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content report content report ccontent report
:C C ONTENTRREPORT EPORT CIS C ONTENT C Review of новостей audiovisual content production and distribution аудиовизуального in the CIS countries конт Обзор рынка производства и дистрибуции № 1(9) 13 января, 2011 №11 February №2 1 April, 22, 2013 2012 РЕСУРСЫ М ЕНЕДЖМЕНТ»» Media Resources Management « М ЕДИА слово редакции DEAR COLLEAGUES КИ Н О ТЕ АТР АЛ Ь Н Ы Й TV MARKETS Р ЫН О К В УКР АИ Н Е : Ц ИIN Ф Р TAJIKISTAN, О В И З АЦ И Я КА К О СН О В Н О Й ТР ЕAND НД UZBEKISTAN, (25) Р АЗ В И ТИ Я (22) KAZAKHSTAN интервью номера INTERVIEW сергей каратаев : «на данный момент еще остаются ALEXEY нераспроданные фильмы, FEDORCHENKO: “WE которые были созданы до кризиса» CAN’T EARN A(31) LOT ON THE FESTIVAL FILMS, BUT I DON’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ELSE” СОДЕРЖАНИЕ (24) ПР ОИ З В ОД СТВ О : (2) СЕ Р И АЛ (2) ТЕ Л Е Ф И Л Ь М (7) ТЕ Л Е Ш ОУ (10) CONTENTS АНИМАЦИЯ (12) ДОКУ МЕ НТАЛЬ НЫ Й ПР ОЕ КТ (13) К И Н ОФ И Л Ь М (14) Production: (2) Д И СТР И Б УЦ И Я (15) Series (2) КАД Р TV Ы (20) movies (6) TV (7) Т Е Л Е ПО Кshows АЗ (21) Feature films (10) Е ХН ОЛ ОГ И И (16) (22) DТistribution CПinema Р О КАТDВistribution УКР АИ Н Е (24) YОear 2012 ТР АСЛЕ В Ы Е inМЕUР kraine (21) О ПР ИЯ ТИЯ (29) focus (22) Interview (24) 1 Уже в happy первые дни нового нам,issue редакции We are to present you theгода February of the Content Report, сразу стало понятно, что вthe 2011м CIS Content Report where we tried to gather most все мы будем усердноinformation и неустанно трудиться. За interesting up-to-date about rapidly deнимаясь подготовкой первого обзора но veloping content production andвыпуска distribution markets востей рынка производства и аудиовизуального of the CIS region. As far as most of the locally proконтента в этом мы с радостью обнаружили, duced series andгоду, TV movies are further distributed что в новогодние праздники во мно and даже broadcast mainly inside the CISработа territories, we гих продакшнах идет полным ходом, а дальше, как picked up the most interesting and original projects говорится, станет ещеthat больше. Как неоднократно with those script-ideas have international appeal было отмечено, вследствие основательно and may further travel abroadкризиса to Europe, Asia or the изменилась конъюнктура рынка, поменялась North America both as readymade product or рас forстановка сил иthere возможностей, поэтому работать mats. Besides are a lot of full-length features действительно есть будет над чем. Подтвержде recently launched intoи production in Russia, Ukraine, нием тому является собранного в этом Kazakhstan and otherколичество CIS countries that for sure may (полупраздничном) номере материала. have not only successful international distribution but also are the award winners and nominees of different international film festivals. В сегодняшней теме Despite large portion of information on the номера мы останови new movies, shows лись на одной изand саseries you’ll also find the detailedтем report on the мых болезненных recent distribution deals with the отечественной киноин CIS-partners. дустрии – рынке кино театров. На страницах Content Report article мы не In our analytical we would like однократно to pay attentionпублико to the TV markets of вали мнения о том, such CIS countries asчто Tajikistan, Uzедва ли and не Kazakhstan основной that differ bekistan проблемой этуview of their a lot from the (хотя points of тему активно поднима volume, number of broadcasters, ют все, кому не безраз TV-content production facilities and лична нациоTV markets trends ofсудьба development. нального кинематогра in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, for inфа), сдерживающей stance, are just starting to evolve and развитие integrate into индустрии global TV tendencies. «полного метра» на From the other hand Kazakh TV inпостсоветском проand already dustry is rather powerful странстве, является of modmeets all the requirements катастрофическая не ern TV world and represents all the хватка кинозалов. main trends of global Од TV market. нако рынок продолжа ет стремительно раз In an exclusive interview виваться. И если по to Content Report Alexey Fedorchenko (a wellводов для оптимизма known Russian увеличе filmmaker, who speотносительно cializes on shooting auteur festival ния количества кино movies. His titles Silent Souls, David, театров попрежнему Firstтак on the Moon, etc.поwon a score не много , то of awards at theсовре top international внедрению festivals) технологий told about hisзаplans, about менных the companies working exclusively прошлый год имеются on the festival films все основания для and горthe reasons why do the Russian cinemagoers дости за это. Между prefer US action blockbusters to the тем попытаемся разо Russian comedies, pirated copies браться, есть ли свет в of which they watch at home. To our конце тоннеля?!. Первый Content Report в канун great joy itномер appeared that still thereвыходит are directors who Старого Новогоas года, который (наконецто) treat film industry an art rather than a business за вершает череду праздников, поэтому еще раз хотим пожелать нашим подписчикам в 2011 And one more thing we’d like you. ему Planгоду найти свой верный путьtoи remind следовать с ning you business calendar for 2013 do not forget to упорством, трудясь не покладая рук. У каждого book time to visit major event for– television and своя дорога, но the цель у нас одна развивать и media professionals in the CIS region KIEV MEDIA улучшать отечественный рынок. По коням, го WEEK 2013, September 10-13, 2013. Organized спода! by Media Resources Management company, this unique media industry project, one and only of a kind in the CIS region and Central and Eastern Europe is a Артем Вакалюк one stop destination for five international media trade Главный редактор events. Content Report Please do not forget that we are here to be your local source of information and analytics. Media Resources Management. Management, 22 ул.Zakrevsky Закревского, 02660, Украина St., 22, KievКиев, 02660, Ukraine Тел.: + 380 44Tel.: 459-4610 Факс: + 380 44e-mail: 459-4611 info@mrm.ua www.mrm.ua www.mrm.ua +380 (44) 459-4610; info@mrm.ua Рис. Олеси Савенко тема FOCUS номера PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 ANGEL OR DEMON SERIES Russian film company Amedia in co-production with Action Art company is working on mystery TV series Angel or Demon. The project is commissioned by Russian СТС channel. Shooting started in the mid-December and currently