Moscow Co-production Forum takes place this year for the first time and called to become the business platform located in Russia, which provides new opportunities for cooperation of Russian and foreign producers in coproduction. On the one hand, foreign producers, financiers, distributors and other companies, investing in the film industry, will be offered Russian projects, focused by the content on co-production with foreign countries. On the other hand, Russian producers will have an opportunity to assess the advantages of participation in international projects, presented during the Forum and directly related to Russia. The Forum is focused on producers, distributors, representatives of state and private funds, investors and sponsors, working in the sphere of coproduction in film industry. Forum gives participants the opportunity to present their ideas to a number of potential partners during the next forum events: «Co-production and film financing strategies»: round table discussions. Co-production projects’ pitching. Film rights market. Books & films. The co-production projects’ pitching is the key Forum event. To participate in the pitching 19 film projects have been selected, and half of them - from Russia. Within the 5 minutes, each producer presents the film project. Prescheduled meetings with potential partners take place after the pitching. In addition to the official selection, Forum Catalogue includes Russian Coproduction Projects’ Catalogue with 11 film projects which could be interesting for co-production but were not selected by the committee for the pitching. The Forum partners: Sofia Meetings (Bulgaria), Connecting Cottbus (Germany), Baltic Event (Estonia), DAB Regional Co-Production Forum (Armenia) are planning to select by one of Russian project for presenting them at their events, as a result of the Moscow co-production forum. Strategic partner of the Forum is EAVE which selected for the pitching 3 producers with the projects and several European producers without the projects who are interested to co-produce with Russia.
Forum organizers www.moscowfilmfestival.ru www.rfilms.org
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ORGANIZERS The Forum is organized by Moscow International Film Festival, Sovexportfilm and RFilms under the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Moscow International Film Festival
19.06–28.06.2009
Moscow International Film Festival is one of the oldest festivals in the world. First it was held in Moscow in 1959. The Moscow International Film Festival is recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as an «A» class film festival. The festival is held under the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Nikita Mikhalkov has been the festival’s president since 2000.
Sovexportfilm represents state organization which implements external economic activities in the film industry. The basic function of the company is promotion of Russian cinema abroad. Sovexportfilm is unique state enterprise focused on international cooperation in film sector. Within the framework of this activity Sovexportfilm holds regularly film festivals and retrospectives of Russian cinema abroad, participates in the days of Russian culture and assists Russian cinematographers in organization of special creative screenings.
The company has been established to develop co-production initiatives in Russia, to promote Russian regions abroad as shooting locations and to attract foreign producers and directors to shoot films in Russia. Since 2008 the company has been engaged in development of institution of film commissions in Russia. The company under the support of the RF Ministry of Culture is implementing the project of setting up an Internet portal, called Shooting location – Russia, which will contain a large database of locations (www.filminrussia.com). The company also provides the information support to foreign companies for shootings in Russia and keeps up their effective work within the country. www.rfilms.org
THE FORUM PARTNERS European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs leading training and project development programme for European and international audiovisual producers. The annual EAVE Producers Workshop is our flagship programme working with over 50 producers from 28 European countries.
The Sofia Meetings organized in parallel to the Sofia International Film Festival, this market promotes new projects by young European directors and promotes new films from the Balkans to European festivals and distributors.
Connecting Cottbus film industry forum for producers from eastern and western Europe. The annual international dialogue is part of the Cottbus Film Festival and brings filmmakers from eastern and central Europe together with German coproducers.
Baltic Event Co-production Market takes place during the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. The Market is open for the projects from the Baltic countries, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia.
The DAB Co-Production Forum annual event aimed to promote talents and film production/co-production in the region, namely: the Caucasian countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Northern Caucasus part of Russia; countries of South-East Europe, Central Asia and Middle East
NISI MASA European network of associations, currently present in 19 countries. These associations consist of young professionals, students and enthusiasts with a common cause - European cinema.
CINE FANTOM Studio possesses a huge experience in all domains of cinema production, starting from low budget films (Volga-Volga and Brain by Andrey Silvestrov; a number of films by Aleinikov brothers; films by Boris Yukhananov; films by Alexander Dulerain etc.), as well as significant experience in comprehensive advertising campaigns of blockbusters (9th Company, Taras Bulba, Lovey-Dovey, Heat, Piter FM etc.)
6 Official Partners:
International Partners:
Co-organizers:
Forum Awards
Information Partners:
FORUM PROGRAM June 20. Round table «Co-production and film financing strategies: Russian positioning in global film market» 10:30 – 11:00
Participants’ registration
11:00 – 13:00
PART 1, Round Table: «Russia in the international film process: opportunities and threats» • International producing models for Russia • Film projects producing in Russia - a business models •The efficiency of co-production in large-scale projects • Independent producers in dependent world: Is it possible to assume an independent air in the world of global and regional majors?! Moderator: Kirill Razlogov (Moscow International Film Festival, Russia). Speakers: Russian and foreign producers with co-production experience. Representatives of the largest Russian film production shingles.
13:00 – 14:00
Coffee break
14:00 – 16:30
PART 2, Round Table: «The European opportunities for Russia» • Joint film industry with European partners and its effectiveness for Russian producers. • European Union’s programs, events and regulations supporting the filmmakers from the «Third countries», including educational programs. • The efficiency of co-production markets for independent producers. Moderator: Mira Staleva (Head of Sofia meetings, Bulgaria). Speakers: Representatives of the leading European co-production markets. European producers with experience in co-production with Russia. Representatives of the European educational programs for film industry professionals.
16.30-17.00
Networking
June 21. Film projects’ pitching 10:30 – 11.00 11:00 – 12.30
Participants’ registration Film projects’ presentation (pitching)
12:30 – 13.30
Coffee break
13:30 – 15:00
Film projects’ presentation (pitching)
15.00 – 15.30
Coffee break
15.30 – 17.00
One-on-one meetings: Carrying out pre-scheduled meetings and projects discussions (by a pre-scheduled meetings timetable)
June 22. Books & Films (Films- and literary rights market) 10:00 – 10.30
Participants’ registration
10.30 – 12.30
Literary projects presentation (literary pitching) Moderators: Vladislav Boretsky (Russia), Antonina Gall (Russia)
13:00 – 15:00
Communication with authors, producers, owners of films- and literary rights. Award for the best pitched literary project
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CONTENT THE CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS PITCHING OFFICIAL SELECTION 3 LOVES OF DOSTOEVSKY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 DARA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 LEO TOLSTOY: GENIUS ALIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 THAT SATURDAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 THE HUNTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 TANK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 BROKEN RIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 ARAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 GOODBYE AGAIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 ON THE PRIPYAT RIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 EAVE SELECTION THE BALLET MASTER AND THE SEVEN ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . 32 THE BOOK SMUGGLERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 THE LEGIONNAIRE’S GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 SOFIA MEETINGS SELECTION LOVE.NET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 DAB REGIONAL CO-PRODUCTION FORUM SELECTION ENDLESS RETURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 CINEFANTOM SELECTION SPRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ANTON ’S RETINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 SUER VYER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 RUSSIAN CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS CATALOGUE I’M GOING TO CHANGE MY NAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 LIFECHAIR V8.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 BUNTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 CAFE DE LA REGENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 I WILL FIND HER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 THE CHEERFUL BOWL!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 TWO SIDES OF A KISS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 FLIP OUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 BREATHING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 BALLAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 WAR OF MINDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 FILM RIGHTS MARKET Partners HOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 THE SIEGE NOVEL TO DREAM AND TO BELIEVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 VALEROCHKA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 SERIES OF HISTORIC AL ADVENTURE NOVELS SET IN ANCIENT RUSSIA THE PAGAN. . . 78 THE OIL MIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 CORRECTION CLASS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 THE ASSEMBLED GHOST TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 THE RED FLOWER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 THE BURNT-OUT TOWN OF MIRACLES (HOGGERNE). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 ICE CREAM LOVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
10 THE CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS PITCHING Project Selection Committee for participation in the pitching:
Roman Borisevich (producer - Russia)
Gabriele Brunnenmeyer (Artistic Director of Connecting Cottbus - Germany)
Sergei Lazaruk (The First Deputy of Chairman of the Russian Union of Cinematographers, deputy director of TV channel ÂŤRussiaÂť)
Natalia Mokritskaya (producer, Russia)
Riina Sildos (Director of Baltic Event - Estonia)
Mira Staleva (Head of Sofia meetings - Bulgaria)
Karsten Stoter (Rohfilm GmbH, Germany)
Leonid Vereshchagin (producer, Russia)
Official selection: «3 LOVES OF DOSTOEVSKY» (Russia) «DARA» (Russia) «LEO TOLSTOY: GENIUS ALIVE» (Russia) «THAT SATURDAY» (Russia) «THE HUNTER» (Russia)
«TANK» (Russia) «BROKEN RIB» (Romania) «ARAL» (UK, Uzbekistan) «GOODBYE AGAIN» (Korea) «ON THE PRIPYAT RIVER» (France)
Partners selection: EAVE selection: «THE BALLET MASTER AND THE SEVEN ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE» (Estonia, Finland) «THE BOOK SMUGGLERS» (Ireland) «THE LEGIONNAIRE S GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTERS» (Czech Republic) Sofia meetings selection: «LOVE.NET» (Bulgaria) Nisi Masa selection: «DOC PARADROP» (France) DAB Regional Co-Production Forum selection: «ENDLESS RETURN» (Armenia) CineFantom selection: SUER-VYER (Russia) ANTON’S RETINA (Russia) SPRING (Russia)
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
3 LOVES OF DOSTOEVSKY Russia Art Title — 3 Loves of Dostoevsky Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — June 15-July 20, October, December 2009 Locations — Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Paris, Baden-Baden Total Budget — € 1.430.000
Financiers/Partners — Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation, Fora-Film M Confirmed financing – € 1 029 600 Producer — Andrey Razumovsky Director — Evgeny Tashkov Photography — Andrey Abdrakipov Scriptwriter — Evgeny Taskov
SYNOPSIS «3 Loves of Dostoevsky» is a film about great Russian writer – Feodor Dostoevsky and one of the most dramatic periods of his life – seven years after penal servitude. «… Freedom, a new life. Resurrection from dead …», - with those words Dostoevsky himself described beginning of that period. We first meet the writer, when he is thirty five and dreams about home life after penal servitude and about a loving wife, who would understand and share his difficulties. Maria Isaeva, in whom Dostoevsky is enamoured, prefers Dostoevsky to a young lover, and agrees to become writer’s wife. Having married, Feodor Mihailovich takes charge of her son, whom he hopes to give good eduction and gets into debt. His future life – the life of yesterday’s convict and the out-of-pocket soldier at present, with a dreadful disease, who dreams to be rehabilitated, return to literary work and live again in Moscow or Saint-Petersburg, is very indefinite. Dostoevsky, oppressed by debts, lives his own life filled with military service and literary work. His home life with wife isn’t happy at all in the intense and nervous conditions. Maria Dmitrievna withers and nears to her end. Finally Dostoevsky comes back to Saint-Petersburg after exile, and his public readings at the university student meetings have a big success. In the atmosphere of noisy applause Dostoevsky gets acquainted with another woman, who starts playing a new role in his destiny. Her name is Appolinaria Suslova. He is twenty years older than she, but she becomes everything that colors his life outside of home. They decide to go abroad together. Appolinaria goes to Paris first, Dostoevsky follows her. But upon his arrival, he discovers a bitter surprise – she fell in love with a young Spanish man, who avoids her. Hoping to win Polina back, Dostoevsky tries to console her, but she leaves Dostoevsky and he falls into gambling passion. Soon, within one year his wife and his brother die. Dostoevsky incurs care of his brother’s wife and children, and also promises to pay out his debts. Dostoevsky is threatened with debt prison, and is compelled to sign the enslaving contract with the publisher on writing a new novel - “Gambler” within twenty five days. For realization of this plan Dostoevsky decides to invite a stenographer – Anna Snitkina. This young, who likes simplicity, sincerity and speaking manner of this clever, strange, but unfortunate, lonely, kind and unusual person, falls in love with him and agrees to become his wife. «You are the only woman who has understood me », - says Dostoevsky to Anna. They fully share difficulties and tortures together and both appreciate each other’s sacrifice. A new life, full of passions and trials, starts for them. But that’s already another story... CONTACTS Fora-Film M Contacts: Andrey Razumovsky (General producer) Address: Russia, 123056, Vasilievskaya Str. 2 building 2, Moscow
Tel. +7(495)2540136 E-mail: forafilm@list.ru Web: www.forafilm.ru
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Evgeny Tashkov Director, screenwriter, actor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. After graduating actors Faculty of VGIK (AllRussian State Institute of Cinematography) in 1950, he played in several films as an actor, worked as assistant director and second director. In 1963 the film Come Tomorrow!(1963), which Tashkov made as both director and scriptwriter brought him a great success, and since then almost all his films have become classics of Soviet and Russian cinema, and have been awarded various prizes and awards of film festivals in Kiev, Minsk, Saint-Petersburg, Baku, Moscow, and till today they continue to enjoy great popularity. A special part of Tashkovs work is dedicated to shooting screen versions of famous literary works. He made films, based on books and plays, written by well-known Russian writers Naidenov (Children of Vanushin, 1973), V. Rasputin (�French Lessons, 1978) and of course Dostoevsky (Teenager). Currently the director works on creation of a full length feature film about Dostoevsky - seven years of life after penal servitude one of the most tragic periods of life of the great Russian writer COMPANY Fora-Film M is a well-known Russian film studio, which was created in 1988 as the first independent film studious in Russia. For 20 years of successful work the studio produced a few score of well known feature and documentary films, many of which got prizes of international film festivals and awards of Russian Film Academy. 1989 “Alexander Galich. Expulsion”,”For the beautiful ladies”, “Jackals”,”Backyard - 3, or the Temple should romaine the Temple” 1990 “Pretty face”, “Duminus”, “Women’s tailor”, “When “,”10 years of imprisonment without correspondence”, “Elderly man’s love”, “Made in the USSR” 1991 “Shtemp”, “Flying Dutch”, “Suns of bitches”, “Travelers’ Bivouac”, “Ingenious idea” 1992 “Caring-out of a body”, “Old young men”, “The beast walking out of the sea”, “Don’tgo” 1993 “Murderer”. “Joy and Joan visiting pharaoh”, “Nephertiti” 1995 “Everything will be good”
1996 “Those, who is more tender”, “A man for a yang woman” 1997 “Divine Giselle” 2000 “Russian beauty” 2001 Fox Alice, Devil’s tail 2002 Letters to Elza Russian Ark 2003 Black Ball 2004 Four Loves 2005 Great movie-tale-teller Alexander Row 2006 Live word of Alexander Men’ 2007 Playing Shindig� 2008 Vzyatki Gladki� 2009 The Rainbowmaker�
PRODUCER Andrey Razumovsky A special part of Tashkovs work is dedicated to shooting screen versions of famous literary works. He made films, based on books and plays, written by well-known Russian writers Naidenov (Children of Vanushin, 1973), V. Rasputin (�French Lessons, 1978) and of course Dostoevsky (Teenager). Currently the director works on creation of a full length feature film about Dostoevsky - seven years of life after penal servitude one of the most tragic periods of life of the great Russian writer. Director, screenwriter, actor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. After graduating actors Faculty of VGIK (All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography) in 1950, he played in several films as an actor, worked as assistant director and second director. In 1963 the film Come Tomorrow!(1963), which Tashkov made as both director and scriptwriter brought him a great success, and since then almost all his films have become classics of Soviet and Russian cinema, and have been awarded various prizes and awards of film festivals in Kiev, Minsk, Saint-Petersburg, Baku, Moscow, and till today they continue to enjoy great popularity
14
CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
DARA Russia
Art Title — DARA Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — TBA Locations — TBA Total Budget — € 2 200 000
Financiers/Partners — TBA Confirmed Financing — € 440 000 Producer — Uriy Moroz Director — Uliana Shilkina Photography — Georgy Pestov Scriptwriter — Alena Alova
SYNOPSIS A breathtaking cross-culture tale of passion between a 16-year-old Russian Gypsy prostitute and a German pastor’s son, Dara has the kind of tremendous appeal only love stories possess. Set in the early 1990’s Kazakhstan, it captures additional synergies from the tumultuous historic moment in which the story takes place, and from the unique cultural setting yet unseen on the big screen. A Caspian town of Gurjev located not far from the Kazakhstan-Russia border is like the biblical town of Babel where people of all nationalities look for a language in common, but never succeed in finding it. In the world, where poverty, prostitution, narcotics, racial and religious hatred are the norm, love is a precious gem, hard to find and easy to lose. Tragically, Dara and her lover Christoph stand to lose more than their tender feelings towards each other. Both shattering and uplifting, Dara is rich in humorous, illuminating and indelibly moving moments of personal discovery. It is a road movie, too, in its own, unparalleled way. But above all, it is an empowering tale about the perpetual human quest for freedom, love and happiness. PRODUCER Uriy Moroz Filmography as producer: Last movies: “Karamazovy”, 8*44, Central Partnership for the !st channel, 2009; “Pelagiya and white bulldog”, 2009
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Uliana Shilkina “LOKI AND LELE”, director (90 min documentary about the Paralympic Games in Bejing, China, post-production), 2009 “EQUATOR”, director (90 min feature film, comedy, “Central Partnership” (www.centpart.ru), Russian Ministry of Culture), 2007 “NYEVALYASHKA”(“CORK-TUMBLER”), screenwriter (feature film, 100 min, comedy, “Slovo” (www.slovo-film.ru ), 2007 “ZOLOTOY TELENOK” (“GOLDEN CALF”), director, TV-series, 8\44, comedy, “Central Partnership”, 1st Channel, Russia (www.1tv.ru), 2006 “UBOYNAYA SILA – 6” (“DESTRUCTIE POWER-6”), episode “OVERTIME”,director, TV – series, 44 min, “Slovo”, 1st channel), 2003 “SEIGNEURS and GRANDSEIGNEURS”, director, screenwriter (TVfilm, 44 min, drama, TNT-channel (www.tnt-tv.ru ), 2002 “ODD BIRDS OF DIFFERENT COLOUR”, director, screenwriter (documentary, “NETSKI” studio), 2001 “THE CITIZEN OF CANNES”, director, screenwriter (documentary, 52 min, “Russia” TV channel (www.rutv.ru ) , 2001 «NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF», director, screenwriter (short film, animation, 20 min), 2000 «ONCE WE LIVED IN THE MOUNTAINS», director, screenwriter (short film), 1998 «A SOIGNE THING TO DO», director, screenwriter (short film), 1997 «TO SEE THE HERMITAGE», actor (directed by Olivier Seru, France), 2000 «NISI DOMINUS», actor (directed by Marat Magambetov, Russia), 1994 Awards Prise of CANAL+, Clermont-Ferrant Short Film Festival (www. clermont-filmfeswt.com ) for “NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF”, 2001 Competitive program of the Venice Film Festival «Corto-Cortissimo» (www.labiennale.org/en/cinema ), 2000 more than 30 film festivals in Russia and around the world.
