FNE’s Moscow correspondent Nina Boyarshinova spoke with the Russian distributors at EFP Westwind 2013 about what kinds of films they expect to succeed and why.
Russian distributors generally described the Russian market for arthouse fare as highly unpredictable making it difficult to bank on new titles that had only a European festival history to recommend them.
Alexey Burzyantsev of Caravella DDC distribution said that VOD might be a better option from many of the films on offer. “Maybe the better future for arthouse film will be the only digital distribution, like on-line cinemas, though not all sales companies are ready to work in this new format and with the sales of only digital rights. “ But unfortunately the VOD market in Russia is not yet very well developed.
This year Caravella DDC distributed film Witching and Bitching (in Russia The Witches of Zugarramurdi) directed by Alex de la Iglesia (Spain-France) which got a disappointing audience only 30 000, making it not very profitable according to Caravella’s Alexey Burzyantsev. “This was despite a considerable investment in promotion starting a month before that included showing of two successful films with Mario Casas - Three Steps Above Heaven and I Want You on Russian national TV and the arrival of the director Álex de la Iglesia in Moscow to support the film.” Caravella think maybe it was connected with the wrong targeting.
CinemaPrestige last year distributed the French film Love Lasts Three Years directed by Frederic Beigbederand even without any support it was very successful, it had 78,500 spectators and of box-office more than 600 000 USD. “We didn’t expect it at all” , said Valery Meleshkov, head of distribution at CinemaPrestige.
Premium Film prefers to buy only art-mainstream. Last year they screened the French film Froth on the Daydream and in first weekend it earned more than 50 000 USD, eighth place in a list of Russian box-office which is very good for limited distribution of less than 50 copies, in total it brought 660 000 USD and 88 000 audience. “Though the film had very different reviews from the audience it was a very successful project” says Nadezhda Motina, from the sales and marketing department of Premium Film, she also said that the films showcased at Westwind films do not fit the acquisition profile of their company.