takes place in Moscow. It is an adaptation of popular Spanish TV series Angel o Demonio produced by Plural Entertainment company and aired on Telecinco in 2011. AMEDIA Director: Mark Gorobets. Cast: Anna Andrusenko, Kirill Zaporozhsky, Daria Poverennova, Yaroslav Boyko, Alexei Komashko, Tatiana Fedorovskaya, Maria Gorban, Sergey Chirkov, Vasilisa Mrochko. Genre: Mystery. Synopsis: The lead character Masha is always coming to the rescue no matter who is in need. Actually, she is an angel, who looks like an ordinary girl and does not stand out of other high school students. The Devil never sleeps, and sends a demon named Dan. To neutralize Masha Dan has to make her fall in love with him. But there is one serious problem – it is Dan who falls in love with Masha and obviously he doesn't want to do her any harm… THREE STARS SERIES Russian production company DixiМedia started shooting multiepisode drama Three Stars. The project is commissioned by Russian NTV channel. Filming takes place in Anapa. Series premiere is planned for 2013. DIXIМEDIA Synopsis: Slava and Marina are brother and sister. Their family was incomplete, and being kids they used to compete with each other in everything. No wonder their relations are far from ideal. Slava is 31 years old now, but still, he had not found his place in society and he is just seizing his days. As for Marina, there was a time, when she was a popular TV-host, but now she is 36 and is not seen on the TV screen anymore. Producer: Yefim Lubinsky. Director: Michislav Yuzovsky Sergei Lesogorov. Script: Ilya Kulikov. Cast: Anna Dankova, Ivan Kolesnikov, Yaroslav Leonov, Maxim Turans, Vladimir Tebenko. Genre: Drama. THE GIRLS 3 SERIES Russian film company Kosfilm started preproduction of the third season of sitcom The Girls. The project is commissioned by Russian TNT channel. KOSFILM Synopsis: Four heroines – Masha, Olga, Katya and Vasilisa – will continue to fight for their personal happiness. Masha wants a meaningful relationship, Vasilisa is building a career, Katya tries to gain heart of the man she loves, and Olga puts her best foot forward to become wealthy. Producer: Evgeniy Nikishov. Director: Sergei Koryagin. Script: Olga Frenkel. Cast: Galina Bob Taisia Vilkova, Anastasia Denisova, Polina Maximova, Alexei Vorobyov. Genre: Sitcom. Sergei Koryagin THE FLOWERS OF EVIL SERIES Russian film company Luch wrapped up shooting on 4-episode TV romance with thriller elements The Flowers of Evil named after the volume of poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Filming took place in Rostov-on-Don, Novocherkassk and Moscow. The project is commissioned by Russia One TV channel and is likely to be finished in April 2013. LUCH Synopsis: Film heroine is a police psychologist trying to help three investigators to catch a very dangerous maniac, who is mad about poetry of Baudelaire. Director: Anna Legchilova. Script: Maria Kulidzhanova. Cast: Svetlana Antonova, Dmitry Ulyanov, Anfisa Chernykh, Alexander Ustyugov Maria Zvonareva, Sergey Chirkov, Dmitry Isaev. Number of episodes: 4. Genre: Detective drama. Anna Legchilova 2 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 THE THAW SERIES MARMOT-FILM Leonid Yarmolnik Russian production company Marmot-film is working on 12-episode TV drama The Thaw. The series is commissioned by Channel One Russia. Shooting takes place in the Mosfilm studio. Synopsis: 1961. The Mosfilm studio. Viktor Khrustalyov is a young and talented director of photography. Once he was drinking with his friend Kostya, a promising scriptwriter, but their binge ended tragically – while drunk Kostya fell out of the window and died. Soon Viktor has found Kostya's screenplay, which had never been approved for shooting, and decided to make the film… Producer: Leonid Yarmolnik. Director: Valeriy Todorovskiy. Cast: Mikhail Efremov, Nina Dvorzhetskaya, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Evgeniy Tsyganov, Alexander Yatsenko, Anna Chipovskaya Konstantin Chepurin Pavel Derevyanko, Victoria Isakova. Number of episodes: 12. Genre: Drama. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON 2 SERIES PRODUCING CENTER SREDA Alexander Tsekalo Russian Producing Center SREDA started working on the second season of the detective drama series The Other Side of The Moon (the company recently acquired rights from BBC Worldwide). The project is Russian adaptation of the British TV series Life on Mars which originally aired in 2006. Currently the project is in pre-production period. Producer: Alexander Tsekalo. Cast: Pavel Derevianko. Genre: Detective drama. Synopsis: Police investigator Mikhail Solovyev had been chasing the criminal when hit by car. Being taken to the hospital Solovyev slips into a coma and in some mysterious way – appears to be in his father’s body in 1979. Journey in time continues… THE SECRET CITY SERIES REN-TV, STUDIO TG-FILM Russian channel REN-TV in co-production with Russian film company Studio TG-Film started shooting fantasy series The Secret City based on the cycle of romances by Vadim Panov. Panov approved the script himself and the series is to be premiered this year. Cast, director and scriptwriter are still unknown. Genre: Fantasy. Synopsis: No one knows that there is a hidden city on the territory of Moscow – the Secret City inhabited by the ancient civilizations of all kind. They became too weak and the union of the three magical Houses left is their only chance to survive, but they have to ask us – people – for help… TOPI SERIES Russian-Ukrainian prodco RUmedia started working on 4-episode mystery thriller Topi. Project is in a preproduction now (casting will start soon). As the synopsis shows it is likely that the shooting will start this summer. RUMEDIA Synopsis: Summer. The whole Moscow is covered with an industrial mist. Five young Moscowites decide to escape the city for an expedition. The road takes them to the Topi – small village hidden in the neck of the woods far from federal highways. Strange place, strange people. Strange if not to say scary and sinister. In fact, no one has ever returned from Topi yet. Will these five be the first? Producers: Andrei Kretov, Dmitry Agnevsky. Director: Nikolai Khomeriki. Script: Dmitry Glukhovsky. Number of episodes: 4. Genre: Mystery thriller. Andrei Kretov 3 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 POLICE MAJOR SERIES RUSSIAN WORLD STUDIOS On the 30th of January Russian film company Russian World Studios started shooting 16-episode detective Police Major. Shooting takes place in St. Petersburg (RWS studio