Spirit of Fire Academy to host events at EEF 2023 dedicated to the development of regional cinema in Russia

7 September 2023

Spirit of Fire Academy to host events at EEF 2023 dedicated to the development of regional cinema in Russia

Among the events set to take place at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (organized by the Roscongress Foundation) will be a showcase organized by the Spirit of Fire Academy featuring key regional film projects. The event, which will include pitch sessions of standout films, will take place on 12 September at the ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ pavilion at the ‘Far East Street’ exhibition.

The pitch sessions will aim to demonstrate the progress made through the decentralization of film production. They will also provide an opportunity to discuss the benefits offered by the regions as filming locations, and help raise awareness of locally made films.

One session to take place at the pavilion is entitled The Creative Potential of Siberia and Russia’s Far East: Filmmaking Opportunities. Participants will examine startups in the film industry initiated by entrepreneurs from Siberia and the Far East. They will also discuss production-related solutions which can help regional companies create new films. The session will be moderated by Dmitry Yakunin, Deputy Executive Director of the Regional Cinema Support Fund. Among those invited to attend are Evgeniy Melentyev, Chief Executive Officer of KINODANZ; Afanasy Savin, General Director of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Development Corporation; Dmitry Shevtsov, General Director of Vladivostok Film Studio; Pavel Peregudov, Creative Producer of Pitching Film Startups at the Regional Cinema Support Fund and Head of Studio Prospekt; Ekaterina Ivanteeva, General Director of Elka Corporation; Julia Lipatova, General Producer of HOUMPRODUCTION; Nikolay Dunn, Producer, President of the Zero Plus International Children’s and Family Film Festival, and Founder of the Zero Plus Educational Online Cinema; and Irina Belykh, Program Director of the FANK Contemporary Science Film Festival, Producer of the FANK Scientific Film Laboratory, and Curator of the Science as Art Initiative (forming part of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia). The session will feature presentations of filmmaking business initiatives, films set to be shot on location in Siberia and the Far East, and scientific film laboratories. In addition, there will be discussions on filmmaking conditions in Yugra, Primorye and Yakutia. Children’s films will also come under the spotlight as a means of developing the film and media industry for the long term.

“We have cooperated with world-leading professionals in our efforts to foster the development of the film industry in Yugra. As a result, we have been able to put together an effective film production team in the region, and build a favourable environment for all stakeholders in the film industry. We need to develop partnerships and work on new projects in order to transform the film-related potential of each region into a tangible product,” said Natalia Komarova, Governor of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra.

Another related session, which will be held as part of the Creative Business Forum, is entitled The Phenomenon of Russian Film: National Cinema as an Engine of the Regional Economy. The event will focus on the ins and outs of regional film production, the potential to build a film cluster in the Far East, financial support for filmmakers, training for industry professionals, the demand for Russian content in Asian countries, and other aspects related to the development of regional cinema.

Invitees include Elvira Nurgalieva, Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic; Dmitry Davidenko, Director of the Department of Cinematography and Digital Development of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation; Aisen Nikolaev, Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia); Sergey Bagirov, Producer and Deputy General Director of KIT Film Studios; Dmitry Yakunin, Deputy Executive Director of the Regional Cinema Support Fund; Philip Abryutin, Director and Producer; Evgeniy Melentyev, Chief Executive Officer of KINODANZ; and Julia Lipatova, General Producer of HOUMPRODUCTION.

The Creative Business Forum is organized by the Innosocium Foundation – the Roscongress Foundation’s social platform – and will take place on 10 September as part of the Eastern Economic Forum 2023. The strategic partner of the Creative Business Forum – the Spirit of Fire Academy – was spearheaded by Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra.

The 8th Eastern Economic Forum will take place on 10–13 September on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University.

Spirit of Fire Academy to host events at EEF 2023 dedicated to the development of regional cinema in Russia

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