Russian Film Week returns to London in November!
The third Annual Russian Film Week will be held on November 25 to December 2, 2018 in landmark venues across London: BFI Southbank, Regent Street Cinema, Curzon Mayfair, Empire IMAX Leicester Square as well as in Edinburgh, Cambridge and Oxford.
The eight-day festival celebrates the best of new films from Russian filmmakers worldwide and promotes Russian cinema while bridging the gap between Russian cinematography and the western world. “We believe that at the time of political tensions, it’s more important than ever to build cross-cultural bridges between Russia and the UK. We need to reach across the divide and collaborate effectively on the world’s stage. This very idea – that by bringing people together we can increase global harmony and nurture peace – is the foundation on which Russian film week was built”, said Filip Perkon, Founder and General Producer of the Russian Film Week and the Golden Unicorn Awards.
This year, over 50 film submissions were received, ranging from historical and political dramas, art house movies and action films, to documentaries and short films.
Russian Film Week will be opened by Avdotya Smirnova’s drama ‘Istoriya odnogo naznacheniya’ (‘The Story of an Appointment’). It won the Gorin prize for the best script at Russia’s largest national film festival Kinotavr. The story is based on real life events, showing an episode from Russian literary giant Leo Tolstoy’s life. The opening night will be held at the largest screen in the UK – Empire IMAX Leicester Square.
Other seasonal highlights include Kirill Serebrennikov’s biographical film ‘Leto’ (‘Summer’), awarded at the Cannes Film Festival for its music, and ‘Sobibor’, Russia’s foreign-language film Oscar submission 2018. The film is the debut feature for actor-turned-director Konstantin Khabensky, who starred in Hollywood films Wanted (2008) and World War Z (2013). ‘Sobibor’ is focused on the story of an uprising in the Sobibor Nazi extermination camp in 1943, led by Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky, played by Konstantin Khabensky. The picture also stars Christopher Lambert and Karl Frenzel. Another actor, Danila Kozlovsky, known for his roles in Hollywood’s fantasy Vampire Academy (2014), BBC series McMafia (2018), and numerous Russian blockbusters, will present his debut project, sports drama ‘Trener’ (‘Coach’), the Russian premiere of which was timed to the FIFA World Cup 2018.
Besides the opportunity to see new Russian releases, the guests will have the chance to meet the filmmakers at Q&A sessions, masterclasses, workshops, seminars, public talks, and film art exhibitions. This year will include Vladimir Mashkov, Konstantin Khabensky, Danila Kozlovsky, Fedor Bondarchuk, Avdotya Smirnova, Marina Zudina, Ivan Okhlobystin and other experts of Russian film industry.
The full scheule can be found online at ‘http://www.russianfilmweek.org/’.
Felix Film is partnering with Russian Film Week to provide press passes and tickets to potential writers covering the event. If this interests you, email ‘film.felix@ic.ac.uk’ with the subject RFW and the film/event you are interested in.