including), Gatchina, Pushkin, Shlisselburg and Kronstadt. Synopsis: Police major Andrey Kamyshin was a man of honor and principle, but hindering powerful criminals never ends well. He had been set up and sentenced to a term of imprisonment and forced treatment in the nut hospital. Years passed and finally Andrey was acquitted of the charges and released. Now he is a policeman again and his aim is to clean the city from all kinds of criminals. Whatever it takes… Producer: Yuri Sapronov. Director: Artem Antonov. Script: Victor Olshansky, Mikhail Bartenev. Cast: Andrey Ilyin, Anna Banshchikova, Dmitry Blokhin, Olga Kalmykova, Elizaveta Kutuzova, Valery Dyachenko, Tatyana Ivanova. Number of episodes: 16. Genre: Detective. Yuri Sapronov MOVE ON SERIES RUSSIAN WORLD STUDIOS On the 7th of February Russian film company Russian World Studios started shooting 12- episode romance Move on. The project is commissioned by Channel One Russia. Shooting takes place in Moscow and Moscow region and due to be finished in June 2013. Production budget for each episode is set for $300.000. Director: Nurbek Egen. Cast: Maria Mashkova, Marat Basharov, Barbara Brylska, Nina Ruslanova, Veniamin Smekhov, Vladimir Yepifantsev. Number of episodes: 12. Genre: Romance. Synopsis: This is a story of a young woman Vera, who loses everything in one time – her full sister, beloved man and well-paid position in a bank. It completely changes her life, and Vera decides to go to work in a domiciliary nursing agency. Each episode features one of her patients whose problems and tragedies show Vera that there are no coincidences in her life and she should redefine her personal values. CAPTAIN BRAGIN – SUPEROFFICER SERIES RUSSIAN WORLD STUDIOS Anatoliy Artamonov On the 11th of January Russian film company Russian World Studios started shooting multi-episode romantic comedy Captain Bragin – Superofficer. Filming takes place in Moscow. Synopsis: Alexey Bragin has been working as a police investigator for many years. He is not the sharpest pencil in the box, so being 35 years old he is just a captain. But everything changes when he marries Sonya from Odessa. She is smart and sharpwitted woman, and she wants Alexey to become a general. That is why she helps him to solve the most complicated offences. Producer: Yuri Sapronov. Director: Anatoliy Artamonov. Cast: Sergei Sharifullin, Natalia Kosteneva, Evgeniy Antropov, Yegor Koreshkov, Julia Borilova, Tamara Spiricheva, Dmitry Gusev, Alexei Ovsyannikov, Andrei Kozlov. Genre: Romantic comedy. SALAAM, MUSKOW SERIES RUSSIAN PROJECT STUDIO Russian prodco Russian project studio finished shooting 16-episode TV drama Salaam, Muskow. The project is commissioned by Channel One Russia. Filming, which was made with an agile camera, took place in Russia and Dagestan from February till September 2012. Synopsis: Two leading characters – Russian and Dagestani policemen Alexander and Rustam – are the agents of special N Department, formed to prevent crimes committed by Vietnamese, Tajiks, Azerbaijani etc. migrants, all those who come in Moscow in numbers and are usually called ‘ponaehavshie’. Alexander and Rustam do not like each other, but they will team up to do their duty. 4 Producer: Denis Evstigneev. Director: Pavel Bardin. Script: Pavel BardinMaria Saprykina, Alexander MolchanovAndrey Berezhansky, Andrey Zhitkov. Cast: Alexander Golubkov, Ali Aliyev, Sayera Safari, Farhad Makhmudov Magomedarip Surhatilov Maria Boltneva, Lisa Martinez. Number of episodes: 16. Genre: Drama. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 ASH SERIES American director of Russian origin Vadim Perelman finished shooting 9-episode historical drama entitled Ash. Filming started in March and took place in Kronstadt, Moscow, Vyborg and Karelia. Film is commissioned by Russia One TV channel/ The project is currently in post-production and is set to premiere this year. Russian WeiT Media company is producing the series. WEIT MEDIA Director: Vadim Perelman. Script: Eduard Bagirov. Cast: Vladimir Mashkov, Yevgeny Mironov, Sergei Garmash, Chulpan Khamatova, Petr Mamonov. Genre: Historical drama. Synopsis: Film will cover historical episodes of the USSR life in 1938-1948, focusing on the war tragedy and valorous victory of the Soviet people. 5 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 THIS IS QUITE SOMETHING TV MOVIES MEDIAPROFSOYUZ Russian film company Mediaprofsoyuz starts working on new television romance This is Quite Something. Currently the project is in pre-production period. Filming start is planned for this spring. Synopsis: Marina is on the shady side of forty, she works as a dressmaker in the parlor, lives with an adult daughter Lera whom she brought up on her own. Respectable businessman Veligorov, one of the customers, falls in love with her daughter. But he is very shy. A parlor friend persuades Marina that he is an ideal match for her daughter. Worried for Lera’s happiness Marina makes everything to arrange her daughter’s life with Veligorov but instead falls in love with him. She does not even suspect that he shows affection to her daughter only to be closer to the mother. Meanwhile, Lera falls in love with Veligorov’s assistant Artem and when she says to her mother that she has met a man of her dream Marina is convinced that she talks about Veligorov. Producer: Alexander Kushaev, Vladimir Ignatiev. Director: Alexander Khvan. Script: Alena Platun, Alexey Tagushev, Marianna Sokolskaya. Cast: Elena Drobysheva, Vladislav Vetrov. Genre: Romance. IN PLACE WHERE I AM HAPPY TV MOVIES Russian film company Russkoye started shooting 2-episode TV romance In Place Where I am Happy. The project is commissioned by Russia 1 TV channel. RUSSKOYE Synopsis: The plot is a story of a woman who is experiencing the middle-age crisis and who in a single moment loses all her family. LIFE AFTER LIFE TV MOVIES Russian-Ukrainian film company Star Media started filming new TV crime melodrama Life After Life. Filming is currently taking place in Ukraine. STAR MEDIA Synopsis: Having lost hopes to find happiness with her beloved man Dmitriy (he is her chief and much older than the girl) journalist Masha accepts Yuri Kozakov’s attention. He is wealthy, handsome, gallant and honorable. Soon after the rapid-fire marriage Masha begins to notice strangeness in the behavior and life-style of her husband. And when he goes in business trips Masha permanently hears somebody’s steps in her house, sees a hovering shadow in the garden. Soon the girl finds out a terrible secret and her life is in deadly danger… Will Masha save