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Russian Film Festival is launched online on Youku

From the 10th to 31st July, Chinese audiences will be able to view Russian films for free.

Genres will include fantasy, adventure, sports dramas and classics from the Soviet era.

The Russian Film Festival in China is organized by ROSKINO with the support of the

Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation on the Youku platform (part of the

Alibaba Group).This is the fourth time that the Russian Film Festival is taking place in China. In 2021, the

showings were held within the framework of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF).

Last year, the festival was held online. In the three weeks more than five million people

watched the presented films. This set a new record for the Russian Film festival.

2023 will be one of the most thrilling years in the history of the Russian-Chinese

cinematography cooperation. In April, Russian films were shown both offline and online as

part of the Russian Film Festival and on the iQIYI platform as part of the Beijing

International Film Festival. Now, it is the online service of Youku that will host the films.

From August to September, the Russian Film Festival will take place in three Chinese cities:

Beijing, Suzhou and Heihe. Moreover, the days of Chinese cinema are to be held in Russia.
In July, Russian Film Festival on Youku will present a selection from the host’s catalog of

Russian films. The emphasis is placed on the popular genres in China such as sci-fi, sports

and space. The Chinese audiences will have a chance to see a romantic fantasy “Dragon” (in

2016 this film was released in China and gathered eight million dollars in just four days); the

first Russian graphic novel-based film “Guardians”, the highest-grossing Russian film

abroad of 2017; a fantastical military drama “Frontier” and a drama about extraterrestrial

beings “Attraction”. A film based on real events about a difficult flight - “Salyut 7” - will

create an emotional attachment with the flight crew and relive that incredible rescue mission

with the cosmonauts.

In 2022, the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation and the General Administration of

Sport in China agreed to collaborate on joint ventures in sports and fitness in 2022-2023. As

part of this initiative, the program includes the Russian sports drama film “Three seconds”.

Within the Russian Film Festival, the film “The Crew”, based on a catastrophe will be

presented. The plot of the picture may be familiar to the Chinese audiences through the 1979

Soviet era film of the same name, which at this point is a classic. This new interpretation of

the film, “The Crew”, however is remastered with the modern-day technology and with new

plot points in the script.

The classics of the Soviet cinematography is held in high regard by the Chinese audiences.

Russian Film Festival thus gives an opportunity to delve into that era with the 1958, “And

Quiet Flows the Don”, the film based on Mikhail Sholohov’s book of the same title, noted

by the Nobel Prize.

The festival of Russian films will also include a historical drama “Viking”. A fantastical

comedy “The Cop Baby”, about a police officer, whose soul got into the body of a child

after he failed a mission; and a drama “The Battle”, about a dancer who lost his hearing.

The Russian Film Festival Program in China

- “Dragon” (producer: Indar Djendubaev, 2015) - A fantasy drama by Indar Djendubaev. In

the middle of the wedding of Princess Mirolaslava, she is abducted by a dragon. The beast

takes her to his castle on an island. Her relatives and husband are left in the past life. Her

present is a jail made of stone accompanied by beautiful Arman. But who is he, and how did

he end up on the island? Mira will be late to realize that her love for him, the dragon-man,

will unveil the bitter truth. Love is terrifying.

- “Guardians” (producer Sarik Andreasian, 2017) - A Russian fantasy action film, which

tells a tale about a team of Soviet Superheroes. During the Cold War era, the secret

organization “Patriot” created a team of superheroes, members of which hailed from various

Soviet republics. For many years, the heroes had to conceal their true nature, however in

times of trouble and peril, they return to do what they do best.

- “Frontier” (producer Dmitri Turin, 2017) - A fantastical adventure film. Mikhail has it all,

except for love, and that eats at him. But then, he meets HER, and everything which he

achieved in his life, crumbles to dust. Not all have the blessing of love… In order to attain the

right to love, Mikhail gets the ability to travel through time, to where there are no credit cards

or gadgets, where millions are dying, where cities lie in ruin. Now, in order to maintain his sanity and remain in the present, he will have to accept the rules of this dangerous, existential

quest.