CONTACTS Moroz Film Company Contacts: Uriy Moroz Address: Russia, 119146 Moscow, Frunzenskaya naberegnaya,16,k 1 Tel. +7 903 728 18 55 E-mail: y.p.moroz@gmail.com
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
LEO TOLSTOY: GENIUS ALIVE Russia
Art Title — Leo Tolstoy: Genius Alive Genre — Historical documentary film of collected footage Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — Production period Nov. 2009-March 2010 Locations — Moscow/Yasnaya Polyana Total Budget — € 990.000 Financiers/Partners — NASHE KINO/ Russian State Archives of Film and Photo
Documents (RGAKFD, Krasnogorsk). Confirmed Financing — € 200.000 Producers — Sergei Selyanov, Andrey Deryabin Director — TBA Photography — Aleksandr Drankov; Pathe Brothers Co.; Aleksandr Khanzonkov’s Company Scriptwriter — J.Melnitskaya
SYNOPSIS 1908. First years of filmmaking in Russia. Anniversary of Count LEO TOLSTOY, Russia’s greatest living writer, is caught between the love of his life, SOFYA and the new egalitarian ideas he has adopted in his later years. A deceptive disciple is trying to claim his life’s work and Sofya will have none of it… 1910. Leo Tolstoy is the world’s greatest writer and possible the richest. From his great publishing success, he has accumulative massive wealth and prestige. His wife Sofya, 16 years younger that Tolstoy and the love of his life, is determined to preserve this wealth to provide for herself and for her children. CHERTCOV, Tolstoy’s devoted but underhanded disciple, shares his master’s modernist ideas of a life of simplicity and frugality, and is equally determined that Tolstoy give his wealth to the people. A man in war within and without, Tolstoy in his final days, makes a run for a peace in a train. Sofya soon follows on a private train, while Chertkov races after them on a third train. To ill to continue beyond the tiny railway station at Astapovo, he stops while hundreds camp outside awaiting hourly reports. And it is here, at this remote railway junction, that Leo Tolstoy finds the answer he has been looking for. 2010 will be the 100 th anniversary of the death of one of the world’s greatest writers, Leo Tolstoy, at a remote little railway station in Southern Russia. With the continuing success of Tolstoy’s classics, such as Anna Karenina and War And Peace and the many vintage and current TV and cinema versions of his stories – Tostoy is as relevant as ever. LEO TOLSTOY: GENIUS ALIVE will tell audiences the world over his real own story of his last two years, his death, funerals and the national grieving on his demise on the basis of the unique original footage shot 100 YEARS AGO and now carefully stored in the Russian State Archives of Film and Photo Documents (RGAKFD, Krasnogorsk). COMPANY The Hermitage Bridge Studio was founded with participation of the State Hermitage Museum in 1993. HBS is an independent media production company with its office in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. We are producers with a passion for great international stories, including major feature co-productions, original debut movies, theatrical documentaries and theatrical/music performances. HBS is a partner of one of Russia’s two largest studios, Lenfilm Studios, which provides HBS with necessary production facilities. Highlights in 2003 included the worldwide critical and box-office success THE RUSSIAN ARK by Alexander Sokurov (Official Selection in Cannes Film Festival 2002; winner IFC VISIONS AWARD Toronto Film Festival 2002). Co-produced by HBS and Egoli Tossell Film AG (Germany), filmed entirely in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Sokurov’s breathtaking film recreates 300 years of the Russian history and culture
Moscow Co-production Forum
PRODUCER Sergei Selyanov As the founder and co-owner (with director Alexey Balabanov) of CTB Film Company, he is one of the most successful and dedicated independent producers in modern Russia.
Filmography as a producer 1997 — Brat / Brother 2000 — Brat-2 / Brother-2 2006 — B umer. Film vtoroy / Heaven on Earth 2006 — D obrynya Nikitich y Zmey Gorynych 2006 — Mne ne Bolno / It Doesn’t Hurt 2006 — Peregon / Transit 2006 — M echenosets / The Sword Bearer
2006 — Khottabych 2007 — Gruz 200 / Cargo 200 2007 — Kremen / Hard-hearted 2007 — Mongol 2008 — Morfii 2008 — Shultes 2008 — Rock Head
Andrey G. Deryabin resent production Russian Ark (2002) Joint projects with the Guggenheim Museum and with such TVcompanies as ABC (USA), NBC, ARD, ZDF (Germany), Co-production of the Emmy Award-winning, landmark concert film PAUL McCARTNEY IN RED SQUARE in 2003, Full-length feature film TRANCE by Teresa Villaverde, co-production with Gemini Films (Portugal / France). TRANCE premiere screening was held in Cannes IFF in 2006, BORDER 1918 co-produced with Jounifilmi (Finland), Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden), Studio 217 (Moscow, Russia) in 2007-2008, European Film Academy member since 2002 Since 1992: Works with ABC (USA) as a local producer in Saint-Petersburg 1993: Founds Hermitage Bridge Studio, a controlling interest in which belongs to the State Hermitage Museum. 1993 – Present – HBS has produced TV programs, feature films and documentaries. 1997 – “Twinning”: Three-session workshop for co-productions, organized by international program MEDIA – EUREKA. 2005 – EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) Program. 2005 – Country representative in E*M*P*A (European Motion Picture Producer’s Association) 2006 – 2007 ACE 16 Session (Ateliers du Cinema Europeen – describing as “a European training programme and mutually supportive network of producers serving independent cinema”). 2006 – Present – Membership in Producers Guild of Russia
CONTACTS The Hermitage Bridge Studio Contacts: Andrey G. DERYABIN, ACE Producer Address: 194044 Block 10, Kamennoostrovski pr., office 150
Tel.: +7 812 326 8378 E-mail: hbs@peterlink.ru
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
THAT SATURDAY Russia
Art Title — That Saturday Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — May 2010 – July 2010 Locations — Middle regions of Russia or East Ukraine Total Budget — € 1.500.000
Financiers/Partners — Central Partnership, State financing support Confirmed Financing — € 800.000 Producer — Dmitry Efremov Director — Alexander Mindadze Photography — Alisher Khamikhodzhaev Scriptwriter — Alexander Mindadze
SYNOPSIS The plot is based on the real story of a failed attempt to escape from the town of Pripyat undertaken by a man who happened to spend there the whole of April 26, 1986, the socalled “Saturday of innocence”. During the events of Chernobyl, Valery Kabysh, a young Party worker, showed particular professional zeal, and was among the first people to reach the nuclear station. He understands that it is not just the fire on the roof, as people from the party committee assure him, but a nuclear catastrophe, a reactor explosion. He manages to reach the bunker and witnesses the confusion and fear of the bosses. He discovers the real scale of the catastrophe — the town is affected by a huge dose of deathly radiation, but Moscow does not allow the local authorities to start evacuating people. According to officials, they should do their best to conceal the catastrophe in order to avoid massive panic. Kabysh decides to leave the town as soon as possible, but he can’t do that without taking with him the woman he loves, Vera. Every second is precious now, and Kabysh does not know yet that the seconds will drag and turn into hours and even days, that his order of life would not let him go, tying him up with a net of daily trifles. First Vera would break the heel of her shoe at the station and they would miss the train, then Vera would remember that her passport is still with her friends who are musicians, and she and Kabysh would go to a restaurant where the musicians perform that night, invited to entertain a Komsomol (Party Youth Committee) wedding. No one in town knows about the catastrophe and the invisible deathly rays. Then, forgetting about the passport, Vera goes on stage to sing, while Kabysh is waiting for her at the table. They lose their sense of time, and the unconquerable logic of everyday life draws them into its flow. The next moment we see Kabysh climbing on stage, too, and taking his place by the drums, replacing a drunk musician. Then, suddenly and quite improperly at the moment of strong nuclear radiation, he has a fit of greediness, striving to earn as much as possible on this Saturday, “golden” for musicians. Now Kabysh does not any longer feel himself a party instructor, he turns again into a Johnny the Drummer he used to be in his early youth. He reveals the secret about the night explosion to his friends, he tells them they should leave the town immediately, and they want to flee. But again minutes drag on and on, and strange as it may seem, these are happy moments. The musicians do not leave the town, the stage seems to be drawing them like a magnet. They are playing for people who celebrate and know nothing about the disaster, like an orchestra on the drowning Titanic. Kabysh is carried away by the merrymaking, he drinks with the groom and dances with the bride, and drinks again... completely losing all sense of reality. Probably he just can’t part from these people, this life and merriment...
Moscow Co-production Forum
He wakes up in a boat, because his friends the musicians heading for Gomel for the next concert have fetched the unconscious body of their friend with them. The river makes a turn, and they see the smoking reactor looming over the boat. But they don’t feel any fear. Because the life that cannot be stopped even for a second is stronger than death. DIRECTOR Alexander Mindadze 1976 Vesenniy prizyv / Spring selection (scriptwriter) Slovo dlia zashchity / Speech for the defense (scriptwriter) 1978 Povorot / The turning Point (scriptwriter) 1980 Okhota na lis / A fox hunting (scriptwriter) 1982 Ostanovilsya poyezd / The train has stopped (scriptwriter) Predel jelaniy / The Limits of desire (scriptwriter) 1984 Parad planet / Parade of the planets (scriptwriter) 1986 Plyumbum, ili opasnaya igra / Plumbum, or the dangerous
game (scriptwriter) Tikhoe sledstvie / Quiet Consequences (scriptwriter) 1988 Sluga / The manservant (scriptwriter) 1991 Armavir / Armavir (scriptwriter) 1995 Pyesa dlya passazhira / Play for a passenger (scriptwriter) 1997 Vremya tantsora / Time of the dancer (scriptwriter) 2003 Magnitnye buri / Magnetic storms (scriptwriter) Trio / Trio (scriptwriter) 2005 Kosmos kak predchuvstvie / Dreaming of space (scriptwriter) 2007 Otryv / Soar (scriptwriter and director)
PRODUCER Dmitry Efremov Filmography as producer: 2005 Sunduk Predkov / The Wedding Chest (Russia, France, Germany, Kyrgisia) 2006 Sedmoj Den / The Seventh Day 2008 Odnazhdy v Provincii / Once Upon A Time In The Province 2009 Minnesota / Minnesota
CONTACTS Passenger Contacts: Dmitry Efremov Address: Russia, 119991 1, Mosfilmovskaya st, Moscow the 3-d block room 403 Tel. +7 499 143 97 40 E-mail: Passenger_group@mail.ru
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
THE HUNTER Russia
Art Title — Okhotnik Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — December 2009 – April 2010 Locations — Pskov region, Russian countryside Total Budget — € 1.150.000
Financiers/Partners — CTB Film Company, Arizona films, France Confirmed Financing — € 300.000 Producer — Julia Mishkinene Director — Bakur Bakuradze Photography — Nikolay Vavilov Scriptwriter — Bakur Bakuradze
SYNOPSIS This is a place where it doesn’t matter who you are because within a few days no one will be able to tell you from anyone else. You disappear into the land’s oblivion; its exhalations are the exhalations of your soul, which has abandoned you before its time. You’re a goner all the same. This accursed sacred land . . . Nevertheless, you’re alive. Despite everything. Ivan Dunaev stands in a forest and listens. It is dawn. The dogs are chasing an animal towards him; he shoulders his rifle. After killing a hare in the morning, the hero goes to work. He will do his books, butcher a few hogs, clean the hog shed with his partner, fix the tractor and so forth until nightfall. In the evening there is his clean house - his wife, daughter, and son. He sits in front of the television holding an ashtray. His answer to the extinction and alcoholism of the Russian countryside is backbreaking work and a large loss-making farm, which stays afloat thanks to his industriousness and passion. Aside from his family, the only person who is really close to him is Viktor, his farmhand. The Dunaev farm is his home; the Dunaev family is his family. Viktor brings two poorly dressed women to the farm in an old car, and signs them up to work. The whole day they clean out the hog shed, stoke the furnace, and feed the animals. They are convicts who are serving their sentences in a prison colony. They are so-called involuntaries, that is, people who committed crimes involuntarily. Lyuba and Raya. Ivan Dunaev supplies the prison colony with meat. The women work in the hog shed. It is as if Ivan doesn’t notice the women working on his farm. Winter has already come when, after delivering the latest shipment of pork to the prison colony, he sees Lyuba waiting at a bus stop. It is her day off. They travel for a long while in silence. Lyuba realizes that she shouldn’t have got into the car, but this is all that she has been dreaming of lately and what she had hoped to avoid by quitting her job at the farm. This woman needs intimacy. This is the only way she can go on living. Ivan drives the car into a field and embraces Lyuba. She tries to resist her feelings. Finally, she yields up to Ivan, embracing him and weeping. Planting time. Dunaev and Lyuba’s wordless affair continues. But their encounters are always painful. She always embraces him firmly, as if he is a world she cannot let go of. Dunaev gives Viktor the keys to the house. Dunaev leaves with his family for a magnetic sand spa where his son will receive treatment. After Dunaev’s departure, we see for the first time the linen factory where Lyuba works with other women convicts after she quits her job at the farm. Lyuba is released from prison. She travels on a train. She is alone. The Dunaev family returns. The courtyard of the empty house is filled with the sounds of voices. Dunaev doesn’t go to the town in search of Lyuba. He senses that she has left. Dunaev is hunting alone. We see him at night next to a campfire. In the morning he takes a shot from his rifle. Then he sets off in the direction of his shot and sees the wild male boar he has killed. He has murdered one of his own kind.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Bakur Bakuradze in 1993, Bakur Bakuradze (1969, Tbilisi) enrolled in the Directors Program at the Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), where he studied under Marlen Khutsiev. In 2005, his documentary film “The Diamond Way” won the Best Film about Business prize at the PRESSCalling International Business Press Competition. His short film “Moscow” (2007) garnered award at Kinotav in Sochi. His first feature film “Shultes” has been sold to a number of foreign countries, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival (Quinzaine des Realisateurs), won the Grand Prix for the best film in the competition programme at Kinotav in Sochi and at the Kiev Molodist International Film Festival and get Special Jury’s CINE-EUROPA PRIZE at Estoril Film Festival (Lisbon). Filmography: 2008 Shultes, Feature, color, 100 minutes, 2007 Moscow. Feature, color, 35 minutes, HD 2005 The Diamond Way. Documentary, color, 40 min, Betacam SP
2002 Pilipenko. Documentary, color, 36 minutes 2002 The Age of Minfin. Documentary, color, 40 min, Betacam SP 2001 Shifted. Serial (4 episodes), Betacam SP
PRODUCER Julia Mishkinene Julia graduated from the philosophy department of Moscow State University, and has a PhD degree. She worked for over twelve years as a communications consultant, including a stint as the deputy general director of the Propaganda Center for Communication Technologies. From 2001 to 2005, Julia worked as an aide and press secretary for Andrei Illarionov, economics advisor to the President of the Russian Federation. Since 2005, Julia has been the managing partner of the Salvador D Production Center. She has produced ten documentary and corporate films. Filmography as producer: 2008 Shultes. Feature, color, 100 minutes 2007 The Age of Minfin. 205 Years of Service to the Fatherland. Documentary. Documentary, color, 26 minutes
2007 Road of Dreams. Documentary, 48 minutes 2007 Moscow. Feature, color, 35 minutes 2005 The Diamond Way. Documentary, color, 40 minutes 2002 The Age of Minfin. Documentary, color, 40 minutes
COMPANY Founded in 2005, Salvador D Production is a full circle production company managed by Julia Mishkinene and Elizaveta Panfilova. The company has produced several documentaries, promo tapes and commercial films in the framework of integrated marketing campaigns. Since 2007 Salvador D is producing shorts and feature length films. Most recent film of the company - “Shultes” (2008) by Bakur Bakuradze CONTACTS Salvador D Contacts: Julia Mishkinene, Elizaveta Panfilova Address: Russia, 127051 Moscow, 7 Bolshoi Karetny pereulok
Tel. 7 495 6993290, +7 903 7867013 E-mail: julia@salvador-d.ru, lika@ salvador-d.ru Web: www.salvador-d.ru
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RUSSIAN CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS CATALOGUE
TANK Russia
Art Title — Tula to Tula Genre — Comedy Country (s) — Russia … Shooting Dates — 2010 Locations — Russia, Byelorussia, Poland, Germany, France etc. Total Budget — € 1.500.000
Financiers/Partners — Goskino Confirmed Financing — € 360 000 Producers — Alexey Uchitel, Kira Saksaganskaya Director — Alexander Barshak Photography — Not confirmed Scriptwriter — Alexander Barshak
SYNOPSIS Joint Russian-Byelorussian military exercises are taking place in Belarus in the presence of senior Nato officers. Unexpectedly something goes very wrong...a tank disappears without a trace. The three friends who make up the tank crew have accidentally strayed off course They end up in Poland, blissfully unaware of what they’ve started. On the verge of a massive global scandal, the entire international community is on full alert as the Russian Foreign Ministry rants and raves. With no idea of how to get home, the tank crew eventually head for the nearest Embassy, but the road to Warsaw is blocked. So they do what anyone in their position would - they take a slight detour. To Paris! After all, they’d never been there before. And Paris always means a party!.. COMPANY The Rock Films was formed by film director Alexey Uchitel in 1991. It was called so after the documentary shot by Uchitel in the Perestroika period in Russia. Now the studio is producing films, both feature and documentary. One of the most high-priority work directions is the studio’s debut-line. It let a number of young and talented directors create their first films. During the last 17 years our films have received more then 40 awards at different international film festivals. DIRECTOR Alexander Barshak Filmography: Svoy Ostrov Director, screenwriter comedy, short - 2006; Schastlivogo Puti - romance, drama - 2008; Skazka XXI - musical - 2009
Moscow Co-production Forum
PRODUCER Alexey Uchitel is an author of several short documentaries, such as “Starting Up. Portrait of an Event”, “Rock”, that brought fame to its creator; “Mitki in Europe”, “Obvodny Channal”,”The Last Hero”, “Butterfly”, “Maestro”. Many of them were awarded on film festivals. Alexey Uchitel’s debut as a feature film director was in 1995 with the “Giselle’s Mania” film, telling the story of the famous Russian ballerina Olga Spesivtseva. The film was demonstrated on many international festivals, including the one in Cannes, and got prestigious awards, such as Grand Prix on the Honfleur Fetival (France) and the Jury Award on the Cattolica Festival (Italy). Actors, starring in the film are: Mikhail Kozakov, Galina Tiunina, Sergey Vinogradov, Eugeny Sidikhin. “His Wife’s Diary”, the film, telling the story of Ivan Bunin’s (a famous Russian writer) personal life, was released in 2000. The main part was played by Andrey Smirnov, the author of the legendary “Belarus Station”. Three years later Alexey Uchitel was back with a new work - youth melodrama “The Stroll” (2003), which featured young actors of Petr Fomenko Studio, such as Irina Pegova, Pavel Barshak and Eugeny Tsiganov. Then followed “Dreaming of Space” (2005), the screenplay written by Alexander Mindadze; the film received Grand Prix of the XXVII-th Moscow International Film Festival. Alexey Uchitel released his new film “Captive”, based on Vladimir Makanin’s “A Prisoner of the Caucasus” in 2008. Today Mr. Uchitel is working on a new grand project, the story takes place in Siberia of 1945. The main part in the film, tentatively entitled as “Gustav”, is played by Vladimir Mashkov. Alexey Uchitel continues his work as a producer as well. Having been a producer of several successful debuts, like Katia Shagalova’s “Pavlov’s Dog”, Dunia Smirnova’s “Relations” and “Enemies” by Maria Mozhar, Alexey Uchitel also produced “The Game” by Alexander Rogozhkin. Kira Saxaganskaya is a producer of following full length feature films: The Stroll – 2003 - dir. Alexey Uchitel; Dreaming of Space – 2005 – dir. Alexey Uchitel; and Captive – 2008 – dir. Alexey Uchitel
CONTACTS Rock Films Contacts: Masha Vasyukova Address: Russia, 119017 Bolshaya Ordynka 43, Moscow Tel. 7 909 9151095 E-mail: mashavasyukova@gmail.com Web: www.rockfilm.ru/en
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
BROKEN RIB Romania
Art Title — Broken Rib Genre — Bittersweet drama Country (s) — Romania Shooting Dates — Autumn 2010 Locations — Republic of Moldova Total Budget — 1 202 247 euro Financiers/Partners — Romanian CNC and Elefant Films Switzerland
Confirmed Financing — 300 000 euro Producer — Alexandru Teodorescu, Daniel Burlac Director — Igor Cobileanschi Photography — TBA Scriptwriter — Corneliu Porumboiu Music — Zdob si Zdub
SYNOPSIS A bittersweet drama about the 25-year-old Viorel, a small-time drug dealer from a forgotten little town in the contemporary Republic of Moldova. He lives at home with his mother, prefers beer to weed and his ears get red when he’s nervous. Viorel has lost his father a long time ago, but never came to terms with his suicide, so he’s trying to find out the truth about his death. He sometimes gets the impression that he is being watched closely, from somewhere. He gets a job peeling potatoes in the police canteen in order to make his mother proud, but continues to deliver drugs to several clients with his best friend, Goose. When Goose is not dealing drugs and getting high on weed, he is working on repairing his self-built hang glider that never seems to work properly. Failed attempts to fly with it leave Goose with a broken leg and a few days in the hospital. Viorel falls in love with Maria, one of his clients and the girlfriend of a drug dealer who’s in police custody. After her boyfriend gets out of jail, she returns to him, so Viorel is left broken hearted. The police find out about Goose, so he tries the leave the country, but gets killed in a head to head with his drug suppliers from Transnistria, that he turns to for help. All that’s left for Viorel is his father’s memory, the solved mystery around his death and a broken hang glider. Viorel gets into Goose’s broken hang glider, and almost against his will, as if someone else controlled the hang glider, he flies… After mastering falling, flying comes easy.
