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2nd Russian Film Festival
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Download the Festival programme (pdf)
The 2nd Russian Film Festival has come to an end... It was an exciting, emotional and enriching 11 days. 10 of the best award-winning Russian films produced in 2007-2008 were premiered in London. They were accompanied by an inspiring and provocative series of discussions, special screenings and introductions by the filmmakers themselves. We would like to thank everyone who supported the festival and contributed to making it such a dynamic and memorable event. We are also grateful to our audience for their continual enthusiasm and support. Please go to our blog to post your comments about the Festival.
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Audience
We are delighted that the Festival evoked such great public interest. All of the screenings were fully booked almost every evening. We were pleased to see that our audience was mainly made up of people in their 20s and 30s, and that everyone participated enthusiastically in the Q&A sessions after the films. We were also pleased to see many members of the film industry and press at the screenings. While the majority of festival-goers consisted of Russian and English speakers, the audience included native speakers of 24 different languages, including French, German, Swedish and Bulgarian - the diverse demographic of the audience proves the level of international interest in Russian film.
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Best Film of the Festival
Our audience named Mikhail Kalatozishvili's ‘Wild Field' the best film of the Festival. Most of the Russian audience voted for Nikita Mikhalkov's ‘12', however, overall ‘Wild Field' won due to the greater quantity of votes from non-Russians. Of the 716 viewers who took part in the vote, 48.8% were native Russian speakers, and the majority of the remaining 51.2% were English speakers.
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Press
Some of the leading UK Film magazines, such as Sight and Sound, Vertigo, MovieScope and Empire have acknowledged the Festival, confirming its place as an important cinematic event in London.
В Лондоне покажут российские фильмы
Второй ежегодный фестиваль российского кино стартовал в Лондоне премьерой фильма «Живи и помни». В этом году было решено расширить программу фестиваля и уделить показам больше дней: с 18 по 29 сентября. Как и раньше, фестиваль проходит в престижном кинотеатре Apollo West End в самом центре Лондона..gif "Интервью с Михаилом Евлановым")
Film preview: Russian Film Festival, London
By Andrea HubertThe Russians are coming! Well, actually, they're already here, and now in the second year of their annual UK film festival. London-based arts organisation Academia Rossica showcases some of the brightest stars of contemporary Russian cinema.
2nd Russian Film Festival
By David ParkinsonReturning for a second year, Academia Rossica's Russian Film Festival boasts a programme of 10 London premieres that even surpasses the excellence of the inaugural slate. With several actors and directors guesting to discuss their work, this is an outstanding opportunity to assess the current state of one of the world's great film industries.
A Year of Living Dangerously
By James NortonThe past year has been a triumphant one for a resurgent Russian film industry buoyed up by the nation’s expansive mood. The poetic, experimental strand for which Russian cinema was so celebrated in Soviet times has survived in the contrasting but also adverse circumstances prevailing today.