March 26, 12.00 – 13.30
Film festivals play an important role in cinema development, contributing to growing new audiences, increased sales and box office, and films release at international markets. Also, they are effective platforms for professional communication, promotion of debut films, search for new narratives and ideas in films and their development. The Ministry of Culture pays special attention to the role of film festivals in fostering spectator culture, generating interest in cinema among local audiences, the potential of film festivals for discovering new talents and the importance of developing the film festival movement in the regions. The experts will discuss the “new festival reality”, the potential of film festivals cooperation between the BRICS countries and the film festivals resources for promoting national cinema in a situation when official distribution is impossible or difficult. How can we make a festival a full-fledged instrument for the promotion of cinema and development of spectator culture? What marketing and other instruments can enhance popularity of auteur cinema festivals? How can we ensure a departure from elitist cinema to searching for a new audience and communicating with young people? What do film festivals have in store for filmmakers, and useful are they?
Moderator: Andrey Apostolov, Program Director of the Window to Europe and Gorky Fest festivals
Speakers:
- Anton Malyshev, Executive Director, Kinoprime Foundation
- Alexander Hunt, Director
- Kireet Khurana, CEO, AniMela Film Festival (India)
- Zingisa Noluvuyo Mjolii, Project Coordinator, Center for Creative Arts (co-organizer of the Durban Film Festival)
- Yulia Bragina, Director, Public Relations Department, Gosfilmofond
- Evgeny Grigoryev, President, International Debut Film Festival of the Eurasian Continent “One Sixth”
- Egor Odintsov, Producer, CEO and Founder, Ark Pictures Film Company, founder of the “Kovcheg” Fund for the Support and Development of Jewish Cinema, Artistic Director, Moscow Jewish Film Festival
- Gavin Lee, Secretary General, Franco-Chinese Association of New Cinema, Managing Director, the French Golden Tree Award, Member and Organizer, CINETOUR Sustainable Development Film Festival (Online)
- Davoud Adeli, International Affairs Executive, Youth Film Association, International Relations Director, Tehran Short Film Festival (Online)