COMPANY Saga Film is a production company based in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 2000 by Alexandru Teodorescu. It was initially producing TV commercials for the Romanian and international market, but now it produces features and short films as well. The company has about 50 employees, it is organized in five production teams and has it’s own casting, set design and costume departments
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Igor Cobileanschi is a young Moldavian director who will make his début with this feature film. He has attended the Film and Theater University in Bucharest, and also was a stagiere FRO Paris in 1994. Igor has proven he is a talented director by writing and directing award winning short films and documentaries that caught the eye of producers and film critics: “(Boredom) and INSPIRATION” (2007), “Sasa, Grisa and Ion” (2006) and “When the lights go out” (2005), have collected best film awards at the major Romanian Film Festivals and he was awarded at Trieste Film Festival and Betting on Short Film Festival (first prize in Berlin and second prize in Paris). He has also directed a feature-length TV film “Tache” (2008), and in that way, prepared himself and showed producers that he is more than able to direct a cinema feature. PRODUCER Alexandru Teodorescu is a graduate of the University of Cinematography and TV MEDIA Bucharest. He co-produced the 2007 Palme d’Or winner ”4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days”, directed by Cristian Mungiu and the documentary “La nouvelle vague du cinema roumain” (2008), produced by De Films en Aiguille and directed by Marius Doicov and Vincent Guyottot. He was the producer of the short film “The Yellow Smiley Face” (2008) directed by Constantin Popescu, rewarded with the prize for best short film at Belgrade Film Festival and the second audience award at Trieste Film Festival in 2009 and of the art film “Sleeping bus” (2004) directed by Aernout Mik. Since the year 2000 he has produced over 600 commercials, and acted as executive director at Saga Film. Daniel Burlac was the delegate producer for the 2007 Palme d’Or winner “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days” directed by Cristian Mungiu. In 2006 he was the executive producer for “12:08 East of Bucharest” directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, that received prizes like: Camera d’Or at Cannes 2006 and Golden Swan for Best Film and Best Screenplay at Copenhagen International Film Festival. In 2005 he was the film promoter of the feature “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”, directed by Cristi Puiu, that received the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes. CONTACTS Saga Film Contacts: Oana Kelemen Address: Romania, 023993, 8 Dimitrie Racovita street, Bucharest Tel. 004 021 317 33 60 E-mail: oiancu@sagafilm.ro Web: www.sagafilm.ro
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
ARAL
UK, Uzbekistan Art Title — ARAL Genre — Poetic neo-realist drama Country (s) — Uzbekistan Shooting Dates — Spring/Autumn 2010 Locations — The Aral Sea, Muynaq, Syrdarya, Tashkent Total Budget — € .350.000 Financiers/Partners — Gorky Film Studios, Private investors
Confirmed Financing — € 70.000 Producer — Bakhodir Adilov, Gavin Humphries Director — Ella Vakkasova Photography — TBA Scriptwriter — Erkin Agzam, Ella Vakkasova Music — Aziza Sadikova
SYNOPSIS Aral is a son of a fisherman-turned-farmer, he is a namesake of the Sea that he still remembers and loves. With the Aral Sea drying up, the father Ernazar reluctantly has to move his family to Aral’s mother’s native village and turns to farming melons. When the melons are ripe Ernazar has to send Aral to Tashkent to sell the harvest. Aral travels to Tashkent. Upon arrival he takes a spot in the big oriental bazaar and carefully builds a pyramid with the melons. That’s where he spends days and nights right under the open sky. As we watch Aral amidst the chaos of the bazaar, befriending other farmers and dealing with the hoards of customers, we soon learn he is a timid and socially inept boy, not a dealer, but a dreamer. By chance Aral comes to meet the old retired man Ulmas, who gets fond of the boy and asks him to keep visiting him. Aral likes his home, so different to the one he grew up in. It’s full of books and interesting paintings and photographs of the Aral Sea. One particular painting attracts Aral, it’s a face of a man with one eye closed. Ulmas loves the virgin mind of this young boy. Eventually all the melons are sold and Aral is ready to go back home next morning. He wakes up to discover that the money has gone. Desperate and too terrified to face his father he chooses not to return home, but to remain in Tashkent and goes to stay with Ulmas. From conversations between Ulmas and his grown up children he finds out about savings that are kept in the house. It feels that the old man almost deliberately tempts him by telling him about their whereabouts. After agonizing day, Aral steals the money in the middle of the night, Ulmas sees everything, but doesn’t stop him. Ernazar travels to Tashkent to find his missing son. When he finally finds Aral, he doesn’t ask about the money. Aral already regrets about stealing and wants to put the money back, but never gets a chance to do so, as the Soviet rouble collapses and the currency is devaluated. The father and the son walk away from the big city. The air is filled with the anxious melancholy, the banknotes with Lenin’s profile are blown by the wind and get scattered around the streets like a waste paper. They get to the dried sea bed. Aral closes his left eye with his hand… and sees the Sea…
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Ella Vakkasova Ella was born in Uzbekistan. Ella studied film directing at the Met film school in the Ealing Film Studios and at the National Film and Television School in UK. She wrote, directed and produced several award-winning short films. She explores simple human stories in a strong poetic visual style.
PRODUCER Gavin Humphries was a talent agent in the UK and USA before attending the UK’s National Film and Television School. He’s produced several award winning short films and currently has two feature documentaries in production. Bakhodir Adilov graduated Tashkent Theatre Institute as an actor in 1982 and Leningrad State Institute of Theatre and Film as a film director in 1989. He acted, directed and produced features and documentaries, TV series and programs. Together with Japanese production company NHK Bakhodir co-produced an Uzbek-Japanese feature I WISH. Bakhodir currently works at Uzbekfilm COMPANY Quark Films was founded by Anna Higgs & Gavin Humphries in 2006 after they met at the UK’s National Film & Television School. They’ve produced several award winning shorts, which have played at numerous festivals, including Sundance, and been shortlisted for the Academy Awards. They’re currently producing two feature docs and financing two fiction features, which have been selected for Cinemart, Tribeca All Access and IFP in New York.
CONTACTS Quark Films Contacts: Gavin Humphries Address: UK, WC2H 8LS, London, 10 Denmark Street Tel. +44 (0) 7904 477 620 E-mail: gavin@quarkfilms.com Web: www.quarkfilms.com
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
GOODBYE AGAIN Korea
Art Title — Goodbye Again Genre — Romance Drama Country (s) — Korea Shooting Dates — March, 2010 Locations — Korea (Seoul,etc), Moscow, Saint Peterburg Total Budget — € 2.143.000
Financiers/Partners — SidusFNH Confirmed Financing — TBA Producer — Kim Young – Jin Director — Choi Jong- Hyun Photography — TBA Scriptwriter — Jo Hyo-Min
SYNOPSIS Gaesug Special City: After cold tension, both North and South Korea established Gaesung Special City in an attempt for economy collaboration in 2000. At the moment, South Korean companies launched their production lines, employing North Koreans. One summer dawn, a bus from Seoul heads to North Korea. On the side of the bus is a platcard states “SEOUL – GAESUNG SPECIAL CITY COMMUTING BUS.” Inside is the only bus guide in South Korea. Her name is LEE MINA. When the bus arrived at GAESUNG, we meet a North Korean solider who is guarding the area. The short conversation between South and North Korean is prohibited, due to the fear that capitalism will spread among North Workers. Ironically, it’s a peaceful area. And at this special zone, fate brings them together. Twenty six years old MINA is college graduate, and got herself into a travelling company, hoping that she would see the world around for free. Yet, instead of traveling abroad, she stuck inside a bus. Not only that, she’s in the area where conversation is literally prohibited. Though some people wonder. After all, she’s visiting a place that is not open to general public on a daily basis. The thing is, it’s too boring for her. At the security office in GAESUNG SPECIAL CITY is a man who must remain in the same position day after day. His name is LEE GI CHUL, a twenty eight years old North Korean solider, seemingly ready to launch the righteous of communism at any given moment. He lost his Russian Ambassador parents due to an accident, therefore, had left Russia to live with his grandfather in North Korea. Even though he’s quiet and reserved for the most time, GICHUL has warm memory of Russia. Even though both of them are masked with contrasting ideology, MINA and GICHUL begin their conversation due to Russia’s original score “миллион алых роз of Alla Pugatcheva( A hundred Rose)” It is tender, yet dangerous if anybody sees it. And love spread like water painting. One summer dawn at the Gaesung Parking lot, bus is packed and busy to load people heading South. Hiding inside the luggage section, GICHUL is hoping to meet MINA. ...... Their love affair began like water painting, yet how will it end? The splitting is certain. And sorrow after that, too. 3 years later. They encounter again at Russia’s SAINT PETERBURG.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Choi Jong- Hyun Date of Birth : 1969 Russian National Film School graduate (VIGK,2001) Wedding Campaign — screenplay / Assistant Director (Tube Pictures 2005) Little prince — Director (people&pictures 35mm/ color, 90min,2007) / cast Tak jae Hoon PRODUCER Kim Young – Jin Date of Birth : 29th October, 1974 Hanyang university bachelor of French literature) SidusFnH Producer Seoul Production Coordinator - (Enginenetwork, sidus,2001) Singles Production Manager – (Sidus, 2003) Superstar Mr. Gam - production Manager – (Sidus, 2004) Cruel Winter Line Producer (SidusFnh, 2006) Hero Producer in charge of Korean Production (FUJI TV/SidusFNH, 2007) Uproar in the Underworld Line Producer (SidusFNH, 2008) COMPANY SidusFNH has been a major force in the Korean film industry by producing unprecedented commercial and artistic films. SidusFNH has made epoch-making contributions to the growth and advance of the country’s film industry, and will also assume a leading role in the Asian film industry by providing the best quality of films. Main films Christmas in Auguest ,1998 Musa , 2001 Save the green planet, 2003 Memories of murder, 2003 Tajja, 2006
CONTACTS SidusFNH Contacts: Kim Young-Jin Address: Korea, 100-272, 506ho 5F,SiudsFNH, 82-1, Pil-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul Tel. +82,10,3638,8860 E-mail: cinecomp@naver.com Web: www.sidusfnh.co.kr
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
ON THE PRIPYAT RIVER France
Art Title — On the Pripyat River Genre — Drama Country (s) — France Shooting Dates — Spring-November 2009 Locations — Germany, Russia, Ukraine Total Budget — € 2.970.000
Financiers/Partners — TBA Confirmed Financing — TBA Producer — Laetitia Gonzalez Director — Michale Boganim Photography — Alisher Khamikhodzhaev Scriptwriter — Michale Boganim
SYNOPSIS The story begins in April 1986, a few days before the explosion, near Pripyat, a Ukrainian city of 50,000 inhabitants, beside Chernobyl’s power plant. A young boy, Valery, and his father, Alex, a physician at the Plant, are planting a cherry tree in the countryside. Anya and Piotr are celebrating their wedding in the middle of a luminous glade. The wedding is suddenly interrupted and Piotr, a voluntary fireman, is called to a fire. Joshia, a forester, is doing his daily tour of the beautiful sunny forest. He notices that the army troops are behaving strangely there. The fire causes certain changes: yellow rain beats on the city, the trees turn red, and cattle refuse to eat the grass… Nature responds before humans do. For several days, nothing is said. Since the catastrophe is invisible, life carries on normally. Anya waits for her husband to come back, but he never will. Joshia continues working in the forest, which has become radioactive. Valery plays in yellow puddles. Only Alex, the physician, knows, but the authorities force him to silence. This imposed silence will drive him crazy. The city is evacuated, everything is abandoned. Anya, Valery and the others leave Pripyat. With some few other people, Joshia escape to the forest. Ten years later, Pripyat is a ghost town, a forbidden zone, a no man’s land lost in time and space. Nature imposes its will on humans: poplars grow between concrete cracks in apocalyptic anarchy, horses have become wild and gallop through the deserted town, starving dogs wander in the lost city. Anya works as a guide, showing tourists the abandoned city of Pripyat, the villages around and the Plant. Some people, like Joshia and his dog, have stayed and live in highly contaminated zones, deprived of everything. Others have left the war in Tajikistan, and found their last asylum in Chernobyl. Anya works two weeks a month in the forbidden zone. The rest of the time, she lives in a neighbouring city with her new boyfriend who would like to start a family. But Anya fears the consequences that the radioactivity would have on a child. Valery, who is now a young man, lives with his mother. His classmates consider him a pariah. Pripyat’s inhabitants are called Chernolitsy. Both of them are the shadows of a place that doesn’t exist anymore, outcasts, forgotten wanderers of a history that continues its slow and invisible destruction.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Michale Boganim Born in Israel (Haifa), Michale Boganim received her master’s degree in political science and anthropology in Paris at the Sorbonne, where she studied film with Jean Rouch. She returned to Israel to study philosophy at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. She then completed the master’s program in directing at the National Film School, the film section of Royal college of ART of London. “ODESSA… ODESSA !” her elegiac documentary about the Odessan diaspora in New York, Israel, and Odessa, has been selected in many festivals around the world, among which Sundance Film Festival 2005, and won a lot of prizes, in particular CICAE Price at Berlin Film Festival, Forum of New cinema 2005. She currently lives between Paris and Tel Aviv. PRODUCER Laetitia Gonzalez created the company LES FILMS DU POISSON in 1995 with Yaël Fogiel. The company has produced more than hundred films: features, documentaries and shorts that have been all appreciated and rewarded in France and around the world. Among the recent prizes : NOWHERE PROMISED LAND BY EMMANUEL FINKIEL – 2008 Jean Vigo Award JELLYFISH BY ETGAR KERET AND SHIRA GEFFEN – CAMERA D’OR in Cannes 2007 SINCE OTAR LEFT… BY JULIE BERTUCCELLI – Cesar (French oscar) for best first film 2004
CONTACTS Les Films du Poisson Contacts: Laetitia Gonzalez Address: France, 75010, 54 rue René Boulanger, Paris Tel. 00 33 1 42 02 54 80
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
EAVE SELECTION
THE BALLET MASTER AND THE SEVEN ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE Estonia, Finland
Art Title — The Ballet Master and the seven enemies of the people Total Budget — € 2.500.000 Producer — Margus Ounapuu Genre —Historical absurd comedy with melodramatic elements Financiers/Partners — Estonian Film Foundation, Finnish Film Foundation etc.
Director — Jaak Kilmi Country (s) — Estonia, Finland Confirmed Financing — € 1.500.000 Photography — Peter Flinckenberg Shooting Dates — 2010 (second half) Scriptwriter — Urmas Vadi Locations — Estonia, Finland and Russia
SYNOPSIS Erik is a fireman in Estonia. In year 1940 as a prelude to its war with Germany, the Soviet Union annexes Estonia and arrests Estonia’s President. In these troubled times, Erik finds his friend and colleague Johannes murdered for being involved with the Estonian underground resistance movement. Swept along by events, Erik finds himself recruited to step in for his deceased friend and carry on the fight for independent Estonia. Unlike his predecessor, Erik has no training in covert methods. Erik receives the bare minimum of instruction – his mission is to join up with an operative group, which will then travel to Siberia to liberate Estonia’s President. The plan is to take him to neutral Switzerland, where the government of Estonia can be formed in exile. Erik also inherits Johannes’s false identification – the internal passport of an Estonian ballet master, yet Erik also knows nothing about ballet. Thus he must improvise in two roles he knows nothing about – as a member of a secret operative group and as a ballet master. His group travels to Moscow under cover as a folk dance ensemble and in the train already they must prove themselves. Against all odds, their performance is a success, arousing the interest of the mysterious and beautiful Jelizaveta Filippovna. She makes the group an offer they cannot refuse – to tour the Soviet Union with her as their manager. In the process, she falls in love with Erik. But at the same time, she regularly reports to a stone-faced Red Army general, who follows the group’s every move with great interest. Erik’s team finally manages to make its way to the psycho-neurological prison, where the President has been held the whole time with a mental case who thinks he is the Russian Tsar Nikolai II. Jelizaveta organizes their next show in town, and Erik’s men use that as a diversion to break into the prison. The President has in the meantime been forced to take medication and this confinement has had an adverse affect on his psyche. By the time Erik’s men reach him, the President refuses to go to Switzerland, denies the possibility of Estonia’s independent existence without Russia, and proposes that they go to America instead, where the President claims to have millions stashed away. Sadly, Erik’s men realize that they are too late to save the President, and they leave him in the prison. With nowhere to turn for further instructions, Erik takes up the role that the President can no longer fill. Yet instead of escaping to Switzerland, he returns to his homeland to secretly spread the spirit of resistance among the people. By holding on to their folk dance traditions, the people persevere through decades of occupation until the spirit of independence can again rise from the ashes.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Jaak Kilmi Graduated in Tallinn Pedagogical University, faculty of culture; department of audiovisual arts, Bachelor of Arts in directing. His credits as director include several of documentaries like “Disco & Atomic War” 2009 “The Revolution That Wasn’t” 2008 (as producer) “Nazis and Blondes” 2008 (as writer and producer) PRODUCER Margus Ounapuu Margus Õunapuu has a long and colorful film background. Before establishing his own production company in 2001 he has worked with many different film-projects as a set designer, property master, assistant art director, art director, production manager, etc., etc. He has had a great opportunity to work with for example Edgardo Cozarinsky, Pelle Seth, Andrew Grive, Maximilian Schell, Bill Pullman, etc. He’s a sole owner of the production company Film Tower Kuubis and also known as a co-producer of the biggest cooperation film-projects in Estonia so far. COMPANY Film Tower Kuubis is a production company founded in the year 2001 by producer Margus Õunapuu. During the first years company produced several commercials and music videos, including Russian MTV 2002 and 2003 best music video award. Today the company is focused on documentaries, feature-films and international co-production projects. Selected productions: “For equal opportunities” (2006, documentary Dir. Veiko Taluste), “Jade Warrior” (2006, feature film co-production Dir. A.J. Annila). In postproduction: “Cubaton – El Medico” (documentary, Film Tower Kuubis (Est), Röde Orm Film (Swe), New Danes Production (Den), CineWorks (Fin) / Dir. Daniel Fridell. Scheduled to be completed by May’2009); “Dance in the Convent” (documentary, Film Tower Kuubis Dir. Siiri Timmerman. Scheduled to be completed by June’2009). In Production: “Kosmos 68” (documentary, Film Tower Kuubis Dir. Peeter Brambat. Scheduled to be completed by December’2009). In Development: “The Ballet Master and The Seven Enemies of The People” (feature film, Film Tower Kuubis (Est), Cine Works (Fin), Dir. Jaak Kilmi, script writer: Urmas Vadi. Scheduled to be completed by’2011); “Girl with wheels” (short feature film, Film Tower Kuubis Dir. & script writer, Ervin Õunapuu. Scheduled to be completed by’2010).
CONTACTS Film Tower Kuubis Contacts: Margus Ounapuu Address: Estonia 10147, Gonsiori 27, Tallinn
Tel. +372 56 51 654 E-mail: margus@filmtower.ee Web: www.filmtower.com
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
EAVE SELECTION
THE BOOK SMUGGLERS Ireland
Art Title — The Book Smugglers Genre — Creative historical-poetical documentary Country (s) — TBA Shooting Dates — TBA Locations — TBA Total Budget — € 125.000 Financiers/Partners — TG4, LRT, Era Film, Irish Film Board
Confirmed Financing — TG4: € 5,000; LRT: € 15,000, Ministry (LT): € 15,000 Producers — Bartolomeo Dibenedetto, Rasa Miskinyte (Era Film) Director — Jeremiah Cullinane Photography — Audrius Kemezys Scriptwriters — Jeremiah Cullinane, Bartolomeo Dibenedetto
SYNOPSIS For several decades in the 19th century, a small European Catholic peasant country, occupied by its much larger neighbour, faced the decline and possible extinction of its national language, an ancient but obscure tongue of uncertain origin, which had little practical use outside the country’s borders. Since Russian annexation of most of Lithuania in 1795 (interrupted only briefly by Napoleon), the nobility and bourgeois classes exerted pressure to slavicise the country and discourage use of Lithuanian, including attempts to cyrillise the alphabet. But from 1863, Tsar Alexander II decreed an outright ban on all usage of the Baltic language which covered education, press, and publishing. Simple possession of literature in Lithuanian became a crime. Clearly the aim was to eradicate the nuisance language altogether and Russify the population. But whereas, considering such oppressive conditions, it would have been understandable for the population to submit and assimilate the occupier’s language, the opposite took place. Despite obvious advantages to adopting Russian, namely access to jobs, participation in social and administrative life, not to mention simply surviving, the Lithuanians resisted all attempts to alienate them from their beloved language. A new type of linguistic resistance fighter emerged: the knygnešys, or “book smuggler,” ordinary peasants who over the next four decades, until the Russians gave up on their attempts in 1904, would smuggle books and journals, through forests and across rivers into the country from Lithuanian communities in neighbouring East Prussia and distribute them clandestinely to schools, shops, and other outlets, risking being shot on sight if apprehended. Today, these adventurers and martyrs are revered as heroes of the Republic and guardians of the Lithuanian culture and language. Retracing the history of the book smugglers and their remarkable adventures, our documentary, presented through the eyes of an Irish-speaking poet, to whose work questions of language have been central, inevitably draws parallels with the decline of the Irish language during the same century, a delicate and sensitive issue far from free of controversy. How is it that a small nation under comparable (if not worse) conditions of occupation and oppression managed to survive and preserve their “minor” national language, to the point where practically all Lithuanians today speak it proudly? And what is the relationship, for them and for us, between national tongue and national and personal identity?
