Kazakhstani director and screenwriter Darina Manapova gained recognition with her short film Maulen (2019), which premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival. She has directed several TV series for Kazakhstani channels and the web series Escort: A New Call (2024) for Salem Entertainment. She took part in the Busan Asian Film Academy x CHANEL, Basel Residency and Script Lab CA. Darina is currently part of a writers' room for a web series and has two feature films in development.‌