Love for His Country Leads to Success at Hopkins

Published March 5, 2025

Sabi Baibussinov, a 35-year-old documentary filmmaker from Kazakhstan, has transformed his passion for storytelling and his love for his country into a successful career in documentary filmmaking.

Born in 1989, Baibussinov’s journey in media began at North State Kazakhstan University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. His professional career includes producing and writing stories for several television channels in his homeland.

After more than a decade in broadcast journalism, Baibussinov transitioned to documentary filmmaking, a path that eventually led him to Johns Hopkins University in the United States. He graduated from the Film and Media program in the spring of 2024, a feat made possible by the “Bolashak” scholarship awarded to him by the Kazakh government in 2019.

“In 2019, I received the ‘Bolashak’ scholarship, which allowed me to study at any American university within the top 100 rankings,” Baibussinov said. “One day, during the coronavirus pandemic, I sat down and started researching universities and the programs they offered. When I reached Johns Hopkins, I distinctly remember being very impressed with the Film and Media program because it offered a lot of practical experience and courses covering essential industry knowledge.”

Baibussinov faced a lengthy admission process, which took a year from the initial application to receiving the acceptance letter. Yet, the effort paid off.

“Johns Hopkins profoundly changed my life for the better, broadened my horizons, and gave me many new connections,” he noted. “During the two years in the program, I learned a lot of new things about the film industry, improved my technical skills, and most importantly, I started to see the stories that matter and are worth telling in every person I met and got to know.”

One of Baibussinov’s significant achievements at Johns Hopkins was his thesis project—a documentary about the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, an ecological disaster largely unknown to American audiences.

“I spoke with our academic director, Sig Libowitz, and told him a story that shocked him. The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake in the world and is now only 10 percent of its original size,” Baibussinov explained.

This project led him to apply for the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fellowship.

“I was more shocked than ever in my life when I received a letter from the SZIF’s director, Annette Porter, informing me that my project was among those selected to participate in the Story Lab, receive mentorship, and be considered for a financial grant,” he recalled.

In March 2024, Baibussinov was awarded a production and development grant from the fellowship.

“For me, it was like winning an Oscar. My first serious project received such support. The advice and encouragement from industry professionals not only helped improve my project but also inspired me and gave me confidence that nothing is impossible,” he said.

Baibussinov’s journey from Kazakhstan to Johns Hopkins and back to his homeland has been transformative.

“None of this would have happened if I hadn’t decided to apply to Johns Hopkins, and if Johns Hopkins hadn’t sent me an acceptance letter,” he said. “I consider this an incredible journey that is impossible to forget. I am very proud to be part of the rich history of Hopkins. Once a Blue Jay, forever a Blue Jay.”

Now back in Kazakhstan, Baibussinov works at one of the largest television channels in the country, where he continues to develop documentary films.

“I am confident that the knowledge I gained at Hopkins will help me in this endeavor,” he concluded.