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Jeremiah Cullinane was born in 1967 in London of Irish parents and grew up mainly in Montreal. He graduated there from Concordia University (communications and semiology), and went on to study film at the cole Suprieuretudes Cinmatographiques, Paris (1987-89). After working as assistant director, company administrator, and independent producer in the performing arts in Paris and elsewhere in Europe (contemporary dance and theatre), Jeremiah returned to Ireland in 1995 to work as assistant director at the new Roger Corman film studio in Galway. Five feature films and one year later, he was offered his first film to direct, the action thriller Criminal Affairs, starring James Marshall and Louis Mandylor. Jeremiah directed two more of these commissioned low-budget features for Roger Corman, as well as other work-for-hire television and corporate films, learning his craft as a director, before once again changing direction and returning to France. Since then he has been concentrating on putting together films of his own intiative, directing theatre, writing, and translating. In 2005, he and his friend and associate, Bartolomeo Dibenedetto, founded the Dublin-based company Planet Korda Pictures, and he has directed or produced four documentary films since that time. He will make his return to feature drama in 2009 with the film The Perch. PRODUCER Rasa Miskinyte Rasa Miskinyte (Era Film, Vilnius) is a former commissioning editor with the Lithuanian state broadcaster LRT. With her independent company Era Film, she recently produced the multi-award winning documentary The Bug Trainer Bartolomeo Dibenedetto Bartolomeo Dibenedetto is a founding partner in Planet Korda Pictures, and is producer of the documentaries Hitlers Irish Movies, Creative Chaos: Round One, and Salt in their Blood as well as the upcoming feature drama The Perch
CONTACTS Planet Korda Pictures Ltd. Contacts: Jeremiah Cullinane ( Director) Address: Ireland 13, 12E Thormanby Rd., Dublin Tel. +353 1 8394520 E-mail: planetkorda@eircom.net
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
EAVE SELECTION
THE LEGIONNAIRE’S GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTERS Czech Republic
Art Title — The Legionnaire’s GreatGranddaughters Genre — Documentary Country (s) — Czech Republic Shooting Dates — Summer 2010 Locations — Russia, Ukraine Total Budget — € 256.310
Financiers/Partners — Czech Television, in June applying for State funding Confirmed Financing — € 74.000 Producer — Ivana Vrbikova Director — David Calek Photography — David Calek Scriptwriter — Viktor Slajchrt
SYNOPSIS A documentary about the journey there and back again Medic Bedřich Opletal took part in a series of cruel battles in World War I. He fought in Galicia in Poland, in Dobruja in Romania, in Ukraine and on the Trans-Siberian railroad. From Siberia, he brought back his young wife Yelena. In his memoirs, which he wrote later and only for the eyes of his family, love and war are intertwined. And everything is played out on a long road, along which he and tens of thousands of Czechoslovak legionnaires traveled across half the world. Kristýna and Leona were born thirty years after Bedřich’s death, but they knew his ageold stories from childhood. Viktor, who was both their father and Bedřich’s grandson, told them the stories. To the sisters, they felt like fairytales, except that the story of Bedřich and Yelena happened in places where one can actually go today. In the meantime, though, almost a century has passed. COMPANY Etcetera Film Since 2006 Ivana Vrbikova has its own production company Etcetera Film. In 2007 The company organized and co-financed with Ministry of Culture the final workshop EAVE 2007. Since than Etcetera Film produced and shot big concert show with prestige theatre director and musician Ondrej Havelka. Nowadays is working on docu-drama The Time of Grimaces ( in production ), financing TV series based on Czech Legends , feature film We Meet in Dreams by Juraj Nvota and documentary The Legionnaire’s Great-Granddaughters.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR David Calek Trailers available at www.calek.cz 1992-1998 FAMU Prague, graduated at Department of Photography 1999-2002 FAMU Prague, graduated at Documentary Film Department Director: Berkat and Marsho – Happiness and Freedom ( 2007 ) Olympiáda über alles ( 2007 ) Dreamless Nights (2003) Touching Pictures (2000) Photography: Mamas and Papas ( 2009 ) / feature film Marbles (2008) / feature film Dancing Kathmandu (2006) / documentary Pátrání po Ester (2005) / documentary Day E (2004) / documentary Karel Ancerl: A Belated Portrait (2004) (TV) / documentary Dreamless Nights (2003) / documentary The Myth (2003) / documentary
NATO Inside Our Hearts (2003) (TV) / documentary Masks, Jesters, Demons (2002) / documentary Milý spolecník aneb Blues pro Ludka Hulana (2001) (TV) Zpráva o stavu sveta (2001) (TV) Great Bear: Chinatown (2001) TV series (unknown episodes) Chaos (2001) (TV) / documentary Best Before the End (2000) / documentary Touching Pictures (2000) / documentary My Detox (1999) / feature film Black Spark (1999) Rapid Eye Movement (1998) / feature film Pocta páteru Koniásovi (1998) / documentary Úsvit (1998) / short Objevte svoji vnitrní krásu (1997) / short
PRODUCER Ivana Vrbikova In 2004 Ivana decided to take the experience she had gained in distribution and acquisition and try her hand at producing films. In 2005 Ivana graduated at EAVE with the film 3 Seasons In Hell (shooted 2008 ). Nowadays she has several projects in development - feature film We Meet in Dreams, docu-drama in production The Time of Grimaces, financing TV series based on the Czech legends, together with Czech Television preparing documentary road movie The Legionnaire’s Great-Granddaughters. Ivana started her professional career at Falcon, one of the biggest film distribution companies in the Czech Republic (Falcon represents two major American studios – Buena Vista International and Columbia Tristar). In 1999 she received an exciting offer to develop and manage Artcam Film Distribution, a firm focused on independent films; the young company distributed an average of ten films per year (e.g. Buena Vista Social Club, La Pianiste, Mulholland Drive, Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Sex y Lucía). Two years later got an offer to found and manage SPINFILM, a subsidiary of SPI International (the New York based distribution company with offices in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Israel, and elsewhere). In addition to distributing independent movies, SPINFILM also coproduces Czech films. A year later Ivana became managing director of SPI International, Czech Republic. During the distribution career Ivana worked on several Czech films. CONTACTS ETCETERA FILM s.r.o. Contacts: Ivana Vrbikova Address: Czech Republic, 120 000, Varsavska, 1234/4 Tel. +420728484908 E-mail: Ivana@etceterafilm.com Web: www.etceterafilm.com
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
SOFIA MEETINGS SELECTION
LOVE.NET Bulgaria
Art Title — LOVE.NET Genre — Comedy, drama, romance Country (s) — Bulgaria Shooting Dates — November 2009 Locations — Bulgaria, Russia Total Budget — € 1.100.000 Financiers/Partners — Bulgarian National Film Center
Confirmed Financing — € 830.000 Producer — Matey Konstantinov, Ilian Djevelekov, Georgi Dimitrov Director — Ilian Djevelekov Photography — Emil Christov b.a.c. Scriptwriter — Nelly Dimotrova, Matey Konstantinov, Ilian Djevelekov
SYNOPSIS LOVE.NET follows the parallel stories of a number of characters who are trying to change their lives via the Internet or are simply having fun online, as well as the stories of several couples who met through the sites for meeting people. COMPANY Production Company Miramar film is established in 2001 by Matey Konstantinov, Ilian Djevelekov and Georgi Dimitrov. Miramar film produces TV commercials; animations, documentaries and feature films; design and constructions of sets; marketing and management of concerts and other events. The Company offers full package of services: location scouting, casting and logistic TVC and Film editing services Compositing, matte painting, 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics and visual effects DIRECTOR Ilian Djevelekov /Director, Producer/ was born in 1966 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He studied Psychology at Sofia University. He got a degree in Film and TV Directing at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia. In 1993 Ilian Djevelekov’s film I Want To Be Free won the best short film award at Golden Rose International Film Festival in Varna. From 1994 to 2000 he worked as producer and director in Ku-Ku Film Company. In 2001 Ilian Djevelekov together with Matey Konstantinov and Georgi Dimitrov founded Miramar Film Production Company which is now ranking among Bulgarian top producers of TV commercials, documentaries and feature films. Ilian Djevelekov is director and producer of tens of TV commercials and documentaries. The premiere of his last documentary project “Cuba is music” was at International Sofia Film Festival 2009. The film Zift, /awarded “Silver St. Goerge” for best director at Moscow IFF 2008 and many other awards/ is Ilian Djevelekov’s début as producer in full-length feature filmmaking. His current feature film project as a director and producer - Love. net is initiated by him and he takes main part in development of the characters and in the creation of the script. The film is going to be shot on November 2009.
Moscow Co-production Forum PRODUCER Matey Konstantinov was born in 1965 in Montana. He is a graduate of the High School of Russian Language in Sofia and holds a degree in Bulgarian Studies from Sofia University. He has attended postgraduate courses in Cultural Studies and Dialectology at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Literature Institute. In 1989 to 1996 he published articles in a number of newspapers and magazines while taking the position of editor in chief of some of them. Since 1995 he has been scriptwriter and producer of numerous plays, concerts, commercial videos, TV programs and documentaries among which Ethiopia 13 Months of Sun, Peru – the Unknown Planet of Incas, Skobelev – The White General, Cuba is music and many others. In 2001 he founded Miramar Film Production Company together with Ilian Djevelekov and Georgi Dimitrov which is now ranking among Bulgarian top producers of TV commercials, documentaries and feature films. The film Zift, /awarded “Silver St. Goerge” for best director at Moscow IFF 2008 and many other awards/ is his début as a producer in fulllength feature filmmaking. Georgi Dimitrov was born in 1964 in Silistra. He graduated from the high school for stage specialists in Plovdiv and got a degree in Animation Directing from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts several years later. In 1994 he attended Prof. Véronique Steeno’s postgraduate course in Animation Directing in Belgium. In 1995 the film The Unbelievable Adventures of Sindbad the Sailor he directed was awarded Golden Rhyton for best animation and the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers’ award. For the last ten years Georgi Dimitrov has worked as Art Director in tens of commercial, TV and film productions including the films I, Hamlet, Get The Rabbit Back (selected at Cannes Festival), Rabbit Troubles and many others. In 2000 he founded Multifilm Production Company whereby he produced the TV story She, the Sinner after Yordan Yovkov’s novel of the same name. A year later together with Ilian Djevelekov and Matey Konstantinov founded Miramar Film Production Company. The film Zift, /awarded “Silver St. Goerge” for best director at Moscow IFF 2008 and many other awards/ is Georgi Dimitrov’s début as producer in full-length feature filmmaking.
CONTACTS Miramar film Contacts: Mila Voinikova Address: Bulgaria, 40 Evlogi Georgiev blvd., ap 1-1, Sofia 1124 Tel. +359 2 9463514 E-mail: office@miramarfilm.com Web: www.miramarfilm.com
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
DAB REGIONAL CO-PRODUCTION FORUM SELECTION
ENDLESS RETURN Armenia
Art Title — Endless Return Genre — Docu-drama Country (s) — Armenia Shooting Dates — Late autumn 2009 till spring 2010 Locations — Armenia, Russia, Far East, Canada, Estonia, possibly some shootings in USA (TBC) Total Budget — € 400.000 Financiers/Partners — Golden Apricot,
Armenian National Film Center, Jan Vrijman Fund at IDFA Confirmed Financing — € 165.000 Producer — Harutyun Khachatryan, Hasmik Hovhannisyan, Director — Harutyun Khachatryan Photography — Vrezh Petrosyan Scriptwriter — Harutyun Khachatryan, Mikayel Stamboltsyan
SYNOPSIS In 1988-1989 filmmaker Harutyun Khachatryan started his painful exploration of alienation and rootlessness among Armenian exiles. Since then he has shot a huge archive depicting the developments of those days and concentrated on the personal life stories of several Armenian artists. The documentary video footage starts with l988 freedom rally in Yerevan’s Freedom Square, attended by one million people. Armenian singer Ruben of Yerevan (Ruben Hakhverdyan) entertains the crowd with political songs that celebrate freedom and condemn totalitarianism. 1988 was a time of sudden political developments in Armenia, which changed a lot – lives of people, way of thinking, lifestyle. The movement for the independence started. This made Harutyun Khachatryan start making the footage which will serve as base for this project. Two musicians (both popular in those days) - Ruben and Plush, started traveling across what was formerly the Soviet Union, interviewing Armenians living in self or imposed exile. They raised existential questions about national identity and the meaning of home, literally and figuratively. These two young people traveled from the Far East to West of the country, meeting old friends, giving concerts… Twenty years past… Life totally changes in Armenia. Earthquake in 1988 was followed by the collapse of the USSR, war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, years of blockade… After all these difficulties, seems life returned to more or less normal roots. The difficulties of past are forgotten. Forgotten are our heroes as well. What changed these 20 years in people’s lives? What makes them return or leave their country again and again? These questions encouraged Harutyun Khachatryan to start research for a film, which will take the observations done 20 years ago and will follow the same people nowadays.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Harutyun Khachatryan was born in Akhalkalak (Georgia). He directed films that were awarded the prize at various International film festivals. In 2003 he received Armenian Government Award and obtained recognition as Honored Artiste of the Republic of Armenia. Director of GOLDEN APRICOT, founder and the General Director of Yerevan International Film Festival GOLDEN APRICOT since 2004. Voting Member of European Film Academy since 2006. One of the founding members of Producers Association in Armenia since 2007. Awarded with Prince Clause Awards in 2007 (official ceremony took place on 14th of December in Yerevan). PRODUCER Harutyun Khachatryan, general producer, Hasmik Hovhannisyan, executive producer Harutyun Khachatryan was born in Akhalkalak (Georgia). He directed films that were awarded the prize at various International film festivals. In 2003 he received Armenian Government Award and obtained recognition as Honored Artiste of the Republic of Armenia. Director of GOLDEN APRICOT, founder and the General Director of Yerevan International Film Festival GOLDEN APRICOT since 2004. Voting Member of European Film Academy since 2006. One of the founding members of Producers Association in Armenia since 2007. Awarded with Prince Clause Awards in 2007 (official ceremony took place on 14th of December in Yerevan). COMPANY GOLDEN APRICOT was established in 2003. The objectives of GOLDEN APRICOT are strengthening and consolidating film and audiovisual media production and also preserving the cultural diversity of the Region. After the privatization of HAYFILM aka ARMENFILM State Studio (which was the main state film studio of the country), GOLDEN APRICOT Production, among several others, handled and continued the traditions of Armenian Cinema. The company successfully cooperates with both local private studios and state structures. Due to this, GOLDEN APRICOT is one of the leading independent companies currently representing feature and documentary films.
CONTACTS Golden Apricot Contacts: Hasmik Hovhannisyan, executive producer Address: Armenia 0001, #3 Moskovyan str Tel. +374 10 52-10-42 E-mail: khachatryan@gaiff.am, workshop@gaiff.am
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
CINE FANTOM SELECTION
CINE FANTOM PRESENTS COMPANY CINE FANTOM Studio possesses a huge experience in all domains of cinema production, starting from low budget films (Volga-Volga and Brain by Andrey Silvestrov; a number of films by Aleinikov brothers; films by Boris Yukhananov; films by Alexander Dulerain etc.), as well as significant experience in comprehensive advertising campaigns of blockbusters (9th Company, Taras Bulba, Lovey-Dovey, Heat, Piter FM etc.) PEOPLE
Andrey Silvestrov
Aleinikov Gleb
Born in 1972 in Moscow. Graduated from State University of Radio Engineering, later attended Individual Directors’ Studio of Boris Yukhananov. Author of numerous film and video projects, shown in festivals in New York, Vienna, Graz, Bruхelles, Munich and all-over Russia. Video-decorations for operas Snegurochka and Mazepa were created in collaboration with director Pavel Labazov. Their next big budget project was a remake of the motion picture Volga Volga (2006, premiere at Rotterdam film festival) starring Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe. This film was shown on the most prestigious film festivals worldwide. Co-founder and program-director of CINE FANTOM film club.
Born on March, 12, 1966 Director, screenwriter, cinema and TV producer. Author of over 30 films, amongst them are Tractors, Tractor drivers-2, Someone was here, Ameriga etc. Participant and prize winner of numerous international film festivals. CINE FANTOM club founder. From 2002 till 2007 - marketing director of CTC Media TV channels. From 2008 - director of Directorate of Marketing and Development, ROSSIYA TV Channel Member of Russian TV Academy
Andrey Silvestrov, programme director, CINE FANTOM Club a1v2s3@gmail.com +79852339318
Gleb Aleinikov, Director General, CINE FANTOM Club glebaleinikov@gmail.com
CONTACTS
Moscow Co-production Forum
SPRING producer — Gleb Aleinkov directed — Andrey Silvestrov screenplay — Gleb Aleinikov & Renata Litvinova
Estimated budget € 750 000 Amount confirmed € 250 000 Financiers/partners — CINE FANTOM SYNOPSIS
The action of the film takes place in a rural area. A dumb schoolboy Kolya is in the center of events. Kolya’s classmates are stuffed with ideology, morality and rules of conduct. After school Kolya finds dead people bodies in different parts of the village. At the same time, being in his puberty age, Kolya experiences first strong emotions. After noticing this, teachers and parents become indignant at Kolya and try to change his false psychophysical organism reactions by implanting him moral values. After analysis of evidence, left near bodies, which only Kolya and the spectators can see, a general impression of village inhabitants’ relationships unfolds - Kolya’s dad is a maniac, his schoolmistress is a nympho, his sister is a victim of dad’s violence... In the center of our artistic statement is a metaphor of ideology violence over man’s personality and consciousness.
The film is to be shot like a documentary reconstruction. Well-known TV hosts are present inside each episode, though unseen to characters; they make comments addressed to spectators. There are plenty of TV hosts and they change each other. TV hosts can represent different countries and speak different languages. When film characters talk to each other, there are no TV hosts on screen. We plan to shoot this in hyper realistic style, which my remind us of a fashion session.
DIRECTOR’S VIEW
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
CINE FANTOM SELECTION
ANTON’S RETINA producer — Gleb Aleinikov director — Lenka Kabankova
budget — € 1800 000 amount confirmed — € 250 000
SYNOPSIS The film starts with the main character (Anton) finding himself in Heaven. As he is a film director, he goes to the special Heaven. They teach you video art here, which is the next form of cinema development; this is what all the inhabitants of the Heaven believe in. There, he meets a beautiful girl (Ariadna) who becomes his guide through his new life. Ariadna asks him about his past. Anton tells her in details, commencing with his childhood. As such, this is a story of formation of a man and a film director. Unexpectedly, the story starts reminding the plot of Crime and Punishment. Following some dubious “higher aims”, in order to get forbidden shots, the protagonist kills a “useless” old woman with his camera, which is on, shooting. Having lost his path in theories and concepts, being a famous director by then, he just wants to overcome “the myth of cinema death” by recording it, using a camera as a murder tool. Repentance leads him to the idea that, in order to redeem his guilt before society and art, he must sacrifice his life, leaving as his heritage the last frame of his life fixed on his retina… Protagonists’ reminiscences alternate with scenes from his Paradise life, which logically brings the spectator to the main issue - is this Heaven or something else? DIRECTOR’S VIEW
The action of the film is divided into two worlds - protagonist’s life in a real world and his life in Paradise after death. The protagonist is a film director, who went to Heaven following a series of collisions, reminding us of Crime and Punishment book. We see the world of Paradise to be released in fantasy stylistics, using decorations and CGI effects. Protagonists’ life in a real world is to be shot in realistic interiors and exteriors. Scenes devoted to different life periods of the protagonist are to be shot using various cinematographical styles. We’ll need this variety of styles to emphasize the intrigue, which is a sort of attraction, which development is interesting to follow. A well-known director can play the lead.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Lenka Kabankova Director, producer In co-authorship, directed two short films Two Equators and Happiness: The Movie. As a journalist, worked for Shape and Beauty magazines and for such TV channels as ORT, muzTV, TV6. From 2002 to 2007 worked as a creative producer on CTC and Domashniy channels. Since 2004 - curator of CINE FANTOM club. Since 2007 — creative director of CINE FANTOM Promo. Since 2009 — head of on-air promotion, Rossiya TV channel.