herself? Who will be near in the difficult times? Producers: Alexander Kushaev, Irina Smirnova. Director: Rauf Kubaev. Script: Alexei Aleshkovsky. Cast: Natalia Antonova, Oleg Maslennikov-Voitov, Evgeniy Sidikhin, Sergei Astakhov, Darya Jurskaya, Anastasia Akatova. Genre: Romance. Producers: Vlad Riashyn, Larisa Zhuravskaya. Director: Alexander Budyonny. Script: Elena Zhukova. Cast: Julia Mavrina Evklid Kurdzidis, Anton PampushnyAlena Kolesnichenko, Sergei Siplivyi Miroslav Belonogiy, Irina Melnik. Genre: Crime melodrama. UNLOVED TV MOVIES Russian film company Russkoye started shooting 2-episode TV romance Unloved. The project is commissioned by Russia 1 TV channel. RUSSKOYE Alexander Kushaev 6 Synopsis: Ania is a promising student of the medical institute in the capital. She has to quit the studies and come back home to take care of her family: father-alcoholic and little brother Vania. The main character does not even suspect that at home much more serious changes are waiting for her. With the girl’s arrival in the town the gossips reemerge about her late mother’s affair with chief doctor of the local polyclinic Sergey. So, Masha makes DNA-test to her brother. Sergey’s fatherhood is proved but the results are hidden from Ania. Meanwhile, Sergey and his son Misha devise a cunning plan of adoption in which the main part is dedicated to Ania who does not suspect anything. Producers: Alexander Kushaev, Irina Smirnova. Director: Artem Nasybulin. Script: Natalia Kudryavtseva, Tatiana Sharno. Cast: Dmitriy PchelaNadezhda Mikhalkova, Oleg MaslennikovVoitov, Natalia Gvozdikova Anatoly Uzdensky Igor Bochkin Sasha Bulatov, Svetlana Pavlova. Genre: Romance. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 GOT TALENT TV SHOWS Early February casting to fifth season of Ukrainian version of the popular British talent format Got Talent wrapped up. The project is produced by the local STB channel. Show premiere is planned for this spring. STB Format: Got Talent. Contestants of the show have to perform their talents in front of the judges and a live audience. The show follows live shows where the final 40 contestants will perform throughout the week in order to impress the public. The winner receives a significant cash prize. COMEDIANS AT WORK TV SHOWS Russian TV channel СТС started production of the local adaptation of Israeli company Armoza Formats format Comedians at Work. Russian version of the format premiere is planned for this spring. Note that the local adaptations of the show have already been aired on Israeli Reshet Channel 2, Germany’s RTL, Norway’s TV2 etc. СТС Host: Mikhail Shats. Format: Comedians at Work. The format combines a live stand up act with reality themes. Comedians at Work has a simple and effective premise: each week, 2 stand up comedians go out to different workplaces and experience them for a day. When they return to the studio, each performs a brand new and fresh sketch on their experiences offering us a glimpse at how stand up punches are born. BRAINIEST TV SHOWS TRK UKRAINE Ukrainian TV channel TRK Ukraine announced casting for participation in the local version of the TV intellectual show Brainiest based on the British ITV Studios Global Entertainment company format. Ukrainian version of the show will consist of 10 episodes. Project premiere is planned for this spring. Note that Russian version of the show aired on CTC TV channel in 2003-2012. Host: Lyudmyla Dobrovolska. Format: Brainiest. The original featured 4 different rounds.Round 1 - a set of 12 multiple choice questions, whittling down the number of male contestants from 12 to 3. Round 2 - a set of 12 multiple choice questions, whittling down the number of female contestants from 12 to 3. Round 3 - a subject-based round, where contestants answered questions on two subjects, this halved the number of competitors to 3. A final round, where the remaining 3 contestants were tested on their own specialist subject and that of their fellow finalists. KILLER KARAOKE TV SHOWS Russian TV channel U starts production of new TV entertainment show Killer Karaoke based on the British company Zodiak Rights format. Project premiere is planned for a new TV season. U Format: Killer Karaoke. Six different contestants appear in each show. They are separated into three preliminary rounds of two contestants, and each have approximately 90 seconds to sing their song. Con- 7 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 testants are introduced to the audience and told their challenge. Before every challenge, host says to the contestant: “No matter what happens, do not stop singing.” The winner for each round is picked by the live studio audience via popular vote and is automatically advanced into the Killer Karaoke Final Showdown. CLASH OF THE CHOIRS TV SHOWS Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 prepares a new singing TV show which will gather on one scene different choirs that will compete each other. Casting for this show produced by Sister’s Production will start this spring. The show will premiere this fall. The project is to be the local adaptation of Shine’s Clash of the Choirs format. 1+1 Format: Clash of the Choirs. The show involves several community choirs from around Ukraine competing against each other in a knockout competition that sees them performing songs from many different musical genres. The winning choral group will receive money prize. THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF TV SHOWS Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 announced casting for participation in new cooking TV show The Great Bake Off based on the British BBC Worldwide format. The Ukrainian version shooting will start this summer. The project premiere is planned for this fall. «1+1» Format: The Great British Bake Off. The Great British Bake Off is the ultimate baking battle where passionate amateur baking fans compete to be crowned the country’s Best Amateur Baker. During 10 weeks 12 keen bakers – young, old and from every corner of the country – will mix and bake their way through progressively tough challenges. They will be under the eye of presenters and professional judges. The experts will inspect, prod and sample the baked goodies and decide who gets to have their cake – and eat it. PROMZILLAS TV SHOWS Ukrainian TET TV channel announced casting for participation in the third season of television reality show The Queen of the Ball. The programme is Ukrainian adaptation of Promzillas format by Zodiak Rights Company. The project will premiere in new season. TET Host: Inna Tsymbalyuk. Format: Promzillas. During the project a trendy lilac bus of Promzillas reality-show with a team of experts - makeup artist, hairdresser and host will visit the towns and villages. Girls from different Ukrainian regions – Kyiv, Donetsk, Odessa etc – will participate in the project. In each program viewers will see four challengers for the crown. 