The industrial platform of the Venice International Film Festival Venice Production Bridge will focus on Russia for the first time in history. A series of events will gather leading Russian and Italian industry professionals as part of the festival’s business program. Besides that, Russia is widely presented in competition and parallel programs of the festival itself.
Evgenia Markova, ROSKINO CEO: «Significant Russian presence at festivals started at the Cannes Film Festival this year. That is where the team of ROSKINO discussed the initiative FOCUS ON RUSSIA with some industrial platforms. And just after a month and a half, at the festival in Venice in partnership with ANICA SERVIZI ROSKINO with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Cinema Fund unprecedentedly shows the opportunities of Russian industry so wide as part of the festival’s business program. There is a huge breakthrough for the industry – it was presented mainly through movies at past events, but at the moment we are noticing a dramatic extension in terms of the industrial dialogue».
Roberto Stabile, Head of International Department ANICA and ITA Audiovisual Desks Coordinator: «I am proud to organize the FOCUS ON RUSSIA at the upcoming Venice International Film Festival. The event is part of the program that ANICA SERVIZI realize for the Ministry of Culture - General Directorate for Cinema and Istituto Luce-Cinecittà with their main international partners every year. The event will bring some of the most important Russian producers to Italy, thanks to the collaboration with ROSKINO, and it will be the occasion to establish and strengthen relationships between professionals and promote new collaboration agreements, at this bright moment that the Russian film industry is living».
On the 4th of September as part of the business program of Venice Production Bridge a panel discussion FOCUS ON RUSSIA will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of Italy, ROSKINO, ANICA SERVIZI and Istituto Luce Cinecittà. Russian filmmakers and the representatives of Italian industry organizations will discuss co-production strategies and investments between Russia and Italy and Russia’s domestic content market from the perspective of international collaboration. Speakers will pay special attention to the existing experience of co-production and opportunities of the countries available for international partners. ROSKINO CEO Evgenia Markova and Head of International Department ANICA and ITA Audiovisual Desks Coordinator Roberto Stabile will moderate the discussion.
Participants: Undersecretary of State for Culture in Italian Government Lucia Borgonzoni; Ambassador of Italy in the Russian Federation Pasquale Terracciano; Head of Drama at Rai Maria Pia Ammirati; Istituto Luce-Cinecittà CEO Nicola Maccanico; Head of Cinema and Audiovisual Department at the DG Cinema of the MiC Maria Giuseppina Troccoli; Director General for Cinema of MiC Nicola Borrelli; Co-Founder and President of Cattleya Riccardo Tozzi; Head of the Department of Cinema at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Svetlana Maximchenko; Chairman of the Board for the Association of Film and Television Producers (AFTP), Producer Sergey Selyanov; KINOPRIME Foundation CEO Anton Malyshev; CEO of Central Partnership LLC Vadim Vereshchagin; President of KARO Cinema Chain Olga Zinyakova; Producer, CTB Film Company, Founder of Forest Film Natalia Drozd; Founder and general producer of Metrafilms Artem Vasilyev.
Yuliana Slashcheva, Chairman of the Board for the Association of Animation Film Industry, Chairman of the Board at Soyuzmultfilm Studio, CEO of the Gorky Film Studio: «Russian film and animation industry is growing rapidly, increasing its presence both on the national and global markets. Our unique path of historical development has made it possible to develop significant creative potential, which is now being fully disclosed thanks to dialogue with government agencies, business and the assistance of ROSKINO. We are open to various types of partnerships, ready to share our professional experience to create new projects, both within the film industry and at the junction of various creative directions».
On the 6th of September as part of the program FOCUS ON RUSSIA a Russian-Italian meeting will take place in the Italian pavilion. Its main topic is «RUSSIA & ITALY: Understanding Co-Production – Producers’ Tips and Ideas». Evgenia Markova and Roberto Stabile will again moderate the panel.
Participants: Chairman of the Board for the Association of Animation Film Industry, Chairman of the Board at Soyuzmultfilm Studio, CEO of the Gorky Film Studio Yuliana Slashcheva; Producer, Founder of AR Content Alexander Rodnyansky; President of Star Media Vlad Ryashin; Producer, CTB Film Company, Founder of Forest Film Natalia Drozd; Founder and general producer of Metrafilms Artem Vasilyev; Creative Producer METRAFILMS Studio Karina Kabanova; President of CARTOON ITALIA (Italian Animation Association) Anne-Sophie Vanhollebeke; Co-CEO Cattleya Marco Chimenz; President CNA Cinema and Audiovisual and Minerva Pictures CEO Gianluca Curti; Founder and CEO Nexo Digital Franco Di Sarro; Head of Cinema and Audiovisual Department at the DG Cinema of MiC Maria Giuseppina Troccoli; Head of European Affairs and Italy Movies at the DG Cinema and Audiovisual of the MiC Bruno Zambardino.
Vlad Riashyn, President of Star Media: «Co-production has become an important indicator of development and growth for the production and distribution industry around the world. By engaging foreign partners, we seek for not only additional financing, new distribution markets and demonstration platforms, but also professionals such as film directors, actors, producers and agents, specialists in audiovisual production. I am glad that successful case studies of Star Media include a number of series created in co-production. We are making the new project called The Silence in collaboration with the Croatian company. The Pleasure Principle series was produced by the international team from the Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine. We are working on the new film The Big with Germany. Star Media is always open for the dialogue and cooperation with companies and professionals from different countries».
In addition, on the 5th of September as part of the VOD Market Day a discussion about communication with the audience, user experience, humanized digital mediation, diversity and inclusion at the VOD market is planned. About 20 European platforms will take part in the event. ROSKINO CEO Evgenia Markova will present the market of Russian online video services.
From the 3rd to the 5th of September at the co-production market Venice Gap-Financing a project by Russian directors Denis Semionov and Georgy Molodtsov will be presented. It is an interactive VR-project «Knight of The Wailing Stars» co-produced by Russia, France and Italy.
All the events will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Cinema Fund.
A film by Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov «Kapitan Volkonogov Bezal» (Captain Volkonogov Escaped) co-produced by Russia, France and Estonia was selected in the main competition. In the section Orizzonti Extra Russia will be represented by the movie Mama, Ya Doma (Mother, I’m Home) by Vladimir Bitokov. A documentary film by Nastia Korkia GES-2 will join the section of special screenings. Also, during the Venice International Film Critic’s Week which is a parallel event to the main festival the audience will see Detours (Obkhodniye Puti) – a project by Ekaterina Selenkina included in the programme by the Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI).