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CINE FANTOM SELECTION
SUER VYER producer — Andrey Silvestrov director — Andrey Silvestrov & Pavel Labazov music score — Daisuke Fuwa and Shibasu Shirazu
Estimated budget — € 3 000 000 Production companies — CINE FANTOM/ FIRST MAGIC CINEMA COMPANY / VIDEODOM / SHIBASU SHIRAZU Budget confirmed — € 330 000
SYNOPSIS Musical comedy based on the book by Yuri Koval of the same name The film is a musical in a new form. It combines classic plot structuring appealing to Homer’s “Odyssey” and completely modern music and dance routines. Plot wise, the film follows a ship under the command of the brave and wise captain Suer-Vyer that is in search of the Island of Verity in the Seven Seas. Every day the crew discovers new islands. And each one of them brings an unexpected adventure. The heroes get into the most unusual situations imaginable, become prisoners of their own fantasies and their dreams and hidden passions materialize. Overcoming each fantasy-ordeal, the ship crew approached stealthily the final island - the Island of Verity. It is there, where the central mystery is revealed: may the ship really be just a fiction, does captain Suer-Vyer really exist or is he just a hallucination of the protagonist, and finally how real is the protagonist himself? “Suer-Vyer” is to be shot in classical genre of “adventure-quest. For instance, the heroes reach an island of total homogeneity. A mythical island, inhabited by little media people – Valeryan Borisytches - who inevitably long for multiplication and try to convince our heroes of the beauty of homogeneity. This particular episode is devoted to contemporary pop culture and its influence on human personality. The heroes visit the island of great pleasure, where Beers and Baths embody the human desires. The film is fragmented into several episodes, where each episode is a new island and a new musical-plastical solution. The genre is a musical comedy, for there is nothing more joyful, than the exposure of public and private illusions. DIRECTOR’S VIEW
By today, several songs for the film are already recorded in Moscow, others are planned to be recorded in Tokyo at Shibusashirazu base. The Japanese, including the producer, are our partners. We expect to engage an international team of actors – Japanese, European and American for shooting film episodes. This is due to technology process – it is planned to have many episodes in the film, and therefore many guest stars. This film is a musical comedy, which combines the mix of Sponge Bob Square Pants and Pirates of a Caribbean. The movie is to be shot as a super-high-tech project. It is to be shot on digital; in a pavilion. Being an art project, it is however a film destined to the broadest family audience possible and has a potential of a huge commercial success.
Moscow Co-production Forum
Pavel Labazov Director Born in Moscow. Graduated from Moscow State University. Since 1993 participates in the creative group ART-Blya, specializing in graphic design. In 1999 on the base of DOM culture center organized his studio VIDEODOM, the art-director of which he currently is. His films were shown on numerous Russian and international festivals. His debut in Bolshoi theatre in 2002-2003 was with the production of the operas Snegurochka and Mazepa - alongside with Andrey Silvestrov he became a video-director of plays. In 2006 they jointly did a feature film - a remake of a well-known Russian motion picture Volga-Volga starring Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, a notorious pop-artist. The film’s premiere took place in the Rotterdam film festival in February 2006.
Daisuke Fuwa and the Shibusashirazu Orchestra Arranger / performer The Orchestra assembled by a famous musician and composer Daisuke Fuwa in 1988 and up today he is Shibusashirazu’s permanent leader as well as the composer of most of Orchestra’s material. The name of the orchestra roughly translates as “Fire up!” which speaks for itself, as the group performs at the biggest the rock and jazz festivals all over the world, playing to stadium as well as small auditorium capacities. The music of Shibusashirazu exceeds the margins of the common concept of a big-band, merging new-jazz, rock, japanese enka, popmusic, Latin-American rhythms, some folk and even klezmer. So what do we get?... an explosive inflammatory cocktail!
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I’M GOING TO CHANGE MY NAME Art Title — I’m Going To Change My Name Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia, Armenia, France Shooting Dates — January – April 2010 Locations — Alaverdy, Armenia Total Budget — € 725.000 Financiers/Partners — Anniko Films, GA, NFCA, Vonvon Films
Confirmed Financing — € 143.500 Producer — Victoria Lupik Director — Maria Saakyan Photography — Alexander Kuznetsov Scriptwriter — Maria Saakyan , K.K., Asthik Simonian, Tigran Hzmalyan
SYNOPSIS ANNIKO wanted to change her name and her destiny. Her mother and father, a man she never knew, betrayed their love for each other a long time ago. Now, a 45-year-old man lies dead on top of a 14-year-old girl. Anoush (14) and her mother Sona (34) live in Alaverdy, Armenia, in a house near the railway station. Sona is a beautiful woman and she’s the conductor of a men’s choir with 13 men. Anoush is going to change her name as soon as she gets a passport. She decides to be Anniko like the main heroine from an adored Japanese book. Anniko is our point of view of the film; all the time we hear her poetry in voice-over, we see her stop-motion animation. In the meantime, we are at mother’s rehearsals. Anniko can’t hear the music because for her it’s just breathings, parts of words, and movements of her mother’s hand, wide opened mouths of handsome men. From there Anniko’s fantasy takes over and we see Sona making love with each of the men. Each of the singers has his own way of making it. We explore their skin and muscles, the hair on their arms, and their very strong voice at the final moment. In reality it seems that this kind of relations could be true between Sona and her choir men because they are so tender with each other and there is a strong tension between them. One day Sona decides to send her daughter to a friend, who lives in the capital. He’s rich and Sona hopes that one week in the big city will help Anoush to calm down. On her first visit to the capital Anniko spends the whole week at home, and only on the last day – Sunday – Anniko makes a walk with a 52-year-old man. The experienced man shows her beautiful spots and the city life and treats her noble like a sophisticated gentleman. During their walk, with his attentive gentleness, he awakes the woman in her and Anniko, with her purity, kills his fixed self-sufficiency. This discovery of life leads into a sparkling but very fragile happiness. A few moments later Anniko understands that the man lying on top of her is dead. Early morning. The girl is running through the town that looks strange and crude in the colours of the dawn. Anniko reaches a little lake at the outskirts of the town. The girl walks into the water, falls down, rises and falls again. At the sunrise, the naked girl is sitting on the slope of the hill. A lonely white body and a whole world in front. Later that day it’s the time of the concert. Sona is a little bit nervous, but she’s glad to see her daughter in the hall. The choir begins. We see a long shot of men singing. It’s an ancient Armenian liturgical song. Sona is very brave, because it is the first time that this kind of music has been played outside the church. Anniko is sitting there, disappearing in the music. And for the first time she understands the meaning of music. Anniko discovers that bodies are just covers for souls, pure voice-soul, which is missing God so much.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Maria was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1980, and at 1992, she and her family moved to Russia. In 1996 she gained entrance to the film directing department of VGIK, Vladimir Kobrin’s workshop. She graduated in 2003 with a degree project The Farewell. First feature film was ‘The Lighthouse” 2007,it was released in Russia. Now is working on a script of her next project ”I’m Going To Change My Name”. Prizes and mentions: ‘Proshanie” -“Best short film” “ Golden apricot” awards, Yerevan, Armenia, Special mention International Fano Film Festival, Italy, Trieste IFF, Best camera special prize from Kodak , VGIK “The Lighthouse” - Special mention Moscow’s Premiera FF, Award “ for debut” at ¨Golden Apricot¨, Grand-Prix Split IFF, First Prize Moscow Human Rights Fest Filmography: 2007 The Lighthouse, Feature, color, 78 min,35mm 2003 The Farewell, Feature, color, short 2000 The Game, Feature, color, short PRODUCER Victoria Lupik Filmography as producer: 2007 The Lighthouse, Feature, color, 78 min,35mm 2003 The Farewell, Feature, color, short Was born in 1983 in Moscow, Russia. In 2005 graduated VGIK (All state Russian Cinema University) producer’s faculty. Worked as a production manager, line and executive producer. Had a production experience in working in ex-Soviet Union countries and South-Caucasus region with Russian partners. Several previous films (Farewell, Lighthouse) were shot in Armenia. COMPANY ANNIKO Films was founded in 2009 by Viktoria Lupik and Maria Saakyan. Based in Yerevan, Armenia, the Company is interested in developing film industry in Southern Caucuses region. It is focusing on development and co-production of independent feature and documentary films that will appeal both to domestic and international audience.
CONTACTS ANNIKO Films Contacts: Victoria Lupik, Maria Saakyan Address: 2nd lane Fuchika str.5, Yerevan 0108, Armenia Tel. +7 926 575 14 51, +7 926 2241475 E-mail: vika.lupik@gmail.com, kinook@rambler.ru Web: www.annikofilms.am
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LIFECHAIR V8.0 Art Title — Lifechair V8.0 Genre — Ironic Parable Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — March, 2010 - July, 2010 Locations — Russia, Lithuania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, England, Italy, Asia Total Budget — € 420.000 Financiers/Partners — TBA
Confirmed Financing — € 42.000 Producer — Lopatin Ivan Directors — Volkova Irina, Drumova Elena, Mangeeva Ella, Vlasov Evgeniy, Cekuolyte Ramune, Vinokurova Elena, Gamisonia Shota, Andrianov Alexsey Photography — TBA Scriptwriter — Ekaterina Mavromatis, after Milorad Pavic novel “Paper Theater”
SYNOPSIS 1. An old armchair causes a quarrel between a husband and a wife, while they are moving. Three different scenarios in a row bring them to a car crash: the car runs into the tree and splits into two parts, which go on running along two dovetail roads. The armchair stays in the branches, where it is then found by a boy. 2. The boy and his girlfriend find out that the armchair swallows things when put on it. They decoy a tramp into the armchair to make sure that people disappear there too. The boy plans to punish his Mom for infidelity pushing her in the armchair, but during his parents’ quarrel he notices his Mom’s lover leaving the place with the boy’s girlfriend. He throws the armchair into the lake, where it is found by a young girl. 3. The girl always carries a cello case with her, though she never plays it. She has a feeling that she is pregnant, though people see she is not. At the moment she is supposed to deliver, she sits into the armchair, takes her cello and starts to play, disappearing with the music. 4. The class laughs, when two sock balls slip out of a schoolgirl’s décolleté. After classes girls leave somewhere. While following the girls the schoolboy appears at a wasteland, where he sees their teacher dressed like a Shaman sitting in the armchair. The girls demonstrate him their boobs for getting his approval or advice. The boy calls the police and, when the teacher is arrested, takes the Shaman’s place and disappears. 5. A grumbling old man and a quiet old woman take the armchair to a red brick castle. They have a plan to commit suicide here. The old man suddenly stops grumbling, says love words to the old woman and disappears. Next morning, policemen find the body of the old woman. 6. At night two burglars steal the armchair. One of them suddenly decides to drop burglary and come back to music. He puts down the armchair to sit into it and disappear. 7. A patient in Oyster costume is pushed into a psychotherapist office for her refusal to put it off. The girl says that lustful glances of men burn her skin through. The therapist suggests that she answer back, while he himself cannot resist his lust. The girl sees a new tattoo appearing on her skin. In the fight both fall into the armchair and disappear. 8. All the wedding guests are killed by a bride with a huge bazooka. Having sunk into the armchair, she changes, while the space around her gets curved and changed too. In this new world, she is empowered to rule the destinies. During her telltale dialogue with her former groom and best man, a Man with a Gripsack appears. He says that his tests of new Divine software system named “Lifechair V 8.0” prove success: it accelerates the spin of the samsara wheel and has people get rid of their fears and mistakes, shifting them to a higher level of existence without using an outdated physical death mechanism. The armchair comes back to Earth.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR All the directors graduated from the Postgraduate School of Scriptwriters and Film Directors, Moscow, and four of them are the members of The Russian Guild of Film Directors. PRODUCER Lopatin Ivan Filmography as producer: “Middle-aged Men Talks”, the set of 6 short films joined by one subject that is screened in “Kvartet-I” (“Квартет-И”) theatre production with the same title TV program ”Beware, Children!”, presentation films (“Norilskiy Nikel’”, “PIK”,” Heidelberg” and others) short feature films “Field, Clowns, Apple…”, “Reciprocity” and others (participants of Trieste Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Winelands Film Festival (Republic of South Africa), Bolzano Film Festival and others). Producer of the film company “Visota”. Professional training in Moscow Postgraduate School of Scriptwriters and Film Directors. COMPANY The film company “Visota” exists in the Russian market for more than two years already. During that time it has carried out various cinema and TV projects among which are: “Middle-aged Men Talks”, the set of 6 short films joined by one subject that is screened in “Kvartet-I” (“Квартет-И”) theatre production with the same title, TV program ”Beware, Children!”, presentation films (“Norilskiy Nikel’”, “PIK”,” Heidelberg” and others), short feature films “Field, Clowns, Apple…”, “Reciprocity” and others (participants of Trieste Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Winelands Film Festival (Republic of South Africa), Bolzano Film Festival and others). The producers of the company have gained professional training in Moscow Postgraduate School of Scriptwriters and Film Directors. Link to our projects - http://www.leevandia.ru/portfolio.php
CONTACTS «Kinokompaniya Visota» Contacts: Ivan Lopatin Address: Russia, 127081, Yasniy proezd 9, of.57 Tel. +7 (495) 99-88-609 E-mail: Lis.producer@gmail.com Web: www.leevandia.ru
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BUNTINGS Art Title — Buntings Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — October – December 2008 Locations — Komi, Nizhniy Novgorod, Ekaterinburg
Total Budget — € 1.400.000 Financiers/Partners — TBA Confirmed Financing — €1.000.000 Producer — Igor Mishin, Mary Nazari Director — Aleksey Fedorchenko Photography — Michail Krichman Scriptwriter — Denis Osokin
SYNOPSIS Present days. A man and his companion go on a journey to cremate the dead body of the former’s bellowed wife, on a riverbank in the area where they spent their honeymoon. This film is based on a short story by a young author from Kazan, Denis Osokin, who wrote the screenplay for this movie requiem that is the movie about love and death. The roots of its subject are derived from the ethnology of the Russian nation and its connection with the Meri, a small finno-ugric nation that was assimilated by Russians in 17th century. The cinematographer is Michail Krichnman, famous for his work on the movies – The Return (Vozvrashenie) and the Banishment (Izgnanir) by Andrey Zvyagintsev. COMPANY The film company was founded by TV and film producer Igor Mishin in Moscow, July, 2008. The aim of the company is the production of feature full-length films and TV movies. In 2008 the company made two TV movies: “The Best Grandmother” and “Unfinished Lesson” by order of Channel One where the famous Russian actresses Irina Mouravyova and Irina Kupchenko played. In the fall of 2008 April MIG Pictures started shooting “Buntings” feature film. The director of the film is Alexey Fedorchenko http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1922735/. The director of photography is Mikhail Krichman. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1319279/. The script by Denis Osokin. The shooting finished in spring of 2009 and the film is now in the post-production period. At present the company has five projects on different levels of production, the sequel of the Oscar winner “Moscow doesn’t believe in tears” (Mosfilm, 1979) is among them . In March of 2010 the distribution of the feature film under the working title “Photograph” is planned to happen. President and C.E.O. of the company - Igor Mishin. Creative producer - Mary Nazari
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR “Pervie Na Lune” ( First On the Moon) – Venice Horisons Documentary Award 2005 PRODUCER Igor Mishin Filmography 2008 “The Best Grandmother” where the famous Russian actresses Irina Mouravyova http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0613655/ and Irina Kupchenko http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0475425/ played. 2008 “Unfinished Lesson” 2008 2008 -2009 “Buntings” 2008 -2009 The director of the film is Aleksey Fedorchenko http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1922735/. The director of photography is Mikhail Krichman. http://www. imdb.com/name/nm1319279/. The screenplay by Denis Osokin. The picture editor is Sergey Ivanov who is famous in Russia as the editor of the majority of Alexander Sokurov filmshttp://www. imdb.com/name/nm0812546/ Mary Nazari co-producer Filmography 2005 – « Dnevnik Nasti» ( Nastya’s Dairy) 2007 – «Ludi Shpaka» ( TV series – writer) 2008 “The Best Grandmother” 2008 “Unfinished Lesson” 2008 2008 -2009 “Buntings” 2008 -2009
CONTACTS April MIG Pictures Contacts: Igor Mishin – president, CEO; Mary Nazary – creative producer Address: Moscow, Plotnikov Pereulok, 10 Tel.: +7 499 241 4348 E-mail: Mishin45@gmail.com
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CAFÉ DE LA RÉGENCE Art Title — Café de la Régence Genre — Drama. Thriller Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — October- November 2009 Locations — Moscow, Paris Total Budget — € 1.200.000
Financiers/Partners — TBA Confirmed Financing — € 240.000 Producer — Konstantin Serebryakov Director — Evgenia Tirdatova Photography — Dmitry Ermakov Scriptwriter — Evgenia Tirdatova
SYNOPSIS The story about the talented Russian chess player Sergey Velinsky started in Moscow in the late 1980s when fans of the chess game still gathered on parkway benches. Being the teenager, he played with grey-bearded men as equals. Twenty years passed. Sergey became the world famous chess player. He came to France to participate in the chess tournament. At the same time he started there searches of his friend who disappeared 17 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Various combinations are being built in his head. There is no only last link in the chain of events which can become tragedy or a farce... Searches of the friend became for Sergey the collision with a reality which he always avoided. The collision with the tragically, and, in many respects, unknown past of his own family which unexpectedly appeared to be connected with chess and in the history of which all complexities of an epoch - emigration, Stalin reprisals, war – were reflected. This past which put us in pre-war and post-war time (a plot develops in parallel in different times), is connected with the political life of two world chess capitals – Paris and Moscow. One of the main locations of the film which will help to re-build the broken link of times and generations is the famous Parisian cafe de la Regence, meeting place of chess players of all the world, intellectual elite of Paris and world and Russian emigration. COMPANY Magazine “Synopsis & Script” Producing Cinema production
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Member of the European Film Academy and the “Nika” National Academy and is a president of the “Kinoglaz”. Born in Moscow. Graduated from the State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in 1985. Worked at State Television and Radio, in the magazine “Soviet Screen”, was the editor-in-chief of the “Kino-Glaz” and “Audio Video Business” magazines. Was the program director of the “St. Anne” and other festivals. Since 1995 she is a member of the Selection Committee at the Moscow International Film Festival. Author of numerous articles and books on cinema. As producer she made shorts “Sanzhyra” and “Day Off”, features “The Kite”, “The Wedding Chest” (Russia-Kyrgyzstan-France-Germany) and “Season of Mists” (Russia-UK). Author of the scripts to the documentaries “Your Leaving Object Leonid Obolensky” (Grand Prix of the IFF in Nyon, Switzerland, 1991), “Farewell, Cannes” (2003) and features “Season of Mists” (2008, co-author) and “Zone of Turbulence” (2009). “Zone of Turbulence” is her directorial debut. PRODUCER Konstantin Serebryakov Filmography as Producer: Producer of the feature films “Yarik”, “Father’s Day”. Co-Producer of the pictures: “You just want to know…” “Midsummer Madness” “Daydreaming” Born in 1969 in Volgograd city. Studied in Leningrad State University, Physiological faculty. In 2008 finished Academy of National Economy by the Government of Russian Federation. Nowadays he’s working under full-length film “Internal Escape”
CONTACTS We Studio Contacts: Konstantin Serebryakov Address: Russia, 125008, Mikhalkovskaya street, 7/3, 125008, Moscow Tel.: +7 495-783-57-70 E-mail: wenous@mail.ru, we@nous.ru Web: www.nous.ru
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I WILL FIND HER Art Title — I will find her Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia, Germany, Italy Shooting Dates — Summer-Autumn 2010 Locations — Russia (Moscow, Belgorod, Toliatti); Germany (Berlin); Italy (Milan). Total Budget – 2 464 000 Financiers/Partners — Producer Center “Horosho Production” Co. Ltd., TVchannel NTV
Confirmed financing – 493 000 Producer — Natalia Ivanova Director — Sergey Ginzburg Photography — Ruslan Gerasimenkov R.G.C. Scriptwriter — Marina Sasina