8 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 PEDAN-PRITULA SHOW TV SHOWS NOVY CHANNEL On the 5th of February Ukrainian channel Novy started production of the original entertaining TV project Pedan-Pritula Show with hosts Alexandr Pedan and Sergey Pritula who are also the creative producers of the show. Project premiere is set for the 10th of March. Hosts: Alexandr Pedan, Sergey Pritula. In this new show Alexandr Pedan and Sergey Pritula will raise the most vital problems but talking about them in a pawky humor style. THE BIG DANCE TV SHOWS Russia 1 TV channel is holding casting for its new TV dancing show The Big Dance. Eight dance crews of 100 people each from eight different cities – Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Kazan’ and Saratov – will compete for the title of the dance capital of the whole Russia. Show will premiere on the 9th of March. RUSSIA 1 Choreographer: Paul Domaine. Under the guidance of choreographer Paul Domaine they will prepare modern and dynamic dance performances in a hiphop, breakdance, housedance, r&b, rock’n’roll, jazzdance styles. Every Saturday two crews will battle for the right to stay in project. Jury will allot the marks, but the TV viewers are those who shape crew’s destiny. PRACITCAL MAGIC TV SHOWS STORY FILM, DOMASHNIY Russian channel Domashniy is preparing new TV show Pracitcal Magic with Story Film company producing the project. The show premiered on the 17th February. Duration: 49 minutes. This programme should help to solve problems with children health, family well-being and husband cheating by applying the mystical sciences – numerology, horoscopes, fen shui etc. Each episode is divided into five blocks: children, health, love, work and money. 9 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 EPIC FEATURE FILMS FILM AND MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, METRAFILMS, BRANDSTORM ENTERTAINMENT, 20 STEPS Mid January in Georgian capital Tbilisi commenced principal photography of Ben Hopkins’ feature “black comedy” Epic. The film is a co-production between U.K.-based Film and Music Entertainment company, Frankfurt-based Brandstorm Entertainment, Russian Metrafilms and Georgian 20 Steps prodco. Project was developed by the British Film Institute (London), and is supported by the HessenInvestFilm Fund (Frankfurt), Metrafilms and the French-German cultural channel Arte as well as the Georgian National Film Centre. Shooting will move from Georgia to Germany in the last week of February 2013 for a week on location in and around Frankfurt. Post production will take place in Germany from March 15th. Film premiere is planned for 2014. Producers: Mike Downey, Daniel Zuta, Artem Vasiliev, Vladimir Katcharava. Director: Ben Hopkins. Script: Ben Hopkins, Pawel Pawlikowski. Cast: Mathew MacFadyen, Myanna Buring, Noah Taylor. Genre: Black comedy. Synopsis: A gentle black comedy about a confused, washed-up Academy Award winning British movie director who gets invited by a nascent state to make a national Epic in an obscure Caucasus Republic. When Emil Forester receives an invitation to the Embassy of the Autonomous Republic of Karastan in London to discuss his career and to receive an invitation for a retrospective of his films in ‘Karastan- Land of Inspiration’ - little does he know that he is embarking on one of the wildest journeys of his already diverse and colourful career. FEATURE FILMS MY GRANDMA IS A WITCH LENFILM Russian film company Lenfilm finishes postproduction of the children-oriented feature My Grandma is a Witch. Shooting took place in Saint-Petersburg in 2010-2011. The film premiere is planned for this spring. Synopsis: The main character Vasya Novikov, a 12-year-old schoolboy, lives on the outskirts of a provincial town and dreams of having at least some talent. Vaska’s mother spends most of her life on business trips, so Vaska spends a lot of time with his father who works in the zoo. Vaska lives his ordinary life until his grandma comes to him from the village. She turned out to be a real witch. And as far as his mother is in the long business trip, the grandma, when she dies, passes her unusual skills to Vaska instructing him to use this gift only for the good of people. FEATURE FILMS Producer: Vyacheslav Telnov. Director, script: Sergei Karandashov. Cast: Vasily Ivanov, Ovsyannikova Anna Alexander Plaksin, Maria Semenova. Genre: Children’s film. GUIDE PRONTO FILM Ukrainian production company Pronto Film finished shooting some episodes of the feature drama Guide. Principal photography took place in spring and summer of 2012 in and around Kharkov. The project received $2 million state grant from the Ukrainian Film Commission. Producers: Igor Savichenko, Maxim Asadchiy. Director: Les’ Sanin. Cast: Stanislav Boklan, Anton Svyatoslav Green etc. Genre: Drama. Synopsis: The action take place in Ukraine, Mongolia, USA and Switzerland in 1920-1930 and in our time. This is a story of American boy Peter who came to Ukraine in the late 1920-s. He speaks with a heavy accent but tries to learn Ukrainian… After his father was killed the boy met blind Pandora-player Ivan Kocherga. Ivan and Peter were traveling throughout Ukraine. Peter turned into Petr and grew up very quickly experiencing the joys, grieves, love, human disaster and death. In winter 1934 Ivan Kocherga along with several hundreds of other Pandora-players and lyrists who gathered on a conference were executed near Kharkov. Peter was the only alive witness of those events. 