EXCLUSIVE: Kazakhstan’s Uni-Q Group has rolled out what it is calling the first ever streaming service in the nation.
Backed by the Presidential Initiatives Foundation Dara and several private investors, Unico Play has debuted with six shows and more than 20 in production, along with classics of Kazakh cinema, kids programing and dramas dubbed from Turkish and Korean into Kazakh. The launch took place to coincide with last week’s Day of Kazakh Cinema.
Premieres for Unico Play include Black Caviar, an eco-thriller set on the shores of the Caspian Sea that explores the lives of coastal communities torn between tradition, survival, and the law. There is also historical drama Bikesh set in 17th century Kazakhstan, high-concept thriller Target about a student who receives a cryptic social-media warning of a deadly fire at his school, and Uncle Coach about a former boxer who returns home to bury his father and inherit the family gym.
Unico Play is also developing TWO, which follows a teenager who fakes a pregnancy to win back her boyfriend. Last year, the pilot was the first Kazakh project selected for MIPCOM’s Fresh TV showcase in Cannes.
Uni-Q Group said the streaming service “leans heavily on AI,” with a “localization engine currently handling up to 600 hours of translation, dubbing and subtitling into Kazakh each day.”
“We want to entertain and inspire millions across Central Asia — and show the world the power of Kazakh stories,” said Dmitry Gudumak, Co-CEO of Uni-Q Group. “By combining creative talent with digital innovation, we’re building an ecosystem that can take local content from idea to screen, and from Kazakhstan to global audiences.”
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