SYNOPSIS The picture is based on facts. The documentary version of the picture was a great success with the Russian audience. The documentary film called “Roses for Signora Raisa” was awarded at many international festivals. This is the story of a man, who has been looking for his mother for more than thirty years and has found her for his believe never died. The lead character is an Italian Alex Mazzini. As a child he has been raised by his Italian grandmother. Just then he learned that his mother was a Russian. The Alex’s parents were an Italian prisoner of war, Michele, and a Russian woman Maria who had been relocated, against her will, to Germany from a village near Belgorod. They have met each other in Berlin at the close of WWII. Maria and Michele worked at a German military plant. In spite of the continuing war, starvation and language barrier the young people fell in love with each other. As the Soviet Army was carrying the Berlin by assault Maria gave birth to a son. The Victory Day was the happiest one in the lovers’ life: they were dreaming of their prompt departure to Italy where they wanted to marry… at last. But instead of this close happiness they had to stand a new proof: the allied victor countries have divided Berlin into zones of occupation. Michele remained in the American sector while Maria with child had to stay in the Soviet one. Michele succeeded in getting a permit to see her beloved one. During their short meeting they arranged about Maria’s escape to the American sector where stayed Michele and from where they three wanted to departure to Italy. Mrs. Anna Minchen, a Russian woman who emigrated with her parents to Germany in the 1920s and married to a German, whose house Maria and Michele have been lodging at, helped Maria to obtain the forged documents. So mother had child succeeded in entering the American sector. Several minutes before their departure to Italy Maria was arrested by an American patrol in order to be delivered to the Soviet occupation authorities. Michele tried to prevent the American soldiers from arresting Maria but was shot by an officer. The dying Michele implored Anna Minchen to remember his mother’s address and to send Alex to his grandmother. Anna succeeded in passing the boy to his father’s compatriots who were about to depart to Italy with that last echelon. The ex-POWs founded Michele’s mother in Italy and handed to her grandchild who had hardly survived a long trip to Italy. Alex’s grandmother thought that Maria had died in Berlin or at home. But Alex refused to believe in her mother’s death. He swore to find her. That was the set-up of the dramatic action of our picture. The main part of the plot consists of the story of Alex’s search for mother. After having covered this hard way the lead character of the picture came off victorious.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Sergey Ginzburg “The Bitch for the Champion”, 35 mm, 105 min, 2009 “However I Love…”, serial, 24 series, 2008 “To Fall Upwards”, 35 mm, 90 min, 2002
COMPANY The Producer Center «Horosho Production» Co. Ltd. specializing on manufacture and realization of movie, documentary, television films. A perspective direction of activity Producer Center «Horosho Production» Co. Ltd. to be an project «Agency Russian Script». Producer Center «Horosho Production» Co. Ltd. and The Ministry of Culture realize series of joint actions: «International Film Festival Limoges’ meeting with Russian Movie» in France (Limoges) joint with International cinema club «Francofon» and Federation of cinema-clubs of Russia. Every year competition script – screen version «Ex Libris», which to conduct in International Cinema Festival in Saint-Petersburg. PRODUCER Natalia Ivanova Filmography as producer: “One war”, director and co-producer V.Glagoleva, drama about unknown pages of history of the World War Second, 35 mm, 2009 “Woman wants to know”, director S.Muzichenko, co-producer A.Shipulina. 8 series (44 min), 2008 “Not Gonna Get Us”, director I.Shilovsky. A romantic youth thriller, 35mm, 2006. With support of The Ministry of Culture. “Contract”, director V.Glagoleva. A psychological drama with elements of a detective, 35 mm, 2005. With support of The Ministry of Culture. “The Plague”, directors S.Muzichenko and G.Krasnoborova. Video, 44 min., 2009 to order of the TV-channel VGTRK. “Commentary on the Past”, director G. Dolmatovskaya. 35 mm, 59 min, 2006. With support of The Ministry of Culture. “This Land’s Attraction”, director M. Cheluybskaya. Video, 26 min, 2006 “Always yours. Andrey Mironov “, director N.Ivanova. Video, 52 min, 2006 “Roses for Signora Raissa “, director A.Sarycheva. Video, 39 min, 2005 “The First Lady in the Land of Chinghizkhan”, director V. Balayan. Video, 39 min, 2005 “The Cradle of Civilization”, director A.Sarycheva. Video, 52 min, 2002
CONTACTS Producer Center “Horosho Production” Co. Ltd. Contacts: Natalia Ivanova Address: Russia, 123242 Moscow, Zoologicheskaya str., 22 Tel. +7 499 252 44 64 E-mail: natalia@horprod.ru Web: www.horprod.ru
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THE CHEERFUL BOWL! Art Title — The Cheerful Bowl! Genre — Comedy fantasy Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — 02.05.2006 — 22.06.06 Locations — Moscow Total Budget — € 1.230.000
Financiers/Partners — Russian Federation Ministry of Culture Confirmed Financing — € 571 000 Producer — Alexander Mayorov Director — Alexander Mayorov Photography — Philip Fedoroff Scriptwriter — Alexander Mayorov
SYNOPSIS This story happened in Moscow. Two patients of a luxurious mental hospital conceived a Game. One of them, Mister D, is a hypnotist with high paranormal abilities. He used to think he is God, but, having realized that he cannot change the world, Mister D built a “boutique” madhouse (actor Kakhi Kavsadze). And another, Franky, who is just as crazy, petite and adorable, gifted with endless energy and multiple talents, an actor with thousands of faces and an absolute loony (actor Vadim Demchog, the author and the executor “Frenky-show” on radio station Silver Rain). The purpose of the Game is to demonstrate the world its true essence, so that perhaps dear Lord will hurry up with the Second Coming! Mister D introduces himself as devil, engages people in to temptations and removes their masks. In the meantime Frank is carrying out virtual support by broadcasting on the radio. His emotional tragic comic monologue on analysis of the essence of the Devil will have the audience implement their souls and brains. The story of these two madwomen will be edited with the plot of the scrip they have written. It’s a comedy fantasy. The plot: Misha, 27 year old muscovite intellectual, finds an expensive wallet in the subway underground. There are few agreement letters in the wallet, they all state: “I, such and such, pawn my own soul for the services rendered to me … “ The agreements are signed with blood. Misha considers the agreement letters to be a horrible mistake and decides to return them to owners. But his sister Katharine and her boyfriend consider these agreements to be an excellent source of profit. Mister D shows up at Kathrin’s home, introduces himself as the Devil and demands his wallet because today is 30th of April, so-called Walpurgis night or a night of orgy of witches. Misted D needs to report there with all the paperwork. In the evening there is a premier in the Theatre - “Faust” Goethe. Mister D attends and interrupts the performance. Similarly to Bulgakovskov’s Voland, he arranges the representation and opens up to the world. He offers the audience an execution of all desires - money, authority, power, luxury - in exchange for their souls. There is a chaos in the Theatre – no one wants to sell out cheap! The comedy ends with the happy ending of course. All the characters receive what they want and depart for early May holidays to warm countries. The Devil departs to the orgy of witches, and Misha, on his way from the airport back to Moscow, gets an opportunity to help installing public billboards with The 10 Commandments of the Bible: - “You shall not murder. “, “ You shall not steal. “, “ You shall not commit adultery”… Only in an epilogue of film we come to realize, that Mister D is a patient of a mental hospital. And that he really is not a red hear, and that he doesn’t depart anywhere. In the airport bathroom Mister D washes off his devilish make-up, throws away his costume and rushes back to his madhouse. Life among people oppresses him, it’s easier to live in the hospital
Moscow Co-production Forum
Alexander Mayorov
DIRECTOR PRODUCER
1967 - Graduated from State University of Tbilisi, Georgia, philology and philosophy major 1977 - Graduated from LGITMK, Saint Petersburg School of Theatre, Music and Film, directing and producing major 1980 - Graduated from VGIK, Moscow School of Film, screenwriting and directing major. 1985-1995 : Teaching Directing Features and Directing Actors in VGIK (Moscow Film Academy) Winner of the Grand Prize on Russian Festival for Television. Prize for the Best Leading Actor First Russian Festival for Action Movies. Winner of the Prize for the Best Comedy on Film Festival in Moscow, 1984 Winner of the Prize for the Best Film on Film Festival in Sverdlovsk, 1985 Winner of the Special Prize in Tallin Film Festival, 1985 Winner of the Grand Prize for Short film on Moscow Film Festival, 1982 Winner of the Prize for the Best Comedy on Film Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia, 1983 Winner of the Prize for the Best Comedy on Film Festival in Kisheniov, Moldavia, 1983 Winner of the Prize for the Best Comedy on Film Festival in Tampere, Finland, 1984 Winner of the Prize for the Best Comedy on Film Festival in Gabrovo, Bolagy, 1984 Winner of the prize for the best Film on VGIK Film Festival, 1980 Winner of the prize for the best Comedy on Shot on Film Festival in Carlovy Vari, 1981 Filmography as producer: Run to The End of The World Writer, Director and Producer .
CONTACTS Ma-film Alexander Mayorov Address: Russia, 129515, Moscow, Ak. Koroliov’s street, 4/1, #594 Tel. +7-495-616-9103, +8-903-769-8012 E-mail: ikamar@mail.ru Web: www.salvador-d.ru
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RUSSIAN CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS CATALOGUE
TWO SIDES OF A KISS Art Title — Two Sides of a Kiss Genre — Sensual melodrama Country (s) — Russia, USA or Canada or Australia or Europe Shooting Dates — Fall 2009, Spring 2010 Locations — Moscow, New York or Canada or Australia or Europe Total Budget — € 2.100.000
Financiers/Partners — Private Equity Confirmed Financing — € 525.000 Producers — Eugenia Gladtskova, Olga Ogurtsova Director — Angelina Nik Photography — Open position Scriptwriter — Angelina Nik
SYNOPSIS Natasha is an American of Russian origin. She joins her husband, Scott, with their kid in Moscow where he’s been working for a few months now. Suspecting Scott of cheating on her she has a revengeful one-night stand that spins into a hot love affair with a young Russian photographer, Tim Jukoff, who gets in touch with her Russian soul and becomes the closest person Natasha has ever had. He translates the last letter of Natasha’s late mother addressed to her. And she discovers the she’s been living in lies all her life. Natasha learns the family secret at the highest point of her love affair with Tim. The discovery makes her re-consider the family values. Now that she has learned what it’s like to be happy, what it’s like to love and to be loved, she has to make the most difficult decision – she has to choose between the happiness of her child who loves both parents and wants them to stay together, and her personal happiness. DIRECTOR Angelina Nik has graduated from the School of Visual Arts (NY, USA), film major in 2001.
Filmography: 2001 – Short film ”Isosceles”, Scriptwriter and Director (WildCat Productions, New York, USA); Diploma for the best experimental film Maiami Film Festival, Florida, USA, 2001 Diploma Saint Anna Film Festival, Moscow, Russia, 2001 Member of informational screening during Russian KINOTAVR Filmfestival, Sochi, Russia, 2001 2002 – Short film “My Silent Love”, Scriptwriter and Director (Kinofort Production, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia); 2005 – Documentary “Flyover Country”, Scriptwriter, Director and Co-Producer (Attitude Films, Moscow, Russia).
Scripts: 2001 – Feature film «One Hundred Thirteenth Love», melodrama about Pushkin A. S., based on his Don Juan’ list 2002 – Short film “Let’s play hitchhike“ , psyhological drama based on Milan Kundera story 2005 – Feature film “Last Jew to Stay”, lyric comedy 2005 – Feature film “Snow Queen”, TV series, Central Partnership, Moscow, Russia 2007 – Feature film “Two sides of a kiss”, melodrama 2008 – Feature film “On the Count of Five”, mystical thriller 2009 – Feature film “Almost...”, dramedy 2009 – Feature film “The Last in Line”, romantic comedy
Moscow Co-production Forum PRODUCER Eugenia Gladtskova Education: 2004-2006 - All-Russia State Institute of Cinematography after S.A. Gerasimov - Producer 1992-1998 – Moscow State Linguistic Univercity - Specialist in Political Science (foreign languages English, Spanish, German) 1998-2000 – Moscow School of Social and Political Sciences, Political Philisophy Work Experience: 2006-now. – Film Producing Company “Gloria Film”, CEO, Producer; Feature Film Trassa M8/ Route M8 (2 million buget), Producer, release – Fall 2009 2001-2006 – Advertising agency «eladis» (specialization on Product Placement in Feature Films and Series), CEO; 2000-2001 – TV Sales-House «SmartMedia» (TV-Channels: NTV, ТNТ, NTV+), commercial department, sales-manager; 1997-1998 – PR-Agency “Publicity PR”, PR-manager. Olga Ogurtsova Education: 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Film and TV Production All-Russia State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) 1999 Certificate in English Proficiency King Street College (London) 1999 Bachelor’s Degree in Management Russian State University for Humanities Work Experience: 2009 Feature film “The Last Station” (UK-Germany-Russia), post – production, Budget : 14 000 000 Euros , Team of “The Andrei Konchalovsky Production Center” 2007 Feature Film “Gloss” (“Glyanets”) (Russia – France), release in Russia: August 2007 Budget: $2 500 000, box-office $ 4 684 165, Team of “The Andrei Konchalovsky Production Center” 2007 Feature Film “Moscow Chill” (“Moroz po Kozhe”), release: December 2007 Budget: $1 000 000, box-office $ 43 967 Team of “The Andrei Konchalovsky Production Center” COMPANY Gloria Film is Moscow and New York-based independent film production company, specializes in the development and production of high quality feature motion pictures for theatrical release and television. Gloria Film provides various services for international film companies in Russia and for Russian film companies in the United States. CONTACTS Gloria Film Contacts: Eugenia Gladtskova (Producer, CEO) Address: Russia, 127015, 14, Bolshaya Novodmitrovskaya str., Moscow Tel. +7 495 748 0126 E-mail: gladtskova@gloriafilm.ru Web: www.gloriafilm.ru
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RUSSIAN CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS CATALOGUE
FLIP OUT Art Title — Flip Out Genre — drama Country (s) — Russia, India Shooting Dates — Autumn 2009 – Summer 2010 Locations — Russia - Moscow, India - GOA Producers — Sergey Chliyants, Igor Mishin
Director — Pyotr Buslov Photography — Alexander Simonov Scriptwriter — Aleksey Shipenko, Pyotr Buslov Main Cas — Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Vladimir Mashkov, Igor Petrenko, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
SYNOPSIS India is a special cultural environment with a special hierarchy of values. Goa is a conglomerate of people running away from civilization and society with its laws and responsibilities. Drugs are a perfect means to forget about irresolvable things. Some go to Goa escaping from consumer society; some search for freedom and the other – for the answers to questions. Igor Valentinovich goes there to spend the last few months of his life in a pleasant climate, near his daughter whom he hasn’t devoted enough time for 16 previous years of her life. But Eva doesn’t about her father’s disease, she feels offended for her unhappy childhood spent far from home. And her every gesture demonstrates to him that she is not ready to put up with such an attitude. Enraged with his daughter’s behavior Igor Valentinovich, an oligarch by the way, puts her off his private plane on the first takeoff strip on the way, though on second thought he wants to take her back but it is too late since Eva has disappeared. While Igor Valentinovich is searching for Eva, she has time to understand what Goa is a place like. She gets acquainted with natives of all stripes and skin colors. Eva quickly joins the company of Russians who left the megapolises and became drug addicts. She finds the place to live and sleep there but unlike the others she doesn’t even dream about coming back as all her identity documents have been left with her father. Until she finally learns that her father lives nearby on the same Goa coast. Only now his name is Harry and he is “flipped out”… COMPANY Founded in 1998, Russian World Studios is one of the leading TV-content and film production companies in Russia, and the leader in the film production services market. By 2008, it had produced or serviced more than 400 television and film projects, both local and international. The studio has worked with some of the world’s largest international entertainment companies, including Sony Pictures Television International, Hallmark Entertainment, HBO Films, and Beacon Pictures. RWS continues to be the leading film production services provider in Russia. The studio facilities meet the highest international standards and offer a wide range of top quality film production services to meet the demands of the growing international market. One of the most rapidly growing companies in the industry, RWS continues to expand with the launch of two new film studios under its umbrella in St. Petersburg (late 2008). RWS plans to become a leader in in-house production as well. At the end of 2007 RWS joined JSFC “Sistema,” the largest diversified holding company in Russia. This new partnership has allowed RWS to focus on three main areas of growth: production, including the expansion and efficient use of the content library; studio facilities; and distribution of content across current and emerging media platforms.
April MIG Pictures Film Company The film company has been established in July 2008 for feature and TV films production.For 6 months of its work the company has shot two TV films “The Best Granny” and “The Prolonged lesson” and one feature film “The Buntings”.At the recent moment there are 4 projects in work. A theatrical release of a feature comedy “Photographer” is planned for the end of this year.
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Pyotr Buslov Korotkoe zamykanie (2009) Nasha Russia (2006) TV series Bimmer: Film vtoroy (2006) Bimmer (2003)
PRODUCER Sergey Chliyants Sergei Chliyants is the current Head of Feature Film for Russian World Studios, one of the leading film and television production companies in Russia, and is responsible for development, co-production and distribution within the film and distribution department. Chliyants joined RWS in 2009, when his production and distribution company became a division of RWS. Chliyants began his career at the Odessa Film Studio, and soon moved on to serve as Deputy Director and General Producer for Gorky Film Studio, during which time he orchestrated the studio’s move towards more cost-effective shooting practices. Following Gorky, Chliyants became Chief Executive Officer of Soiuzkino, an association of film producers, and in 2001, he co-founded and became General Producer of Pygmalion Productions. During his tenure at Pygmalion, which is active in the areas of feature and documentary films, television series, music videos and commercials, Chliyants produced many successful films, including Pyotr Buslov’s cult-hit crime dramas “The Bimmer” (2003) and “The Bimmer 2” (2005), an extraordinary Russian box office success; Kira Muratova’s con artist tale “The Tuner” (2004), which received three Nika Awards (Best Actress, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress); and Aleksandr Veledinsky’s stirring mystical drama “Alive” (2006), winner of the Nika for Best Screenplay and nominee in the category of Best Film. Igor Lvovcih Mishin Date and place of birth: April, 30th 1962, Sverdlovsk Education: Philosophy department at the Ural State University, subject – “sociologist”. Enters media business in 1991, when becomes a General Director of the “4th Channel”, the first nongovernmental television company in Ekaterinburg. 2005 – March 2007 – General Director of the “National Television Syndicate” co. September 2006 – 2007 General Director of the “Amedia” company Up to 2008 – President of the “4th Channel” media holding. In 2008 – becomes a co-founder, a general
director and a producer of “April Mig Pictures”; “Prolonged lesson” (in production); “The best granny” (in production); “Yellow buntings” (in production); “Photograph” (in development); “Moscow does not believe in tears” (in development)
CONTACTS Russian World Studios Contacts: Natalya Loskunina Address: St. Petersburg, General Khrulev str., 9А
Tel.: 8-916-853-35-87 E-mail: oskunina@rwstudio.com Web: Rwstudio.com
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CO-PRODUCTION PITCHING
Official selection
BREATHING Art Title — Dikhanie Genre — Drama Country (s) — Russia, Poland Shooting Dates — 25/03/2010 05/05/2010 Locations — Ladakh (Tibetan province in India) Total Budget — € 521.000
Financiers/Partners — TBA Confirmed Financing — TBA Producer — Ekaterina Kononenko Director — Ivan Vyrypaev Photography — Andrey Naydenov Scriptwriter — Ivan Vyrypaev
SYNOPSIS Anna is a Roman Catholic nun from Poland. She is thirty years old. Two strange things have happened to Anna since her childhood. The fist is that she has the same dream about a car accident in mountains where a young man was killed. The second thing is that Christ has appeared to Anna from her childhood and he shows her a right direction when she is in crucial points of her life. One of these points was when she took the veil. Another is that she came to Tibet in order to preach. In a small Tibetan village Anna began to perform a puppet show for children and to tell them, in Polish, about Christ by paper cut-outs. But adult Tibetans could not understand her language and then Anna began to teach them to breathe like she has done it from her childhood because it was her way to talk to Christ. Tibetan monks and Rinpoches began to come over Anna. Also, Anna found that a Roman Catholic monk used to preach around here thirty years ago but he died in accident on a mountain road. Michael and Christina, the couple from America, came once to one of Rinpoches as his followers. Michael fell in love with Anna. After an argument, the wife left Michael and Michael and Anna loved each other. Anna lost her monastic vow; it turned out that Anna was a pretty young lady. But Michael lost his courage and left Tibet without saying good-by to his beloved. Anna was taken bad and a famous Rinpoche who was a doctor began to treat her by Tibetan methods. Anna recovered later. Then a Russian woman with her son who was a schizophrenic came to the Tibetan doctor. The woman came to Rinpoche on advice by a local Buryat lama who said that only this Tibetan could help her 30-yearsold son. But the Rinpoche sent the woman to Anna and asked Anna to tell the man about Christ. Anna and the sick man began to breathe while looking at each other. And many revelations descended on Anna at that moment. The man became easier and the Russian family left. Anna went to make a confession to her confessor, a Roman Catholic Tibetan, who leaved in the only Catholic monastery in Tibet. The monastery was a six hours’ walk from the village where Anna lived. When she walked along the mountain road, a car outrun her; a driver proposed to give her a lift and then they met with the accident that she used to dream. And it became clear that she is the very same monk who died here thirty years ago. During her last confession Anna admitted to her confessor that she had never seen Christ and she just felt that she was him, and what helped her to feel it was BREATH.