10 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 SPACE MOWGLI FEATURE FILMS FEBRUARY 29 Russian film director Alexei Fedorchenko starts working on feature romantic drama Space Mowgli based on the Arkady and Boris Strugatsky’s novel, written in 1971. Currently the film is in pre-production period. The project is financially supported by Russian Cinema Fund and is produced by February 29 prodco. Film premiere is planned for 2015. Producers: Dmitriy Vorobiev, Alexei Fedorchenko. Director: Aleksei Fedorchenko. Script: Mikhail Maslennikov. Genre: Romantic drama. Synopsis: The plot of the original source narrates about the group of earthmen that land on, as it was supposed to be, uninhabited planet Ark in order to prepare it for further colonization by the inhabitants of planet Pantha which was going to perish soon. On site the earthmen discover the crashed spacecraft of the space independent researchers from the Group of Free Search on which a married couple with a little baby arrived. The parents died during the crash. However, the baby survived and was brought up by the mysterious race of aboriginal-nonhumanoids impossibly alien to the human race. The team members had to decide what to do with the child… FORT ROSS FEATURE FILMS MOROZ FILM Dmitry Kharatyan Russian film company MOROZ film finished principal photography of the historic feature adventures Fort Ross based on Dmitriy Poletayev’s novel. Currently the postproduction is underway at Mosfilm facilities. On the 1st of March film crew goes to California (the USA) to shoot some final scenes of the film. The project with a $10 million production budget is supported by Russian Cinema Fund. Film premiere is planned for this summer. Producer: Dmitry Kharatyan. Director: Yuriy Moroz. Cast: Artem Tkachenko, Maxim Matveev, Anna Starshenbaum, Maxim Vinogradov. Genre: Historical adventure. Synopsis: One of the main intrigues of the Russian history has been disclosed! How did it happen that in XIX century Russia lost for good its lands in North America? It possessed a huge territory from Alaska to North California! In quest of the answer the group of TV journalists: intellectual Dmitriy, simple-minded Phimka and beautiful Margo – travel through the time and space visiting both tsarist palaces and Indian wigwams. Their discovery is going to stun you and make you look at the known historical events quite differently. The characters find the answer in the facts which have been thoroughly concealed until now. Nonetheless, are you ready to take the truth? WHITE REINDEER MOSS FEATURE FILMS VLADIMIR MENSHOV’S PROJECT Vladimir Menshov 11 Russian film director Vladimir Menshov started working on new feature mythological drama White Reindeer Moss. Currently the project is in pre-production period. Shooting will commence this March and will take place in Yamal-Nenets autonomous district (Russia). Film premiere is planned for late 2013 – early 2014. Producers: Vladimir Menshov, Alexander Litvinov, Svetlana Dalskaya. Director: Vladimir Tumaev. Script: Valery Bakirov. Genre: Mythological drama. Synopsis: The plot is dedicated to the dramatic destiny of a young Nenets whose sweetheart went to study to the regional center. The guy suffers and wants to join his darling. Meanwhile in the tundra a wolf nicknamed Lame Devil kills the girl’s mother and little sister. The girl arrives to her father, she is beautiful and inaccessible. She wears citified clothes and she does not like rough foods and simple natures of her tribesmen. She returns Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 to the city. The guy’s mother brings another girl to the nomads’ camp but the main character is not interested in her. The young Nenets and Lame Devil meet in the tundra. The guy wins a bloody fight. The girl whom brought the guy’s mother takes care of the young man and cures his terrible wounds. Thanks to her attention she gets the right to light the fire in his chum. IVAN PODDUBNY FEATURE FILMS KRASNAYA STRELA, TRITE Valeriy Todorovskiy FEATURE FILMS Russian film companies Krasnaya Strela (aka Red Arrow) and TriTe finishes working on the feature biopic Ivan Poddubny. Postproduction is currently underway at Mosfilm facilities. Shooting started in March 2012 and took place in Feodosia, Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, and New York. The project budget totals almost $12 million. Film premiere is planned for the second half of this year. Synopsis: Film is based on a life story of Ivan Poddubny - a Russian Empire and Soviet wrestler of Ukrainian Cossack descent. When he was a child he already showed a remarkable strength easily doing the hardest work. His first partner and coach was his father. He began his sports career around 1900 and his career lasted for about forty years. Poddubny received numerous invitations to tours in many countries. The strongest opponent was a Pole Stanislaw Zbyszko-Cyganiewicz and Poddubny finally prevailed over him in the United States. During the Nazi German occupation, he refused to leave the Soviet Union to train German wrestlers… Producers: Valeriy Todorovskiy, Leonid Lebedev, Vadim Goryainov, Leonid Vereshchagin. Director: Gleb Orlov. Script: Yuriy Korotkov. Cast: Mikhail Porechenkov, Denis Lavan, Vladimir Ilyin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Roman Madyanov, Alexander Mikhailov, Ron Perlman. Genre: Biographical drama. THE TRIBE GARMATA FILM Myroslav Slaboshpitskiy Ukrainian production company Garmata film started preproduction of new feature drama The Tribe. Filming start is planned for the autumn 2013. Production budget is about $1.5 million. The project is financially supported by Ukrainian Film Comission and The Hubert Bals Fund of the Rotterdam Festival (Netherlands). Expected release date is April 2014. Producer: Valentyn Vasyanovych. Director: Myroslav Slaboshpitskiy. Genre: Drama. Synopsis: Sergey is a deaf-and-dumb teenager who enters a special boarding school. There he tries to find his place in the hierarchy of the boarding school community, which operates like a Mafiosi group ruled by the King. SAMSON FEATURE FILMS TRIKITA ENTERTAINMENT Sergei Bodrov 12 Russian film company Trikita Entertainment starts working on new feature adventure drama Samson. The project will be Russian-American coproduction and is currently in pre-production period. Film release is planned for 2014. Synopsis: Samson overflows with life. The Philistines are his tribe’s enemies, but they are also his closest friends. Only with them can he be himself, drinking and laughing and entertaining them with his jokes. When his closest friends kill his wife and her family, Samson vows revenge. He burns their fields and towns, killing hundreds, and then flees. The Philistines send their army to capture him. To save his people from war, Samson surrenders. He is rescued by friends, but then betrayed by a woman who loves him. The Philistines blind him, robbing him of his Producer: Sergei Bodrov, Yury Krestinskiy. Director: Sergei Bodrov. Script: Sergei Bodrov, Carolyn Cavallero, Eric Nazarian Genre: Adventures. