked on various projects, from gaming videos and family clips to entries for school competitions. During one of these competitions, our team won a prize, which inspired me to dive deeper into video effects, particularly VFX, like those seen in Marvel movies or Avatar.

Later, I enrolled in the New York Film Academy, choosing the directing program. From the very first lessons, I realized how much I enjoyed directing. Thus began a long and meticulous journey. One significant milestone was my dialogue film, where I experimented with building a story through dialogue. Learning from the mistakes of that project, my team and I created a new short film, “Morbus,” which became my first serious work.

“Morbus” addresses the challenges faced by people living with HIV and AIDS. In the film, I explore how such diagnoses affect personal relationships. Can partners stay together when one of them is diagnosed with a serious illness? While HIV lost much of its stigma in the United States in the 2000s, in post-Soviet countries, those living with HIV are still met with prejudice and fear. Through this film, I aimed to highlight this issue and advocate for greater compassion and understanding. “Morbus” earned several awards at local film festivals, motivating me to continue pursuing my passion.

My next film, “The Confectioner,” is based on the life of my godfather. This project explores the grief of losing a child and the struggle for redemption. It aims to help people come to terms with their actions, offering a path toward healing and inner peace in a world without guidebooks. You can learn more about the project through the link on my Instagram, where we are currently holding a fundraiser. I am deeply proud of this project and am determined to complete it no matter what.

I am also proud of my work as a sound designer on several projects, including “PartyBoy” by Kaisar Maxutov, “Bastard” by Islam Gimazov, and “Bedlam” by Nurmukhamed Bokenbayev.
In collaboration with the school and Amit Shilo, who was the director, we created a non-spec commercial for SanDisk. I was the creative director, and it was a new and unusual experience for me.
These experiences have become an essential part of my journey in the film industry and continue to inspire me to move forward.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

In our industry, working with people is essential. I firmly believe that everything should be based on mutual agreement and passion for one’s craft. Every individual has needs—not only material but also spiritual. For some, a day on set is hard work; for others, it’s an outlet where they can do what they love.

It’s equally important to maintain a friendly atmosphere, addressing conflicts or misunderstandings through open communication. The key is not to remain silent but to talk things through—because, as they say, communication is key.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most important aspect is to evoke emotions through sympathy for my characters, if a person sympathizes, laughs at the character or with him, then I won, this is my best reward. When I performed in the theater, my dopamine was applause, and the louder they were, the more my soul was delighted and satisfied.
Now these are comments about my film, from people I know and who I don’t know, as well as awards at the film festival, which greatly strengthens and motivates me to move on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15050773/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghgog2?igsh=dmFxdHAzZTNwN2dw
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/4xVFWCleISM?feature=shared

Image Credits

Kaisar Maxutov
Alan Yartey
Amit Shilo
Nurmurkamed Bokenbayev
Islam Gimazov