A total of 96 films were screened at the market, with 49 screenings at GUM cinemas, including features, documentaries, works-in-progress presentations from Russia, Ukraine and
Kazakhstan. Blockbuster The Horde, UK-Russian co-production Saint Petersburg, festival hit In the Fog and Works-in-Progress presentations were some of the most well attended screenings during the RSS.
The market lounge at GUM and the proximity of GUM to the Metropol hotel provided good facilities for the meetings between the Russian producers and international buyers and festival representatives. As a result of the Red Square Screenings, the first deal has already taken place: Aktis Film from Germany have acquired the international rights (excluding Russia and CIS) to a Russian-UK co-production Saint Petersburg, produced by Bear in Mind Films. Andrey Khvostov, the Saint Petersburg producer and director, comments: “We are glad to announce that as a result of Saint Petersburg being screened at the RSS, we have reached an agreement with Aktis Film International GmbH, who will represent
our film in all territories, excluding Russia and CIS. Among many positive comments on the film, we have immediately identified the offer by Stelios Ziannis, who saw the film’s potential and offered an optimal, in our view, plan of further work. We thank Red Square Screenings and Cinema Fund for an opportunity and we look forward to our cooperation with Aktis Film.”
A number of other projects are in consideration by international buyers (TV channels, sales agents, distributors) and festivals and are currently negotiated. For a detailed breakdown of screened films and attendees, please see the figures below. Total films available at RSS (videolibrary, sceenings, online screening room): 96 among them:
Screenings: 49
(Kazakh - 5, Ukraine - 1, Restored classic film - 1, Russian films and co-productions - 42)
Video library titles: 96
including 94 full feature films and 2 collections of short films
Kazakh films: 6
Ukraine films: 2
Works-in-Progress projects: 33
(7 from Eastern Europe (CentEast), including one from Ukraine; 26 from Russia, with 3
animation features, 5 documentaries, 2 productions in 3D)
Total accredited RSS participants: 378
International participants (buyers, sales companies, festivals, press) from 34 countries: 120
62% buyers (sales agents, distributors)
18% festivals
9% international press and universities
Russian production companies - RSS participants: 62
Screenings attendance:
Most attended titles:
The Horde (50), Saint Petersburg (41), In the Fog (34), Works-in-Progress
presentations (40)
Average attendance per screening: 18
All 120 international participants attended various screenings and video library during
the market.
Side programme:
A round table on the perception of the new Russian cinema abroad, led by Andrey Plakhov, was broadcast by TV Rain with 1,200,000 average online monthly reach and 20,000 daily broadcast reach.
Two round tables - on the perception of the new Russian cinema by foreign critics and on the models of distribution and exhibition of the cinema classics - were attended by more than 80 people, including international film critics, industry experts, European and US distributors; Russian producers, distributors, exhibitors and film critics.