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 power…The years pass. Blind Samson knows that the Philistines plan to invade his homeland and destroy his people. The day of the great festival to the gods arrives, and Samson takes a horrible revenge. Samson was the first Super hero in history. His story comes to us from the ancient past, from the land of the Dead Sea. Yet a Super hero never dies. He will live again in this movie. THE LAST SUMMER FEATURE FILMS VALDAY FILMS Russian prodco Valday Films finishes working on the feature action The Last Summer. The project postproduction is currently being proceeded at Mosfilm. Shooting started in Moscow in September 2012. Director: Eugeniy Zvezdakov. Script: Oleg Molovichko. Genre: Crime drama. Synopsis: Kostya is bored of his life despite his parents are wealthy and he can afford everything he wants. Being offended by his father, Kostya is left alone and wants adventures. However he sees an opportunity to try something new and becomes a person who finds and marks a likely place for robbery. But very soon he will understand that it’s not a childish game and finding the way out will be a problem for a young man. LOVE IN THE BIG CITY 3 FEATURE FILMS LEOPOLIS, STUDIA KVARTAL 95 Late January Ukrainian prodco Studia Kvartal 95 in coproduction with Russian Leopolis film company started shooting feature romantic comedy Love in the Big City 3. Principal photography started in Las Vegas and then will move to Moscow. Production budget of the project totals 2.5 million. Film release is planned for 2013. Synopsis: The movie describes the actions that happen after 5 years since the second movie events. Everything is great in the life of the main characters, they love each other and their children grow up. But everything is too good, all their romance and passion has turned into routine. The men once a week meet in the pub and women completely dedicated themselves to the family and children. Their lives look something like that: job, home, sleep, zoo, job, home… Welcome to the adult life… Producers: Sergei Livnev, Lev Nicholau. Director: Marius Weisberg. Cast: Alexei Chadov, Vera Brezhneva, Ville Haapasalo, Anastasiya Zadorozhnaya, Vladimir Zelenskiy, Svetlana Hodchenkova, Philip Kirkorov, Leonid Yarmolnik, Mikhail Efremov. Genre: Comedy. KENZHE/YOUNGER BROTHER FEATURE FILMS KAZAKHFILM Mid February Kazakhfilm started shooting new feature actiondrama Kenzhe/Younger Brother. Filming will last two monthes and will take place in Spain, Thailand and Kazakhstan. Production budget of the project totals $5 million. Synopsis: The movie is about two brothers from the far-away distant kolkhoz. One of them is twelve, another is eight. The boys’ parents died and they stayed all by themselves. The orphanage wanted to take the brother but they ran away to the city. Some time passed and the brothers conquered the city: the was taking the orders to kill the people; the younger became the executive, killer. As a result Kenzhe gave himself away. He was being tracked and the trackers found the elder brother who splits up the junior. Thus, they started hunting each other. 13 Director: Ermek Tursunov. Cast: Mikhail Khmurov, Ekaterina Zaitseva, Philip Voloshin, Gulbanu Ashimova, Bolat Abdilmanov etc. Genre: Action-drama. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 7 MAIN WISHES FEATURE FILMS ROCK FILMS Alexei Uchitel At the end of January Russian film company Rock Films started shooting new feature romantic comedy 7 Main Wishes. Filming takes place in Saint Petersburg and will last till the middle of this spring. Movie premiere is planned for the end of this year. Synopsis: Masha is a present-day office employee who does not know what she wants from her life. Having lost her job on the eve of the holiday she rejoices with the dreams about magical fulfillment of wishes. A shy doctor who is in love with Masha since school days presents her a magical amulet that may make 7 wishes a reality. Though, making a wish you’d better be careful because the wish may come true… Producer: Alexei Uchitel. Director: Vadim Sokolovskiy. Cast: Anton Makarskiy Irina Pegova, Julia Kozyreva Yekaterina Klimova, Igor Petrenko. Genre: Romantic comedy. AMORI ELEMENTARI FEATURE FILMS ZORI FILM, CENTRO SPERIMENTALE DI CINEMATOGRAFIA, RAI CINEMA, SHARONCINEMA On the 24th of January started shooting of new feature romantic comedy Amori Elementari (Elementary Love). The project is produced by Russian Zori Film in coproduction with Italian Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Rai Cinema and Sharoncinema. Filming locations are Rome and Moscow. Shooting will wrap up this April in Italian Alps. The production budget of the movie totals €2 million. Synopsis: A romantic comedy that has as its protagonists ten years old children who play hockey and are fond of figure skating. Film is about first love and first “adult problems” of the kids… FEATURE FILMS MAXIM OSA: A MAN FROM THE AFTERWORLD HANZHONKOVFILM Ukrainian prodco HanzhonkovFilm started pre-production of new feature adventure detective Maxim Osa: a Man from the Afterworld, based on the comics of Ukrainian writer Igor Baranko. Filming will take place in the vicinities of Kiev and will start this summer. Film release is planned for 2014. Director: Sergio Basso. Cast: Cristiana Capotondi, Anita Kravos, Edoardo Pesce, Rachele Cremona, Andrea Pittorino, Laura Gaia Piacentile, Bonny Mappilamattel, Anya Potebnya, Maxim Bichkov, Andrey Chernishov, Olga Pogodina. Genre: Romantic comedy. Producer: Alexei Shaparev. Director: Alexei Mamedov. Script: Irene Rozdobudko. Genre: Adventure detective. Synopsis: The main character of this movie is a Cossack that returned to his native village after a raid in the Crimea in 1636. The adventures start from the moment when Osa is sitting by his own grave and thinking-guessing how it happened: a man that is still alive was buried. Naturally, further events are a mix of thriller, mysticism and grim humor. THE SPY’S SOUL FEATURE FILMS LENFILM, RUSSIA 1 Russian Lenfilm company in coproduction with Russia 1 TV channel starts working on new feature spy drama The Spy’s Soul based on the book of ex-intelligence officer Mikhail Lyubimov. Principal photography will commence this April. Shooting will take place in St. Petersburg, London, Paris and Egypt. Director: Vladimir Bortko. Genre: Spy drama. Synopsis: The movie describes the work of our agent in London. The events take place nowadays. In the book And Hell Followed Him most of the scenes are autobiographic, and the main antagonist – a “rat” inside the Russian Intelligence – in greate detail is copied from the Soviet defector Oleg Gordievskiy who had been working for many years on English Intelligence while being the deputy of M. Lyubimov. 