- “The Crew” (producer Nikolai Lebedev, 2016) – A film about a catastrophe. It is

considered to be a remake on the 1979 Soviet film of the same name. A talented young pilot,

Aleksei Gushin does not accept authority. His mentor is the commander of the aircraft,

Leonid Zinchenko, he is harsh and principled. His colleague, the second pilot, is gorgeous

Aleksandra. The relationship is not a simple one. But when it is a matter of life or death,

when the ground falls from beneath them, when they are surrounded by flames and ash, and

the only safe place is in the skies above, Gushin demonstrates exactly what he is made of.

Only as a team, can they save themselves and hundreds of people whose lives depend on

them.

- “Three seconds” (producer Anton Megerdichev, 2017) - A highly successful sports drama.

The film is based on real events and tells the story of the Soviet basketball team, which

defeated its rival, the USA, in the final match in the 1972 Olympics, in Munich. The first ever

victory of the Russian basketball players in the Olympic games. This film was the highest

grossing Russian film in China, grossing more than thirteen million dollars; more than two

and a half million people watched this film.

- “Salyut 7” (producer Klim Shipenko, 2017) - A film about the most difficult flight in the

history of space. The film is based on real events, which occurred in 1985 The orbital station

“Salyut 7”, which was located in orbit and was operated remotely, suddenly stops responding

to the directives issued by mission control. A decision is made to send a team to the station

for a rescue mission. The cosmonauts understand that this could be a one-way ticket. But this

is the only way. The rescue mission soon becomes a test of resolve and will. “Salyut 7” was

released in China in January of 2018, and grossed almost two and a half million dollars in the

just the first week.

- “And Quiet Flows the Don” (producer Sergey Gerasimov, 1957) - An epic drama based on

the book by Mikhail Sholohov. A timeless classic, noted by the Nobel Prize and considered

one of the brightest creations of world literature. It tells a story of tragedy in Russia at the

beginning of the 20th century. A film about the lives of people ruined by the First World War

and the October Revolution, and about the crumbling principles and life of the Don Cossacks.

A story about the personal tragedy of the main character, Grigory Melehov.

- “Attraction” (producer Feodor Bondarchuk, 2017) - A fantastical film, portraying the first

contact of earthlings with extraterrestrial life. This is the first project about an alien invasion

of Earth in the modern Russian cinema history. A huge story about how life of humanity

changed after a UFO crashes in Moscow. “Attraction” is an epic action with stunningly

realistic CGI effects.

- “Viking” (producer Andrei Kravchuk, 2016) - A historical drama in the vein of “Game of

Thrones”. It is about the ascension to power of Prince Vladimir in Russia in the 10 th century.

The film is based on the “Tales of Bygone Years”. The story is set in the early middle ages,

during the times of swords and dark, bloody rules. The rulers are divided. The blame for the

accidental death of his brother fell upon the Great Prince, and the younger brother, the

bastard, must revenge. If he refuses, it may cost him everything he ever had. “Peace requires

more swords than any war”.- “The Battle” (producer Anar Abassov, 2019) - A drama about the love for music. A street

dancer Anton’s career skyrockets, his team defeats all the competition, he is a respected

choreographer, and his future and dancing, are one and the same. However, one accident

ruins all his plans - Anton loses his ability to hear, together with all his hopes and dreams.

Surrounded by an alien silence, Anton starts to realize that this is not the end. His passion for

dance, an iron will and love for life shine a new path to his dreams. His main battle is still

ahead of him.

- “The Cop Baby” (producer Aleksandr Andrushenko, 2017) - A comedy about an

experienced policeman, Major Hromov. A botched special operation in Hromov’s conscience

ends up being transferred into the body of a child. A curse of a fortuneteller is the cause. For

the first time in the history of cinema, the main character, a toddler, is created entirely with

CGI. The head supervisor of the VFX of the film was Sergei Nevshupov, who previously

worked with Peter Jackson’s Weta Digital. Amongst his projects are blockbusters like: “The

Lord of the Rings”, “Avatar”, “King Kong”, and many more.