FOCUS ON RUSSIA at the 78th Venice International Film Festival

From 4 to six September, a sequence of occasions FOCUS ON RUSSIA passed off as part of the enterprise program of the 78th Venice International Film Festival – Venice Production Bridge –with the assist of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of Italy, ROSKINO, ANICA SERVIZI and Istituto Luce Cinecittà. For the primary time the pageant turned a platform {of professional} Russian-Italian communication on the trade stage. The events mentioned new measures of state assist in each nations, alternatives of non-governmental financing, developments on the worldwide co-production market, an expertise of Russia and Italy in coproduction, a brand new function of VOD-platforms in world distribution of content material and their potential for promotion of coproduction tasks.
 
CO-PRODUCTION: NEW OPPORTUNITIES
 
The fundamental subjects of FOCUS ON RUSSIA have been co-production methods, investments between Russia and Italy and Russia’s home content material market from the angle of worldwide collaboration. The nations have many factors of contact and a large expertise of co-production: from the primary collaborations of Soviet interval – «The Red Tent» by Mikhail Kalatozov, «Nostalgia» by Andrei Tarkovsky, «Dark Eyes» by Nikita Mikhalkov – to the trendy large-scale co-production tasks corresponding to «Sin» by Andrei Konchalovsky. However, the geographical distance, the dearth of a scientific dialogue and the dearth of transparency of the Russian market made the co-production troublesome. Now the state of affairs is altering: the representatives of Italian trade see openness to the partnership of Russian colleagues in addition to measures of state assist of the co-production in Russia.
 
Svetlana Maximchenko, Head of the Department of Cinema on the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation: «Today, Russia is a horny companion on the world market by way of co-production. First of all, since 2019 the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation helps minority co-production; this 12 months we’ve already acquired 12 purposes for co-production, two of them are tasks in partnership with Italy. I hope that subsequent 12 months there will likely be extra purposes. Secondly, there are personal funds working in Russia, as an illustration, KINOPRIME, which additionally helps co-production. Besides that, Russia is built-in into the worldwide co-production market and is a member of European fund Eurimage since 2011. We even have bilateral co-production agreements with eight nations together with Italy. At the identical time, our fundamental asset is abilities – producers, administrators, actors; lots of them take part within the Venice Film Festival this 12 months.  We are blissful to ask Italian producers and filmmakers in Russia to take part in numerous wide-scale skilled occasions like, for instance, the Russian content material market KEY BUYERS EVENT. I'm glad that FOCUS ON RUSSIA program marks the start of the skilled dialogue between our nations».
 
Evgenia Markova, ROSKINO CEO: «The enterprise program initiated by ROSKINO in partnership with ANICA SERVIZI was eventful and fruitful, it turned the primary dialogue between our trade representatives for a few years and judging by the suggestions and enthusiasm of Russian and Italian colleagues we succeeded in laying the inspiration of robust relations and planning the steps of future interplay. I'm blissful that this program is organized within the second when Russian producers are prepared for the cooperation with Italy and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation initiates a large-scale program of co-production assist. We have a wealthy historical past of Russian-Italian relations within the area of cinematography and we hope that this interplay will contribute to the revival of the cooperation. I want to specific my particular because of the colleagues from ANICA SERVIZI for his or her prompt response to our initiative of organizing the dialogue of industries exactly on the platform of the Venice Film pageant».
 
The readiness of Italian filmmakers for the joint manufacturing with worldwide companions is backed up by the brand new assist measures of the Italian authorities. In 2021, there are nearly 700 million euro allotted to the assist of the trade. Tax credit briefly elevated in the course of the pandemic from 30 to 40%, are actually formally mounted at this stage. The assist of minority co-production additionally works – this 12 months there are 5 million euro are allotted for coproduction. All these measures inspire Italian producers to extend the variety of tasks together with co-production.
 
CONTENT REVOLUTION
 
Russian and Italian producers have been unanimous of their opinion that the important thing issue of the success of any co-production mission is common, breathtaking tales.
 