Moscow Co-production Forum
DIRECTOR Ivan Vyrypaev wrote scripts for, and directed, the following feature films: 2009 – Oxygen 2009 – To Feel (Short Circuit project) 2006 – Euphoria “Triumph 2004” youth award winner “Hope of the Russian Drama”, an award named after Volodin, winner The second prize at the international festival of modern drama in Heidelberg (Germany) Grand Prix of “Contact”, the international festival held in Torun (Poland), for “Oxygen” performance “New Drama” festival, Moscow, award winner (for “Oxygen” performance) “Golden Mask” (Moscow), award winner (for “Oxygen” performance) Grand Prix of “New Drama” festival 2005, for “Being 2” performance A special diploma from “Kinotavr” festival jury (for “Euphoria”) A prize by independent youth jury of the 63th Venice International Film Festival “Golden Lionet” (for “Euphoria”) PRODUCER Ekaterina Kononenko Filmography as producer: 2009 – Oxygen
COMPANY New company
CONTACTS AddressFilm (Russia) Contacts: Maria Karmanovskaya Address: Russia, 115093, Moscow. B.Serpuhovskaya st. 44. of 19. Tel. +79265234264 e-mail: kislorod.movement@gmail.com
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RUSSIAN CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS CATALOGUE
BALLAD Art Title — Ballad Genre — Military Drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — June 2009 – February 2010 Locations — Kyrgyzstan, Moscow, Germany
Total Budget — € 1 000 000 Financiers/Partners — TBA Confirmed Financing — TBA Producer — Serguey Baranov Director — Alexandr Klimenko Photography — TBA Scriptwriter — Olga Zhukova
SYNOPSIS Ballad is about love which has arisen contrary to all circumstances. This film is about finding of common language and mutual understanding of the people who are on the different parties of front. At the end of the Second World War some persons have made runaway from a fascist concentration camp. Among them were young Soviet soldier Ivan, young German girl Julia and descended in camp from mind the Frenchman. The mad Frenchman has resulted soldiers on motorcycles with dogs. Ivan and Julya are surrounded. Ahead – steep breakage, below – snow-covered gorge. He dumps the girl in a precipice on snow, giving her chance to survive and he perishes from a bullet. Munich. Beer. Behind a little table – two old men drink beer. One of them shows old photos. From its story we understand that his father – Russian, and that it is Ivan’s son. He has recently buried mother (Julya). Now his son is 20 years and he is proud of the boy...and his son, Ivan’s copy, comes into a greeting. He welcomes the friends with the fascist salut... COMPANY International activities in education, culture and charity within the framework of UNESCO and UNISEF programmes
Moscow Co-production Forum DIRECTOR Alexandr Klimenko Feature films and TV series: (production director, production designer) “Detonator” film by Moscow Film Studio. “Green Planet” by US “KIDS” Studio and Rolan Bykov Centre; “Judas Iscariot” TV film by “Sun City” studio and “FRODI”, Germany. “Lotus Strike 4” feature film by “Rodalin production”; “Full Speed Ahead” (12-series) by Russian TV Channel RTR. “Five Steps on the Clouds” (4 series) by PROTEL for Russian TV Channel ORT. TV films based on novels by Russian contemporary writers and authors of the XIX century for Russian TV Channel “Kultura” (“Culture”) telecasts “War Wrote” based on verses of Russian poets who wrote at the time of World War II. documentaries about Russian writers and actors. head of the “Melody of the Verse” project embracing 60 films with participation theatre and cinema stars. PRODUCER Serguey Baranov Filmography as producer: Produced Russian and joint projects. cooperation with foreign filming and distribution companies, organization of film shooting in Russia Deputy Director of Joint Venture “Christmas Films” cartoon films studio, organisation of shooting “Shakespeare Stories” jointly with S4C Welsh channel) executive producer of full-length feature films and TV series: “Open Season 2”, “Gold of Ugrah”, “Sweepstakes”, “Lucky Swap”, “Me” , “Ideal Wife”, “White Steam Locomotive” et al.
CONTACTS Autonomous Non-commercial organisation “Launching and support of international national projects” Contacts: Maria Karmanovskaya Address: Russia, 109147, Moscow, 32/1, Taganskaya Street , Buildung 1 Tel. +7(495) 912 80 40 E-mail: interkultura@gmail.com, m_unesco@mail.ru
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RUSSIAN CO-PRODUCTION PROJECTS CATALOGUE
WAR OF MINDS Art Title — War of minds Genre — War drama Country (s) — Russia Shooting Dates — TBA Locations — Russia , Germany Total Budget — € 2.000.000 Financiers/Partners — TBA
Confirmed Financing — TBA Producers — Dmitriy Astrachan , Aleksander Vasilkov Director — TBA Photography — TBA Scriptwriter — Aleksander Volkov
SYNOPSIS Before World War 2 in German and in Soviet union roughly developed aircraft engineering. One of the most important direction was creating of new flying fighters. History of opposition between germans and russians aircraft designers is the basis of this screenplay. Technical potential of Germany was above during the premilitary period than at Russia and to Russian aircraft designers it was necessary to catch up, to reconstruct, search new design, technological decisions. In this competition the new scientific branch was created, also has allowed during the post-war period and in 70th years to create in Russia the most powerful rocket industry. In premilitary years in Russia and Germany tried to create the new flying fighter answering to problems of that period. In Germany Foke-Vulf, in Henkel, Messershmitt were engaged in it. In Russia there was a number of aviation design offices which simultaneously were engaged in bombers and fighters and there were enthusiasts who dreamt to create a modern flying fighter. Image of the Russian aircraft designer at us collective, but in it lines of Jakovlev, Polikarpov and many others are guessed. Film action is developed at correspondence competition of two designers of Villi Messershmitt and Nikitin. Messershmitt there was an aircraft designer and the owner of a large aviabuilding complex in premilitary Germany Nikitin began the aircraft design activity in a workshop. But both have been infected by one idea – to create the best, advanced fighter. This correspondence competition proceeded and during war. In a film also there is a lyrical line is Nikitin’s love and daughters Villi Messershmitta Elzy which developed in a current almost 15 years and was accompanied by every possible complications and accidents. Villi Messershmitt has with great difficulty received the order from the government on creation of a modern fighter, and to the beginning of war it had been created one of the best fighters of the Second World War – МЕ-109. In even more severe conditions Nikitin punched the project of a fighter in the Soviet government. With the big lateness to it all the same have allocated means for its creation, but war was already on a threshold of our country. Heavy evacuation of factories in east areas of the country and creation in these parts infrastructures for start in manufacture of a new fighter has begun. In Soviet Union there were few highly skilled aircraft designers and technologists. And Nikitin had to bring up, learn, create the creative collective literally from draftsmen and even workers. These people who have become further by high quality experts (aircraft designers, founders of engines, technologists, топливники) and in post-war years created arms for our country. Thanking their merits we and now we are one of the strongest world it is rocket-nuclear powers. In a film Nikitin’s personal tragedy, its self-denying feat which has allowed to create all the same by the war end a fighter on which our pilots could resist German ассам is shown. It was war of minds, characters, design ideas which Nikitin has not won, but was the worthy opponent. In modern Russia such specialities as the designer, the technologist, the engineer now have no special success. And after all without these specialities our country cannot continue to be one of the advanced technological countries, and will turn to a raw appendage.
Moscow Co-production Forum COMPANY The studio has been working since the beginning of 1987 – it was a first Moscow film small enterprise, then became an independent studio. Most recent film of the company: “Dark night ”, “Сlown” last coproduced project was “Clouds over a hill” with Japan television
CONTACTS Studio “Mavr” Contacts: Aleksander Vasilkov Address: Russia, 107045 Moscow , Kostianskiy per 13, office 309 Tel. 7 4956085602 E-mail: zolotoyvek1@yandex.ru
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BOOKS AND FILMS
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FILM RIGHTS MARKET Info-Navigator Literary and Film Rights Agency A+K Agency GmbH and Ex-Libris Literary Contest Present ten literary projects for cinema (television) adaptation. It is a widely known fact that about thirty percent of all films (and television productions) made in the world are based on literary works. It is also well-known that most successful films are adaptations of works of fiction. However, at present time in Russia publishing business and film industry exist in a comparative isolation from each other. Until now there has been no system establishing a steady and effective link between books and films. Following successful examples of our western colleagues - the International Frankfurt Book Fair, the Berlin Film Festival, Salon du Livre in Paris, The International London Book Fair, et al, we are happy to announce the first International Film Rights Market held in Russia within the framework of the Moscow Co-Production Forum. We hope that this Rights Market in Russia will be first to help promote literary and film projects not only within Russia but also in co-operation with our European partners. We should never forget that Russia has always played an important role in the development of the world culture and that contemporary Russian literary and cinematography should claim its place of honor in the European cultural space. Please enjoy and vote for the best project! Info-Navigator team Antonina Gall Art-Director
Partners:
Moscow Co-production Forum
ORGANIZERS Info-Navigator Agency This young but ambitious literary and film rights agency strives to build an effectively working system of information transfer between the film industry and publishing business. Its numerous directions of activities range from promoting prospective literary projects for film adaptation and scripts for novelization, through scouting to work under assignment on project development. The agency also deals in organization of seminars, rights markets and other events at international film festivals and forums, and takes part in various educational events. Since March 2009 Info-Navigator Agency has been working in partnership with A+K Agency GmbH.
A+K Agency Based in Frankfurt and Berlin, the full-service media company A+K Agency GmbH has been successfully working on the international film and literature market for almost a year. The Agency’s MDs, Alina Butuman and Anna-Katharina Gerson, can draw on long years of professional experience in the international book and film business. A+K Agency pursues three main directions of activities: international brokering of film scripts and representation of authors and filmmakers; organization of cross-media marketing platforms for film material, consultancy on all aspects of film rights and sponsorship acquisition; and acting as co-producer for selected film projects arranged by A+K Agency.
Ex-Libris Literary Contest The national Russian contest for the best script based on a literary work has been held for seven years and is drawing more and more attention to its activities. The main goal of the contest is to discover and promote new, talented script writers and authors from all over the country. The contest gives a chance to young talents from the most remote parts of the vast Russian territory to become known in the film industry thus enriching the Russian film production with new original ideas
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BOOKS AND FILMS
DEBUT
LITERARY QUEST
HOME Title — HOME Author — Oksana Butuzova Genre — Adventure/ mystic/ alternative reality Target audience — 16 + Year of publication — 2007 Translated into languages — none Number of pages — 511 Agent — Info-Navigator Film, TV and Literary rights Agency SYNOPSIS A nameless girl is walking along the road (curiously, the girl will never get a name – throughout the novel the author will skillfully lead her heroine through the twists and turns of the story without identifying her). She is going home and dreaming about it – how she will sit in a comfortable chair next to a warm stove, a cup of hot coffee and a fresh newspaper set on a low table beside her. But after a couple of minutes the reader gets a nagging feeling that something in the story doesn’t sound right – first of all the girl turns out to be completely naked, secondly she doesn’t know either her name or where she’s come from, thirdly on the way she encounters equally attired people who are also walking purposefully somewhere but don’t talk to her. Who is she? A Simms character who by the author’s whim can talk, think and feel? Or has she come from a Kafkaesque world of the absurd? This is for the reader to decide. Everyone understands the story his own way. Some mysterious “guards” lead the hungry and tired girl to the place of her future home – she has been allocated a one-square-meter plot in a huge wasteland territory. The guards give her instructions – she may not enter neighboring plots, but once a day she may walk to a far-away town for a small ration of food and try to find work there as she will need money to start construction of her home. To the reader this task seems entirely hopeless but the girl doesn’t wail or complain, or even question her fate – so the game starts. During her hardships, troubles, and adventures, the girl meets two men who later become her closest friends – together they survive the first winter, together they turn their first tiny shack constructed of cardboard boxes into a small but decent wooden hut, and continue enlarging it until by the end of the book it has been turned into a huge palace made of brick and stone. The three friends, along with other men and women who work on construction of their own homes alongside them, are given scores and bonuses for their efforts. It is silently understood among them that when their rate exceeds one million points they will be set free and the ghostly rules will no longer apply to their lives. This hope gives them energy to overcome most of the physical hardships of the first year and to stay together when life starts to tear them apart by various temptations and distractions. However, it would be too simple if the three characters, whom the reader gets to like so much, will happily reap the benefits of their material wealth. Characteristically of Oksana Butuziva’s prose the ending is completely unexpected and in many ways shocking – in a matter or minutes the whole world so carefully built by the heroes has been annihilated by the same mystical guards and the three dazed, despairing friends find themselves one the road once again – quite naked, as they had come into this world. Is this an allegory of the human life? Is it a parallel reality where an evil, incomprehensible power maneuvers its poor slaves and puts them to tests according to the whims of its perverted, twisted psyche? Or is it just a description of a computer game and the characters are no more than mechanical toys that obey commands of a playing child?
Moscow Co-production Forum
The beauty of the novel lies in its multiple layers, which the author skillfully unveils one by one. And the result has stunned the critics – the novel is so unique, so original and powerful in its simplicity that is received a very high acclaim from all Russian literary sources. AUTHOR Oksana Butuzova was born in Leningrad. She is biologist by profession and for many years has worked in St. Petersburg Botanical Garden. Oksana started her literary career in the late 1990 and now is the author of several novels, published by Amphora Publishers (St. Petersburg) and PROZAiK Books (Moscow).
Slogan What is home? A dream of every man is to have a home — a place where he will feel protected, loved and wanted. But what if it all part of an illusion, called life? Why is this book worth converting into a film? The novel is based on a highly original story which is quite universal in its essence. The topic is very contemporary and popular, especially in the times of a crisis. Also it does not require a high budget. I can compare the prospective film adaptation with… Butterfly effect, Run, Lola, Run! CONTACTS Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 art@booksandfilms.ru; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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HISTORICAL THRILLER
LITERARY PRIZES
THE SIEGE NOVEL. TO DREAM AND TO BELIEVE Title — THE SIEGE NOVEL. TO DREAM AND TO BELIEVE. Author — Andrei Turgenev Genre — Historical/ thriller Target audience — From 25 to 80 Year of publication — 2007 Translated into languages — Serbian, Bulgarian Number of pages — 383 pp Agent — Goumen & Smirnova Literary Agency c/o Info-Navigator Agency SYNOPSIS Written in the genre of historical thriller it captures Leningrad during the winter 1941, the hardest time of the siege which caught the citizens unprepared for its inhuman horrors. In the novel the Siege serves as a magnifying glass that reveals evil and good both in the society, and in each individual person. As authorities cut food rations, Moscow continues to increase the rate of arms production. Some of the citizens, trapped in the freezing, starving city, are willing to share their last piece of bread with their families and friends; others steal, murder or plunder the remains. Some tie themselves up to their machines to keep working; others abuse and torture suspects of non-existent anti-government, prosecute and shoot them on trumped-up charges. Maxim, a young NKVD officer, has been sent from Moscow to prepare and implement an ominous “Plan D” that involves mining the city’s major buildings and blowing them up in case of surrender. However, he has his own secret plans to carry on. But Maxim falls unexpectedly in love with Varenka, a young undergraduate, a sweet and endearingly naïve girl. Varenka waits for her fiancé’s return from the front, helps out her mother, neighbors and friends to survive the cold and the hunger—and dreams. In Varenka’s dreams, all the people she knows and loves are alive and happy: her brave, smart fiancé Arvil; her favorite teacher, and his intelligent, courteous, absentminded wife, the self-disciplined and kind doctor, Arvil’s father; and many others. With superb mastery, the author conjures an authentic and utterly convincing picture of Leningrad under the Siege, carefully delineating each character’s troubles, fears and joys. The reader sinks effortlessly and inexorably into the darkest corners of Maxim’s growing insanity, and is shocked to find a document of historical fiction turn into a macabre account of grim horror. The novel and the history it describes concur in offering a solution to this personal and social hell—to survive, one must dream and believe.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR Vyacheslav Kuritsyn (who wrote the novel under the pen-name Andrei Turgenev) was born in 1965 in Novosibirsk. He studied journalism in the Urals before taking a postgraduate degree at Moscow University. Well known as a literary and arts critic, Kuritsyn is also a member of the Russian PEN Club. He is the nationally acclaimed author of a number of books of prose and poetry, including the much-praised THE MONTH OF ARCACHON which was short-listed for the National Bestseller Prize in 2004. In 2005 Vyacheslav Kuritsyn was awarded the Andrei Belyi Literary Prize. Vyacheslav now lives in St Petersburg.
Special information This long-awaited new novel is both a well-informed historical chronicle and an astounding literary accomplishment—dark, tense, atmospheric, and shattering. Slogan War reveals human inner strength and weakness Why is this book worth converting into a film? In 2010 the world will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This is perfect opportunity to touch upon one of the most terrific episode of the war, which revealed for the evil and good in each human being to the maximum. Besides, the thrilling plot is so skillfully spectators from all over the world can easily identify with the main characters. CONTACTS Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 art@booksandfilms.ru; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA
VALEROCHKA Title — VALEROCHKA Author — Irina Denezhkina Genre — Coming of Age story/ Psychological drama Target audience — From 12 to 30 Year of publication — 2002 Translated into languages — Chatto (UK), Simon and Schuster (US), S. Fischer (Germany), Einaudi (Italy), Edition de l’Olivier (France), Forum (Sweden), Vassallucci (Holland), WSOY (Finland), Swiat Ksiazki Publishing House (Poland), Presvika (Lithuania), Gabo (Hungary), Ikar (Slovakia), dtv (Germany), Uniscorp (Bulgary), Curtea Veche (Romania), Pegasus (Estonia) Number of pages — 60 pages Agent — Goumen&Smirnova Literary Agency SYNOPSIS This is an honest and uncompromising story which gives the reader an insight into the life of a group of teenagers – a unique chance to get information about problems and principles of the “Pepsi-Generation” firsthand. The story has been translated into 20 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. A group of teenagers is going to a summer camp. Their instructor Lydia hopes that the children will occupy too much of her – she has her own plans for the summer. But the children are not easy to manage and control. They secretly smoke behind the dormitory building, sneak away to swim in a deep end of the forest lake and drink beer bought in a local store. Lydia hates and despises her wards but she is also scared of them – they seem evil, even dangerous to her, like mad dogs that cat bite at any time. The children come from different backgrounds and form a picturesque group. Olesia, the main heroine, not exactly a beauty but a pleasantly looking, rather plump bespectacled girl of 13, while on the train decides to see who else shares her resentment of this trip and first meets three boys. The boys shout obscenities on top of their voices, drink beer from cans and show her indecent gestures. In panic she flees back to her seat. The same night on the train she meets another boy, Valera, who is quiet, rather thin and wears glasses like herself. She is not much impressed but at the same time she feels some hidden strength in her new acquaintance. During the month in the camp many things happen – Valera starts courting Olesia’s friend and she feels the first pangs of jealousy, Ira, her roommate, who is by far the prettiest of the girls, has sex with one of the boys who abandons her the next day, Valera tries to protect one of the younger boys from a bully and is cruelly beaten. He keeps outwardly calm, never telling Lydia who is responsible for his bloody nose and black eye, but at the same time he is carefully planning his revenge. Lydia finds out that Valera is a son of a very influential person – she is alarmed, as she may be fired if the Valera’s parents find out that their son has been brutally abused. Valera spends less and less time at the camp territory and walks by himself in the woods. One day he meets the group of boys who have been bullying him. The next day a local policeman calls on Lydia with a complaint – several boys from the camp have been beaten to a pulp. They can’t say who has done it, but at the place a belt buckle has been found. Lydia recognizes Valera’s buckle, but doesn’t reveal his name to the police. The month is over and the children return home. Alive. They say good-buy to one another, unsure whether they would like to meet again.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR Irina Denezhkina published her first collection of stories on the internet when she was 20 and has since shot to international stardom. After a manuscript of this absolutely unknown provincial authoress was fished out from the Net and shortlisted for the most prestigious National Bestseller Prize, Irina fell into the focus of the overwhelming attention of the press. Irina Denezhkina was born in Yekaterinburg, a large industrial center in the Ural. She graduated from Yekaterinburg State University, with a major in Journalism. Irina Denezhkina lives in her native town Yekaterinburg, working part-time as a regional correspondent of leading magazines, writing her new book and raising her little son.
