A New York Times article yesterday takes a look at the Kazakh bid for an Oscar last night for “Mongol,” one of a number of films being produced in the country following the flow of funds from oil and natural gas windfalls. While “Mongol” lost out to the Austrian produced film “The Counterfeiters,” the nationalistic theme it showcases is likely to be replicated as Kazakh and Russia filmmakers struggling to create the narrative of an old entity with a short history as an independent country.  Full article here.