The Gala opening of the Russian Film Week took place at one of the most popular Los Angeles screening venues, the Arclight Hollywood theatre on October 27. The American audience saw one of the best Russian-made films of the year, The Duelist by Alexey Mizgirev, an adventure thriller with elements of melodrama and mystery, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergey Melkumov.
Producer Alexander Rodnyansky and the leading actor Pyotr Fedorov presented The Duelist at its US premiere. The film saw is world premiere as part of the TIFF – SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS program in Toronto scoring high both with industry professionals and the media.
Katya Mtsitouridze, ROSKINO CEO:
“The Russian Film Week in Los Angeles is a very important event today. With the political relations being so complicated, cinema and culture have become the bridges that connect our two countries. With the help of our films, through their imagery and characters, through direct communication with filmmakers during the Q&As, the American audiences can form a different opinion on Russia, an opinion of their own, free from the influence of mass media. We are happy to be with you tonight and I want to emphasize that the extent to which you love and welcome Russian cinema and culture here, in the United States, equals the extent to which we in Russia love and revere the best examples of outstanding American literature, art, and, of course, cinema.”
Film and TV industry professionals, producers, directors, critics, and distributors gathered at the Russian Film Week’s opening night and the premiere of The Duelist. Among those present were producer Peter Winther (Independence Day, The Patriot, Stargate), actress Bai Ling (Crank: High Voltage, Taxi 3, Anna and the King), producer Grace Loh (War, Inc., Hot Tub Time Machine), producer Jeff Rice (Rudderless, 2 Guns, Broken City, Soldiers of Fortune), actress Yekaterina Rednikova (Black&White, Home, The Thief), director and scriptwriter Sergey Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains, Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, Seventh Son), and many others.
Bai Ling, actress:
“I was deeply touched by The Duelist and it also inspired many profound thoughts. It doesn’t matter when the events of the film take place: a year ago, ten years ago, or a century ago. What matters is the deep emotions that people experience as they watch the film. The storyline that deals with the question of life and death is a bold move on the part of the filmmakers. Every one of us encounters death face to face at least once, and it is, undoubtedly, a shock. The movie has a strong plot and solid actors’ performances! The main hero is a regular man, he is not a murderer by nature. But when he starts killing, he becomes stronger and stronger, and eventually becomes heartless. Of course, I was also very much impressed by the scenes set in the past: all these carriages, the entourage of past centuries, and the classical atmosphere of the old Petersburg!”
Sergey Bodrov, director and screenwriter:
“I want to congratulate the crew that worked on this film with having created high quality cinema, something that rarely happens nowadays! I had read the script before the shooting began and I’d thought it was very interesting; the idea was beautifully realized by the director aided by a good cast. I can see that the audience liked the film.”
Yekaterina Rednikova, actress:
“I really liked the film and its visual atmosphere: it’s wonderfully shot! The dark style of the half-imagined and the half-real “pins” the viewers down to their seats from the very first moments, and you fully concentrate on what happens on the screen. I especially want to single out Pyotr Fedorov’s great performance. In real life he is a very unassuming young man, but on the screen, you can’t take your eyes off him, his character is so concentrated and complete. Overall, this film for me has a very contemporary feel: nothing has disappeared, neither bribery nor the questions of honor.”
Eleonora Granata Jenkinson, producer, President, Melograno Films LLC, LA:
“I am very grateful to ROSKINO for organizing this wonderful evening and for bringing many good Russian films to Los Angeles! American viewers should form their own opinion of Russian cinema. The Duelist is a project that has confirmed my opinion: that Russian films are very well produced and have a strong plot.”
Eric d’Arbeloff, producer, Co-President, Roadside Attraction LLC:
“It is a great honor for me to be an honorary guest at this event. An occasion like this, a presentation of Russian films in the United States, is especially important right now. Many Americans would like to get to know the culture of a foreign country and during the Russian Film Week they will have an opportunity to see many good films and to communicate with well-known actors and directors.”
Howard Cohen, producer, Co-President, Roadside Attraction LLC:
“Cultural exchange events are very important for all countries. And it’s great that over these several days Russia will showcase its most recent film productions. I am grateful to ROSKINO and Katya Mtsitouridze for establishing a productive cultural dialogue between our two countries, regardless of any political discord.”
In advance of the American Film Market (November 2 – 9), from October 27 to October 31 the New Russian Film Week will showcase a variety of titles selected by the event’s programmers, Katya Mtsitouridze, ROSKINO CEO, and Alex Ago, Director of Programming and Special Projects at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The Russian Film Week is organized by ROSKINO and is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the project’s key partner, TVzavr video streaming platform.
The line-up of the New Russian Film Week in Los Angeles includes recent award-winning feature titles released in 2016 and successfully presented at global film markets: The Duelist by Alexey Mizgirev, Good Boy by Oksana Karas, Rag Union by Mikhail Mestetsky, Zoology by Ivan Tverdosky, as well as a number of shorts: The Kid by Vlad Kozlov, Father and Boy by Evgeny Sinelnikov, and Brutus by Konstantin Fam.
Alexander Rodnyansky, producer:
“The organization of events on this level is essential for the Russian cinema, because I am convinced that the domestic film industry cannot survive in isolation. Only when we become part of the international system of production and distribution of content, films, TV shows, and future works operating on new platforms of the virtual and augmented reality, can we remain a powerful and high-quality industry. And in order to become part of the global context, we need to break through and make our films known and make our characters known; we need to establish contacts, to create alliances, we need to secure the future of our projects within the system of international co-production. That is why what ROSKINO has been doing is so important: a regular Film Week will attract attention and at the very least sustain the viewers’ interest. It is not only a celebration, which one can attend and enjoy the movies. It is a system of full-scale and goal-oriented actions that can eventually bring the expected result through which the domestic film industry will become stronger.”
One of the key events of the Russian Film Week program is the presentation of Attraction by Fedor Bondarchuk, the first ever Russian-made alien invasion thriller. Industry professionals will see a fully edited fragment showcasing the latest CGI technologies.
The New Russian Film Week is hosted by a number of prestigious venues, including ArcLight Hollywood and Laemmle Monica Film Center, as well as the screening facilities of the USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex and the Los Angeles Campus of the New York Film Academy.
ROSKINO is the only Russian state institution promoting Russian cinema internationally. Since its foundation in 1924 ROSKINO facilitates the integration of the Russian filmmakers into the world industry. In 2014 the company celebrated its 90th anniversary.
The company promotes Russian cinema at major film festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Beijing, London), markets (AFM in Los Angeles, EFM in Berlin, Marché du FIlm and MIPCOM in Cannes), and awards (The Oscars, Golden Globes, EFA Awards). It supports distribution of Russian cinema and solicits international investments and co-production partnerships.
One of the most prominent initiatives of ROSKINO is the DOORS international traveling film market that allows the company to present national cinema at various markets around the world.
Since 2012 ROSKINO operates the Russian Film Commission USA based in Los Angeles.
