American Documentary Film Festival

The film features the Brian Cox (Succession) and Costa Ronin (Homeland, The Endgame) as it explores the life and the daring escape to the West by the once famous and much beloved Soviet film actor in his quest for personal and creative freedom away from the dictatorial totalitarian regime of the USSR.

Los Angeles, CA (March XX, 2022) OLEG, a new documentary feature about famed Soviet Russian cinema heartthrob Oleg Vidov, from award-winning Australian director Nadia Tass, will make its desert debut at the 11th Annual American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) which takes place April 7 to 11, 2022 in Palm Springs, CA.

 

Though celebrated as one of the Soviet Union’s biggest movie stars, no amount of fame could save Oleg Vidov from a system that tried to control his life. Born in Moscow during World War II, the film traces Oleg’s spectacular rise to stardom in the USSR and his three decades in Hollywood as an actor and producer following his daring defection from the Soviet Union in 1985. The film also documents the hidden side of the prolific Soviet film industry and gives a rare first-hand look at the privilege and corruption of the then all-powerful Communist regime. Oleg managed to escape in 1985 and secured asylum in the US. Once there, Oleg turned to reinventing himself in Hollywood, where he continued his film career starring in such films as Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wild Orchid with Mickey Rourke and Thirteen Days with Kevin Costner. Sadly, Oleg passed away unexpectedly in May 2017.

 

The film is directed by one of Australia’s most prominent directors Nadia Tass (Amy, Malcolm, Matching Jack) and who also served as one of the executive producers. OLEG is produced by Joan Borsten, Oleg’s widow and prominent American journalist who reported for the Los Angeles Times and

the Jerusalem Post before becoming a producer. Joan spent almost three years bringing this intense,

personal documentary to the screen.

 

OLEG is narrated by Brian Cox (Succession) and features the voice talents of Costa Ronin (The Endgame, Homeland) who provides the voice of a young Oleg Vidov. Brian Cox has a long history with

Russia and spent several years in Moscow teaching acting. He also shot a documentary series called Brian Cox’s Russia which outlined the long, shared history of the many Scots who made Russia their home.

 

Costa Ronin immigrated from Russia and grew up New Zealand and then went to college in Australia.

Following starring turns in The Americans for Fox television and Homeland for Showtime, Costa can

currently be seen starring in the hit NBC international thriller, The Endgame.

Joan Borsten says. “The film had a triumphant world premiere at the Moscow International Film Festival in May 2021. Oleg would be so pleased that it is now to screen at the acclaimed AmDocs festival in a city he loved so much.

This story of Oleg’s flight to freedom, is even more relevant today.

The war in Ukraine has sparked new interest in the history of Russia and the USSR. The younger audience members, many of whom were not even born when Oleg escaped, are now so curious to learn more about life in Soviet Russia. Although blissfully unaware of the concept of a controlling, all-seeing totalitarian regime, younger audiences are now able to learn about the history of Soviet Russia and better understand that Oleg’s story is more than just a personal story about freedom and the desire for a free life. There are countless others who risked everything to secure their freedom and live a free life.”

 

OLEG will screen at 12:00 PM, on Monday, April 11, 2022 at the Camelot Theatres located at the

Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

Trailer Link: 

To purchase tickets: https://bit.ly/AmDoc2022

 

For more information on the film: www.olegvidovfilm.com

The American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity,

operating under a fiscal sponsorship of Inquiring Systems Inc. (ISI). Founder Teddy Grouya desired to

create a forum to celebrate and promote documentary film - and the independent filmmakers around the world who bring knowledge and awareness through their stories about real people and issues. Created in 2011, AmDocs takes place annually in Palm Springs, CA. AmDocs has been recognized internationally as an important venue for filmmakers, being named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the five coolest documentary film festivals in the world and one of the Top 50 Film Festivals in the World Worth the Entry Fee for Filmmakers! Since 2019, AmDocs has been consistently named one of the Top 100 Best Reviewed Film Festivals in the World by FilmFreeway.com.