The Third Moscow International Film Week, which took place in Moscow from August 24 to 30, has concluded, attracting more than 720,000 visitors. One of the notable areas of the international program was the development of cooperation with the Middle East: representatives of Saudi Arabia’s film industry discussed joint projects, support measures for foreign film producers and the opportunities offered by the Moscow film cluster for international productions with their Russian counterparts.
“This year, Moscow International Film Week attracted more than 720,000 visitors, while around 200 industry representatives from 26 countries took part in the business program. Russian and international experts discussed joint projects, and cooperation agreements were signed with the Producers Guild of India and the League of Filmmakers of Kazakhstan,” said Alexey Fursin, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Moscow Department of Culture.
During the session “Moscow — Saudi Arabia: A Film Bridge to the Middle East” at the Third Moscow International Film Week, speakers from Saudi Arabia said they saw significant prospects for cooperation with Russian partners and spoke about government support measures available to film producers. Rasha E. Al-Emam, Founder and CEO of Yellow Camel Studios, said that Saudi Arabia offers foreign film producers a 60% rebate on expenses incurred in the country, provided they partner with a local company. She said she was impressed by her visit to the Moscow film cluster’s venues, calling them amazing and emphasizing that the best thing about them is the opportunity to start filming immediately once ways of cooperation with Russia are found. “We are practical people, but we want to do this. So we will definitely find them,” she stressed.
Nadezhda Ter-Sargsyan, General Producer at the computer graphics and visual effects studio Trehmer CG, shared a successful case of working with representatives of the Saudi Arabian film industry. The company aims not only to enter the region as a vendor, but also to create jobs there. According to Firas Dehni, the advantages of cooperation with a Russian company for local producers include lower costs compared with Western contractors, as well as the convenient geographical location of the countries.
Moscow International Film Week also hosted the Russian premiere of Rupert Wyatt’s historical blockbuster Desert Warrior, starring Anthony Mackie, Ben Kingsley and Aiysha Hart. The screening was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. Guests of the special screening included representatives of the diplomatic corps of Arab states — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Kuwait, Mauritania, Oman and Palestine — as well as the Mission of the League of Arab States.
The international program also featured Christopher Lambert and Mithun Chakraborty. During his meeting with the audience, Lambert praised the capabilities of the Moskino complex and spoke about working with a Russian film crew on Sobibor. Chakraborty noted the emotionality and sincerity of Russian audiences. According to him, it was during his first visit to Russia that he realized the scale of his popularity and the affection of his fans.
Over the seven days of Moscow International Film Week, more than 210 events were held for residents and visitors of the city. The children’s program took place in seven city parks. Films were also screened in the open air. For the second year in a row, the Cinema Truck — a mobile cinema with a large screen — traveled around Moscow. Thanks to its technical equipment, screenings could be held not only in the evening but also during the day. The screenings attracted more than 3,000 viewers in parks, estates and at the venues of the Moscow film cluster.
Moscow International Film Week is organized by the Moscow Department of Culture and ANO Moskino. The event is held as part of the Moscow — City of Cinema project, which aims to create and develop a multifunctional ecosystem for the production of films, series and television projects.