Special information Irina Denezhkina’s collection of short stories, “Give Me: Songs for Lovers” (2002) has been translated into 17 languages, published to much international acclaim. Why is this book worth converting into a film? This a honest story and an insight into the life of a group of teenagers – a unique chance to get information about problems and principles of the “Pepsi-Generation” first-hand. I can compare the prospective screen adaptation with… “La Boum”, “Fucking Omul”, “Kids” CONTACTS c/o Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 booksandfilms@yandex.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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BESTSELLING AUTHOR
HISTORICAL ADVENTURE
SERIES OF HISTORICAL ADVENTURE NOVELS SET IN ANCIENT RUSSIA
THE PAGAN
Title — series of historical adventure novels set in ancient russia THE PAGAN Author — ALEXANDER MAZIN Genre — Historical adventure novel with elements of SF and fantasy Target group — From 13 to 80 Published in — First edition – 2008, then every year Language — Russian Film rights belong to — Author Number of pages — About 400 Published by — Published by AST Publishers Agent — Info-Navigator Film, TV and Literary rights Agency SYNOPSIS Vladimir, an illegitimate son of Prince Svyatoslav, became a Prince of Novgorod but refused to pay tribute to his elder brother, the Kievan Prince Yaropolk. For disobedience he was expelled and thrown out of Novgorod by Luta, an artful Kievan military commander. However, the adventurous, ambitious young man received support from his Scandinavian neighbors (and relatives), the Swedish and Norwegian Vikings, and gathered a numerous army. His war motto was “we fight for the old Faith” and he was a passionate hater of the Christian religion, therefore many common people who were afraid that Russia would “lose its golden old ways” gathered under his banners. First of all Vladimir conquered back Novgorod and then started his victorious conquest of his brothers’ lands, robbing and killing his hostile brothers and their allies, and eliminating anyone who had been opposed to him before. His brother Yaropolk’s indecision, lack of initiative and naivety costs him first the great city of Kiev and then his own life. According to the old pagan tradition the murderer of the late prince inherits his throne, thus Vladimir became the Prince of Kiev himself. Such had been the beginning of a long, uneasy life path of the future great historical figure also known as Vladimir-the-Baptist. Life story of Prince Vladimir has been carefully reconstructed by the author from the existing historical documents while his character was “formed” by the author with the use of deep analysis of the historical environment, the Prince’s possible motives and other important psychological aspects. Alexander Mazin’s has gained himself a reputation of a real expert in the history of ancient Russian and in the novel has again proved it - the atmosphere of 10th Century Russia is skillfully described and perfectly believable.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR Alexander Mazin was born in 1959 in the Ukraine but since 1976 he has lived in St. Petersburg. A poet, dramatist, and prose writer, Mazin’s oeuvre contains everything from lyric poetry to song lyrics to scenarios to librettos to scripts for film and stage. Since 2000, Mazin has mainly focused on the genre of “historical fantasy,” which is currently enjoying a wide popularity. At present Mazin is occupied with the publication of a number of his upcoming novels as well as heading several promising publishing series, but his work as a novelist remains his upper-most priority. Cumulative print-run of Mazin’s books exceeds two million copies.
Special information THE PAGAN belongs to the series of historical adventure novels set in the ancient Russia and embraces the period of approximately fifty years - from the rule of Igor to the days of Vladimir the Red Sun. Each book in the series is a complete and finished story - by now the author has successfully published five novels. Slogan He was a bustard son, born in sin, despised by his noble brothers. He came to power under the pagan banners and fought against the Christian religion. He had his own brother murdered. He was responsible for prosecutions of early Christians, he destroyed hundreds of altars, he tortured and killed. But, not unlike the biblical Saul it was he who later converted into the “true faith”, it was he, who, after twenty years of paganism, baptized the ancient Russia “with sword and fire”. A controversial figure, a born leader, the one whose trace in history will never be obliterated. The Pagan Russia against the Christian Russia. The bloody border between the old and the new kingdoms. Reasons for filming this book The 10th century Russia was a time of legends, heroes and epic battles – an irresistible combination for a lover of adventure and history. In the novel the history of ancient Russia is combined with an original story of one of our greatest historical figures and this makes the project quite attractive for a film adaptation. Historical adventure with elements of thriller and fantasy is a very popular genre not only in Russia but all over the world. The text of the novel can be easily adapted into a script though there are, of course, several really big scale battle scenes. The text can be also turned into a TV-series with up to 40 series. There is enough extra material in the author’s archives. I can compare the prospective film adaptation with… The Gladiators, The Troi, recent Russian film - Taras Bulba CONTACTS Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 art@booksandfilms.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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BESTSELLING AUTHOR
POLITICAL THRILLER
THE OIL MIST Title — THE OIL MIST Author — VALERIY LARIN Genre — Political thriller Target group — 18 + Published in — 2008 Language — Russian Film rights belong to — author Number of pages — 350 Published by — EKSMO Publishers Agent — Info-Navigator Film, TV and Literary rights Agency SYNOPSIS The plot is set in one of the last stately-owned oil companies “Obneft” which is to be “privatized” (i.e. sold to private owners). Several mafia clans lead violent fights for this extremely profitable business. Human lives in these fights have no value. Oligarch #1 (The Oligarch), a master of the intricate, even “satanic” intrigue, realizes that without a really big bribe he will not win the tender and starts lavishing his prospective partners with promises. One of his most influential future partners is a tanker baron from Dallas. The Oligarch promises him the best morsel in the deal – the central oilfield of “Obneft”. To achieve his goals the Oligarch manipulates people while remaining in the shadow. One of the main characters, a rather naïve but brave and honest journalist becomes a pawn in the Oligarch’s manipulations. After using the partners’ money the Oligarch starts to successively cut them off from “the pie”. Instead of providing the Americans with high-quality oil he had promised, he starts supplying them with “low-calorie” oil by sabotaging the pipe. The sabotage operation has been delivered by Chechen militants. When the Americans discover the falsification at the Hamburg terminal’s laboratory, the hell breaks loose. Since the Journalist participated in the negotiations he suddenly finds himself the scapegoat. Besides now he is a dangerous witness and has to be eliminated. Three times a sniper tries to take his life, and finally manages to seriously wound him. He is left for dead. The Oligarch tries to make all his partners disappear. The second partner, an oil magnate from Baku, drops into the Karelian forests after his helicopter explodes. The third partner, a high rank politician and the head of a gas empire, is neutralized by blackmail and threats. The “pipe master” is murdered in the middle of Broadway. The oligarch becomes the sole owner of “Obneft”. He is given honors by his “family” and his perspectives are very optimistic. Meanwhile the journalist has healed his wounds and has written an article which he publishes in the New-York Times. Settling in New York he starts writing a story a about Russian business practices. We are presenting this story to you now. “The novel can be used as a practical manual by ever one who wants to start a business in Russia”.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR The author, according to his own words, is an artist by vocation and cyberneticist by profession. For several years he worked in a scientific-research laboratory but left it in 1990-ies. Later he changed many professions, worked as a journalist, a bodyguard, construction worker, and ski instructor. Later he tried to work in such “risky” areas of business as oil and heavy metal. As a result two books were published: “Bend your head down, mister Mayor!” and “The Oil girl”. Altogether larin is the author of ten books.
Slogan This novel proves that even during the dark days in Russian history – the days of the “great redistribution” of 1990-s which was characterized with extreme manifestations of greed, dirt and cruelty there was always a place for noble feelings and love. Reasons for filming this book The fast-pacing story combined with the popular “oil” topic and the not-so-gentle political hints have the potential of becoming a big blockbuster. I can compare the prospective film adaptation with… Code of Dishonor (Russia) Wall Street (USA) CONTACTS Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 booksandfilms@yandex.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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SOCIAL PROJECT
LITERARY PRIZES
CORRECTION CLASS Title — CORRECTION CLASS Author — KATERINA MURASHOVA Genre — Coming of age drama Target audience — 12 up Year of publication — 2008 Translated into languages — None Number of pages — 190 Audio-visual rights are controlled by — Info-Navigator Film, TV and Literary rights Agency SYNOPSIS Katerina Murashova has dared to raise the problem that so far has been rather carefully avoided in Russia. Each society, especially an economically unstable one, tends to shy away from its “sores and maims”, hide unpleasant facts from public view. Maybe this is why a dramatic story of a “Correction class” – nineteen handicapped children feels so touching, sincere and appealing. The author introduces a cast of picturesque characters – Anton, the unspoken class leader, has a rare nervous disease which unexpectedly throws him into fits of unguarded fury. He emerges from them without knowledge of what he had done, seeing only the devastating results of his unconscious actions. Anton is scared of himself and tries to run away when he feels a fit approaching. Yura, a UCP victim, has almost lost his ability to walk – most of the time he wheels himself around in a wheel chair. He is a newcomer to the class and first undergoes the usual taunting of the boys. He gets an unexpected ally and even a fan in a huge dumb-witted Pasha who appoints himself as his guard. Yura gradually becomes the brain and the soul of the company. In fact, Yura has a special hiding place – an imaginary country where he can run and jump and where he invited all his handicapped friends. These troubled adolescents are described by the author with such unmasked sympathy that all of them with no exception touch the readers heart - the huge, dumb-witted Pasha, the heavily retarded Mitya and his girl-friend Vitya who prostitutes when they are hard on money, Stesha, a beauty with a thick braid and languid eyes who has gone completely autistic after a terrible scene between her parents took place in her presence, and, of course, Anton and Yura. As the story unveils and Yura brings more friends into his secret land we realize that not everything is ideal there either – there is, for example, a sleeping princess in a castle who seems to be in grave danger. As it turns out in our world Stesha is in danger as a group of “new-Russian” boys from the same school have decided to kidnap and rape her. As the story rapidly sweeps to its dramatic culmination the two worlds mix into each other and the handicapped children join arms to oppose arrogant forces of rich spoiled kids. The princess is miraculously saved but for some children this fight is going to be the last one. A wonderful, sincere and touching story.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR The author works as a family psychologist with both adults and children. For several years she took part in the program “Medecins sans Frontiers” and worked with “troubled” families and adolescents. Katerina is also a biologist and for several years worked in St. Petersburg Zoo and the Shapito Circus.
Special information The book received several prestigious literary prizes. Slogan One day each of us has to choose the world where he will live and fight. Why is this book worth converting into a film? The author in her work touched upon an almost forbidden topic – retarded, handicapped and otherwise “different” children are not the “hottest” subject in Russia now. Besides, the story is very cinematographic, the characters – very picturesque, the dialogues – lively and full of humor. I can compare the prospective film adaptation with… The Sandpit Generals, The Kids Russian films – The Schkid Republic, Pedagogical Poem CONTACTS c/o Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 booksandfilms@yandex.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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CHILDREN LITERATURE
ANIMATION
THE ASSEMBLED GHOST TEAM Title — THE ASSEMBLED GHOST TEAM Author — ELENA USACHEVA Genre — FANTASY/ ADVENTURES/ HUMOROUS HORROR Target group — Children 10-16 Published in — 2005 Language — Russian Film rights belong to — The author Number of pages — 128 Published by — EKSMO Publishers Agent — Info-Navigator Film, TV and Literary rights Agency SYNOPSIS Once upon a time there lived an Assembled Team of Ghosts and Spirits. They lived on the thirteenth floor in a house number 13. They had green eyes, bloody-red hands, a wooden leg, an assortment of black sheets – all the required stuff. They moaned and groaned at night and liked to scare people but basically were quite harmless. Until an old woman who lived on the same floor sent her grandson Tarasik to a summer camp and the ghosts decided to follow him and have some fun with children. As a result instead of doing their customary routine scare attacks on newcomers and regulars of the camp the Team was compelled to run from young hunters, who decided to catch the ghosts and make them work for their own purposes. Tarasik, Vovka, Kolka and Katya first wanted to catch the ghosts with a big aluminum pan. Then Katya accidentally got a charmed bracelet that has slipped from a spirit’s wrist. Meanwhile the Assembled Ghosts made heroic attempts to scare and scatter the fearless children, but without success. They tried almost any known trick, but neither terrible nightmares, nor curses or charms affected the youngsters in the least. In the end the Assembled Ghost Team leaves the camp tired, beaten and depressed. They make a firm decision never again to meddle with children an to switch exclusively to adults.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR Elena Usacheva has written and published more than twenty books. They were written the genres of children fantasy, love stories and adventure stories. Her play “Crystal Shoe” was nominated to a prestigious literary prize as the best play for children in 2008. Elena works and lives in Moscow
Special info This project is ideal for animation Slogan No ghost can resist the collective force of Russian teenagers Reasons for filming this book A funny, dynamic and interesting story, a real catch for animation. By making fun of ghosts and spirits we help our children to deal with their own fears and to see the world around them with a new eye. Such film, by drawing the ghosts to make them either scary of funny, may cause a therapeutic effect on children. They may realize that even a grave problem can be overcome with the help of friends I can compare the prospective screen adaptation with… The Canterville Ghost Star Dust The Ransom of Red Chief Spirited Away CONTACTS Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 booksandfilms@yandex.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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BOOKS AND FILMS
WINNER OF THE EX-LIBRIS LITERARY PRIZE FOR A BEST FILM ADAPTATION OF A LITERARY WORK
THE RED FLOWER Title — THE RED FLOWER Author — Julia KLIMOK Genre — Script - Social/psychological Drama Target group — 30 + Film rights belong to — Author Number of pages — 69 Published by — Manuscript Agent — Ex-Libris Literary Conquest SYNOPSIS Pavel was brought up by his father as his mother left them when he was very young. However, Pavel has grown up into a handsome young university student. One day after classes Pavel accidentally meets a very beautiful and extravagantly dressed young girl, Masha, and her cousin Tima. Pavel falls in love with Masha and starts seeing her. Her notices black spots on her arms and body and feels sorry for her. He proposes but Masha has other things on her mind. She dares Pavel to go and fight in Chechnja. Pavel volunteers to the army and asks to be sent to a “hot spot” hoping that Masha will join him there. In Chechnja Pavel is badly wounded and left for dead. He spends four days half-conscious without food or water and later he is taken hostage by the Chechens. After the war Pavel, having had one foot amputated, goes to see Masha but finds out that Masha has married Tima. Pavel is quite distressed - he doesn’t know what to do with his life. He begins to understand that he has become different, alien, that he will never be able to find a place in life without war. He wants to go back to Chechnja. Volodja – Pavel’s friend, who once dragged him away him from the battlefield, has gone mad. In a fit of madness he tried to kill his neighbor with a kitchen knife. Volodja has been hospitalized – he is in a psychiatric clinic, where he imagines himself the Savior of the Mankind, the Evil Fighter. The idea of Evil in Volodja’s sick mind is personified in a beautiful red poppy that blooms in the hospital’s inner garden. Pavel is trying to get his friend away from the clinic but Volodja has other plans – he is hunting three Evil red flowers. After crushing the third flower Volodja dies of a heart attack. After that there is no Volodja – just Pavel and the reader finally starts to realize that Volodja has never existed – it was only Pavel’s sick mind playing tricks on him. The war and tortures that he was subjected to while in captivity have ruined his mind completely. The clinic is also filled with interesting, quite cinematographic characters – both patients and doctors. The dialogues are well-balanced and skillfully crafted, the plot quite strong and well-done.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR The author was born in Samarskaya Oblast on 23.02.1972. Graduated from Samara University of Economics and for several years worked as chief accountant. In 2007 entered the Stated University of Cinematography, department of script writing, work-shop headed by V. I. Romanov.
Special info The script is a compilation of short stories and events taken from the biography of Vsevolod Garshin, a well-known Russian writer – an extrapolation of the XIX century realities into the present time. Slogan We are not able to perceive which of us will be cast out of this life before his time. But all of us want the same – be loved, to be needed, and to be wanted. Reasons for filming this book The author has taken several works by a Russian Classic Vsevolod Garshin, combined them with episodes of the writer’s biography and extrapolated them into contemporary time. It seems that nothing has changed since the old days - people are still governed by the same passions, those who are different from the crowds are still isolated, still bound to a life of solitude… War veterans, maimed both in body and in mind, can’t tell the difference between good and evil, but even within the walls of a psychiatric clinic a silent, passive war in going on. I can compare the prospective screen adaptation with… One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Fight Club, Jacob’s Ladder Russian films - Alive CONTACTS Ex-Libriz Literary Conquest Tel: (499) 252-44-64, Fax: (499) 252-40-13 info@horprod.ru
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INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
PRIZE-WINNING DRAMA
THE BURNT-OUT TOWN OF MIRACLES (HOGGERNE) Title — THE BURNT-OUT TOWN OF MIRACLES (HOGGERNE) Author — ROY JACOBSEN Genre — Drama, war story Target audience — Young Adults, Adults Year of publicationм — 2006 Translated into languages — English, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Polish, Dutch Number of pages — 200 Audio-visual rights are controlled by — A + K Agency SYNOPSIS It’s a 40-below winter in the Finnish town of Suomussalmi in 1939 and the Russians are coming. The inhabitants are fleeing but village woodcutter Timo sets up home in an abandoned house and calmly waits for the enemy to arrive. In this story of a simple man’s tale of survival, set against a real-life victory for the Finns at the start of the war, Timo is sent to the Russian camp in Suomussalmi and thrown together with a handful of emaciated Russian peasants. Timo’s own struggle for survival becomes a voyage of enlightenment as he takes Russian peasants under his wing. The man once treated as the village fool is worshipped by these men as their saviour. This beautifully written story from one of Norway’s top authors tells a tale of hope for humanity amid violence and chaos.... The novel is a study of self-discipline, self-respect and teamwork as the last safeguard against annihilation – whether it is the Winter War or not. The same basic human drama might be enacted at disasters such as inter-tribal warfare or starvation in Africa today
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR Roy Jacobsen (1954–) is one of the most celebrated and influential contemporary writers in Norway, with his four collections of short stories, ten novels, a biography and a children’s book. From his sensational début in 1982, with the collection of short stories Fangeliv (Prison Life), he has developed into an original, intense and analytical author with a special interest in the underlying psychological interplay in human relationships. Jacobsen is familiar with people from different backgrounds and connections. His wife is Russian. He has learned from experience about the working life in the small, local communities in Northern Norway, as well as the academic and therapeutic milieu in Oslo. He has been nominated for the Nordic Council’s Literary Prize twice.
Special information Roy Jacobsen has been short-listed for the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2009 for The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles. Roy Jacobsen wrote the script for the international production “Valhala Rising” (European cinema start in June 2009) directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher Trilogy) with Mads Mikkelsen in the leading role. Slogan How the village idiot became a hero in war time Why is this book worth converting into a film? Exemplary story, strong main character I can compare the prospective screen adaptation with… All kind of stories where human being has to face disaster, war, existential drama The Pianist by Roman Polanski Forest Gump CONTACTS c/o Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 booksandfilms@yandex.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
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BOOKS AND FILMS
LITERARY DEBUT
COMING-OF-AGE LOVE STORY
ICE CREAM LOVER Title — ICE CREAM LOVER (DIE GELIEBTE DES GELATIERE) Author — DANIEL ZAHNO Genre — Coming of age, love story and life story Target audience — Young adults and adults Year of publication — 2009 Translated into languages — German, English sample translation available Number of pages — 194 pages Audio-visual rights are controlled by — A + K Agency SYNOPSIS Synopsis Daniel Zahno’s first novel narrates a big love story between Venice and the Niagara falls. Since his early childhood, Alvise is fascinated by ice cream. With Noemi, his first love, he licks vanilla ice cream, as a pupil he helps out in a Gelateria. When getting older, after some tournarounds in his young life, he becomes a Gelatiere himself. And a very successful one. But for all that, Alvise isn’t happy at all. After a big crisis he comes to the decision to search for his erstwhile big love: Noemi, who disappeared long ago. Will he find her? And if he does – can the old familiarity be restored? Is it possible to turn back the clock? The Gelatiere’s Lover is a novel about desire, dreaming and the search for the ‘right’ way of life. And about the fact that every life has its individual magic. Daniel Zahno narrates in a language which is as airy and light as a Gelato.
Moscow Co-production Forum AUTHOR Daniel Zahno born in 1963, lives in Basel. For his first book, Doktor Turban (1996), he got the Tübinger Poetik prize and the Clemens-Brentano prize. Daniel Zahno has been a fellow at the International Writers Colony Ledig House, New York and the Istituto Svizzero in Venice, he wrote his first novel, Die Geliebte des Gelatiere.
Special information Germanys most renown TV-show literary critic, Denis Scheck, denominated “The Gelatiere” as : THE book of this summer Slogan Icecream – the key to love, sex and hapiness Why is this book worth converting into a film? After „Chocolat“ it’s time to see a film about “Icecream” I can compare the prospective screen adaptation with… Cinema Paradiso Chocolate CONTACTS c/o Info-Navigator Agency Kubinskaya Str. 87, 196240, St. Petersburg +7 921 318 88 75 booksandfilms@yandex.ru ; antonina.gall@rambler.ru
Art director: Stepan Lukiyanov design by Natalia Shendrik Cine Fantom, 2009