Films by Pavel Ruminov, Renata Litvinova and Avdotya Smirnova are among 20 titles to be screened at the first DOORS film market (June 21-24) which is being organised by Roskino and the Russian Film Commission USA as part of the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF).

Ruminov’s I’ll Be Around won the Grand Prix at the Kinotavr ‘Open Russian’ Film Festival in Sochi earlier this month, while actress-director Litvinova’s Rita’s Last Fairytale is also screening in the International Competition at MIFF and will also show at next month’s Odessa International Film Festival.

Smirnova is present with two films: Two Days, which screened at Kinotavr and VOICES last year, and Kokoko which picked up the Best Actress Award in Sochi this year for the actresses Anna Mikhalkova and Yana Troyanova.

Other films in the DOORS lineup include Vasily Sigarev’s goEast Grand Prix winner Living, Sergey Loban’s idiosyncratic Chapiteau-Show, Igor Voloshin’s Bedouin, and Anton Bormatov’s The Alien Girl.

The participants at the first edition of this market include leading US distributors who have released Russian films in the past such as Zeitgeist Films and Berney Films as well as such companies as Fox Searchlight, Sony Pictures Classics, The Weinstein Company, Netflix, HULU, IFC Films and Next Wave Films.

The main goal of the new initiative is to support the promotion of Russian cinema in the international market and offer foreign distributors an opportunity to become acquainted with the new generation of Russian filmmakers.

Moreover, if a contract is signed for the sale of rights to any project presented at DOORS, Roskino has committed to participate in the co-financing of advertising and PR campaigns for the films in the distribution territory.

The DOORS screening programme will be complemented by panel discussions on ways of promoting Russian cinema in the US market, opportunities for Russo-American co-productions, and strategies for promoting Russian cinema in the international market.

DOORS will be rounded off on June 24 with the presentation of the International Visual Award “for outstanding contribution to the advance of international distribution of independent film.”

MIFF opens today (June 21) with the premiere of Roman Prygunov’s third feature Soulless based on Sergei Minayev’s eponymous controversial bestseller.

Topics