Alexander Rodnyansky, Producer, Founder of AR Content: «We reside within the period of the content material revolution. The mannequin of centralized distribution of Hollywood movies all over the world now not works. Today we see a lot of movie and TV sequence producers putting their content material on the worldwide platforms. Moreover, the competitors amongst platforms is rising, there's a wrestle for content material. The components “Content is the king” at present is 100% true. We should enter the worldwide market with distinctive, attention-grabbing tales about time, folks, and their lifestyle. The world viewers watch sequence from Israel, France, Germany, Turkey, the USA, and Mexico with pleasure; Russian sequence additionally attain the highest by way of views on worldwide platforms. This proves that high quality content material is definitely necessary - tales ought to resonate within the coronary heart, they need to entertain, evoke empathy, feelings».
 
The representatives of Italian movie trade advised that the co-production of sequence is necessary as a result of Russia is a powerful sequence maker at present. At the identical time, there's a huge potential for co-production in animation phase, and Italy might be not solely a co-producer, but additionally a promotion platform for animation created in coproduction – at present there are greater than 20 channels for kids and youngsters in Italy. Besides that, previous few years the state assist of this sector grew appreciable – tax credit are 40%, there may be additionally a assist of co-production tasks: Italy efficiently works with France, Germany, and India.
 
Yuliana Slashcheva, Chairman of the Board for the Association of Animation Film Industry, Chairman of the Board at Soyuzmultfilm Studio, CEO of the Gorky Film Studio: «We are extraordinarily desirous about co-production with Italian studios and producers. We have already got a sure experience and the expertise of cooperation with French firms, now are engaged on two tasks created in our studio and extremely rated by our French companions – Cyber Group. Thanks to the worldwide cooperation we acquire new expertise and the understanding of co-production mechanisms Taking into consideration our expertise with France, we're able to work with Italian companions. We have some tasks for kids of 8-12 years – there's a sure lack of content material on this age phase in Russia, in distinction to Europe the place there are numerous TV channels for youngsters – we see an enormous improvement potential on this area, in co-production as effectively. Speaking about content material, we're following the newest developments and paying extra consideration to the social issues, subjects of ecology, tolerance».
 
Artem Vasilyev, Founder and General Producer of Metrafilms additionally spoke about co-production within the phase of animation for adults: “This sector is actively developing in Russia and we are ready to discuss the topic of co-production with Italian partners. In addition, we are developing the genre of animation horror based on Russian literature and fairytales. Generally, co-production in animation has a lot of perspectives – besides that, there are several countries involved in the process, the work is technically easier. At the moment we are working in co-production with Poland, Japan, Ireland, and Canada”.
 
NEW ROLE OF VOD PLATFORMS
 
During the enterprise program, on the VOD Market Day, Evgenia Markova, CEO of ROSKINO, introduced the market of Russian online-services and their new function within the promotion of the content material. Today in Russia, there are greater than 20 platforms with the viewers of 63 million customers. Russian online-services comply with world developments and provide the viewers the affect content material.
 
As the individuals of the dialogue highlighted creating distinctive and authentic content material is a crucial pattern at present. This content material will increase the viewers’s curiosity in VOD platforms. At the identical time, the distinction of European strategy to the content material and interplay with the viewers is within the localization: European online-services are paying extra consideration to subtitles and dubbing. Another pattern is the combination of platforms within the ecosystems.
 
Moreover, the competitors between the platforms is rising: at present European on-line providers are involved concerning the arrival of world VOD giants at their markets, they usually want new instruments to struggle for his or her viewers.  
 
In common, the digital distribution of the content material is making simpler its world promotion and interplay with world viewers at present. That is why the partnership with VOD-platforms and their participation within the co-production course of is on the high of the agenda for content material makers.
 
About Russian presence on the Venice International Film Festival
 
A movie by Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov «Captain Volkonogov Escaped» co-produced by Russia, France and Estonia was chosen in the principle competitors. In the Orizzonti Extra part, Russia is represented by «Mama, I’m Home» by Vladimir Bitokov. A documentary movie by Nastia Korkia GES-2 will likely be part of particular screenings. Also, in the course of the Venice International Film Critic’s Week which is a parallel occasion to the principle pageant the viewers will see Detours (Obkhodniye Puti) – a mission by Ekaterina Selenkina included within the programme by the Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI).
 
Besides that, a mission by Russian administrators Denis Semionov and Georgy Molodtsov, an interactive VR-project «Knight of The Wailing Stars» co-produced by Russia, France and Italy, was introduced on the Venice Gap-Financing Market.
 
Moreover, there may be a global co-production mission within the pageant’s program with Russian producer onboard. It is Italian film «Atlantide» by Yuri Ancarani. The common producer is Rafael Minasbekyan.