Film - Russian Film Week

Russian Film Week (RFW) returns to London on Sunday for its second year and is twice as big, making it the biggest cross-cultural Russian event to take place outside of Russia...

RFW aims to move beyond global politics and focus on bridging the widening gap between Russia and the West through culture. And while a handful of Russian filmmakers such as Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, or Andrey Zvyagintsev (‘Leviathan’, ‘Loveless’) have become well known in the West, the RFW mission is to bring the full scope of Russian cinema to an international market, and celebrate its artistic merit with global audiences.

Besides the highly anticipated sell-out films ‘Mathilde’ (Alexey Uchitel) and ‘Arrythmia’ (Boris Khlebnikov), this year's RFW promises the best of Russian film in the last 18 months, demonstrating the depth, richness, variety, and impressive technological innovation that Russian cinema has to offer to the world. The line-up will include shorts, animation, documentary films and a diversity of genres.

“We believe that by creating an international platform for showcasing a panorama of Russian themed film, we can foster cultural dialogue and mutual understanding between the United Kingdom and Russia" says Filip Perkon, RFW General Producer. "For the second year running, we have selected the best contemporary films with a Russian theme, whether from Russia or other countries — based on Russian literature, people or events — and brought these in a diverse programme to cities across Great Britain.”

Attraction opens this year's RFW

As well as multiple film screenings with Q&A sessions, the varied programme includes exhibitions, talks, parties, masterclasses, industry events, designed to pave the way for positive future collaborations between British and Russian film professionals. RFW will also feature documentary screenings as part its FemFest, Revolution Centenary, and Ecology Days. Waterstones Piccadilly will host throughout the week free VR demonstrations provided by Russian VR Seasons and PlanetPics (Natural Treasures of Russia programme).

RFW opens with a screening of ‘Attraction’ followed by an after-party against a backdrop of suspended planes and vintage cars at the Science Museum, climaxing with the BFI closing screening of ‘Mathilde’ & after-party on the 26th November. The Golden Unicorn Awards Charity Gala Dinner on the 25th will see the winners announced in 12 awards categories, including Best Foreign Film About Russia,  as decided by a renowned international jury, including, amongst others, Raindance founder Eliot Grove, Nancy Condee, Professor of Film at Pittsburgh University and "Honorary film-maker of Russia" Olga Sherwood.

In attendance of the festival, will be over 75 of Russia’s most talented directors, producers and actors including: Fedor Bondarchuk, Alexander Yatsenko, Valery Todorovsky, Alyona Babenko, Anna Mikhalkova and Aleksey Uchitel. Guests of honour such as: Ralph Fiennes, Olga Kurylenko, Mike Newell, Baroness Gail Rebuck, and Samy Naceri will also be joining us to celebrate the best of Russian cinema.

“Events such as the Russian Film Week, contribute to strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between peoples, to overcoming social barriers and prejudices," says the RFW Co-producer Vadim Lobov, Synergy University Executive Director. "Our University does a lot to support Russian culture abroad. We are happy to give the people of Britain the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the best works of Russian cinematographers within the framework of the Week.”

Find out more and see the full programme of films on the website at http://www.russianfilmweek.org/programme-2017_films.html