14 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua PRODUCTION PRODUCTION C PRODUCTION №11 February 22, 2013 TAL FEATURE FILMS FORMA PRO FILMS, PIAR CITY Charlotte Gainsbourg Latvian prodco Forma Pro Films in coproduction with Russian producing centre Piar City starts working on biographical feature drama Tal. Currently the project is in script development stage. Production budget of the feature is $2.75 million. The project is $400 000 supported by Rigas filmu fonds. Film premiere is planned for 2014. Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg. Genre: Drama. Синопсис: Film is about world famous chess player - Mikhail Tal who was a Soviet-Latvian chess Grandmaster and the eighth World Chess Champion. Widely regarded as a creative genius and the best attacking player of all time, he played in a daring, combinational style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability. The movie itself consists of two parallel lines: the real world where Mikhail Tal lives, and the world of chess. TAKING YOUR PAIN FEATURE FILMS GEORGIY PARADJANOV’S PROJECT Georgiy Paradjanov 15 Russian film director Georgiy Paradjanov starts working on his second feature movie Taking Your Pain. The project is currently in pre-production period. Shooting of this feature drama are planned to start in the second half of this year. Producer: Ekaterina Filippova. Director, script: Georgiy Paradjanov. Genre: Drama. Synopsis: The plot is a real and unique story in which simple people from the Armenian village Kerkenj in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani village Kyzyl-Shaphagh in Armenia during the conflict escalation peacefully agreed, and with passive disapproval of the authorities, simply exchanged the villages. One of the main story lines is unfolding ten years before the exchange: Armenian girl Asmik from one village and Azerbaijani guy Rovshan from another fall in love and want to be together but the relatives of both parties are against their marriage. Then the enamored notwithstanding the pressure decide to end their lives and in a death note they ask to bury them together. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua DISTRIBUTION C DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION №11 February 22, 2013 DISTRIBUTION АURORA Аurora Distribution – acquisition and sales branch of Ukrainian group of companies Аurora – signed deal with production company Gulfstream production on international distribution of sketch comedy Dairy of Pregnant (Dnevnik beremennoy, Ukraine, 2012). It was premiered in November 2012 on Ukrainian TV channel K1. The story is built around the young pregnant girl who lives together with her husband and eccentric mother-in-law, and who constantly gets into funny situations thanks to her “certain condition”. Sketches are full of witty and sometimes cynical humor about all the truth of pregnancy: it could be either visit to ultrasound doctor, meeting with her unmarried girl-friends, attending courses for pregnant women or communication with the “most beloved” and extremely wise husband’s mother. Producer: Pavel Pozdnyakov. Director: Nataliia Pasenitskaia. Cast: Evgenii Smorigin, Oksana Stashenko, Victoriia Bulitko, Tamara Iatsenko. Duration: 44 x 26 min. Genre: Sketch comedy. DT PRODUCTION Russian company DT production specializing on production of TV series as well as content distribution licensed season one of French detective series Jo (France, 2012) to Ukrainian TV channel 1+1. Previously DT production acquired rights for the series for CIS and Baltic territories from Red Arrow International (formerly: SevenOne International) worldwide programming sales company of German Red Arrow Entertainment Group (production and distribution branch of ProSiebenSat.1 Group). The main hero, brilliant and brutal detective St-Clair, matches wits with pathological killers to solve a series of shocking murders. St-Clair is partnered with rookie detective Bayard, a good-looking college-educated cop whose by-the-book approach stands in marked contrast to St-Clair’s lone-wolf methods. Supervising them is Commissaire Dormont, a tough-minded boss with a long tumultuous history with St-Clair. St-Clair’s personal life is as challenging and dangerous as the cases he solves. There are two women in his life - Karyn, an unorthodox nun who works in the city’s underbelly, and his own daughter Adele, a young Emergency Room nurse as implacable as her father. Cast: Jean Reno, Jill Hennessy, Tom Austen, Orla Brady, Heida Reed and others. Duration: 8 x 45 min. Genre: Crime. VIASAT Pan-European TV Channel Viasat acquired from Sky Vision - distribution branch of British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB) - rights for the documentary series Kingdom of Plants 3D (Great Britain, 2011) for Eastern Europe and Scandinavian countries. The series has also gone to France 5 (France), Servus TV (German-speaking Europe), RTL (Germany), VRT (Belgium) and TV2 (Norway). This series reveals a whole new dimension in the lives of plants, from the most bizarre to the most beautiful. Using timelapse and macro photography, the host, David Attenborough, explores fascinating world of plants tracing them from their beginnings on the Earth to their vital place in nature today, exposing new revelations along the way. He moves from human time scale to theirs, revealing the true nature 16 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua Director: Martin Williams. Duration: 3 x 50 min. Genre: Documentary. DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION C DISTRIBUTION №11 February 22, 2013 of plants as creatures that are every bit as dynamic and aggressive as animals. He does all this in one unique place, a microcosm of the whole plant world, where some 90% of all known plant species are represented: The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London. MEGOGO.NET Ukrainian online video portal Megogo.net acquired 300 hours of programmes from international distributor BBC Worldwide. The deal – which covers drama, comedy, science, cookery, documentary, natural history and children’s shows – includes titles like Sherlock, The Fades, Luther, Extras, The Naked Chef, Human Planet and Frozen Plant. 17 Sherlock depicts consulting detective Holmes, assisting the Metropolitan Police Service, primarily DI Greg Lestrade, in solving various crimes. Holmes is assisted by his flatmate, Dr John Watson, who has returned from military service in Afghanistan. Although the series depicts a variety of crimes and perpetrators, Holmes’ conflict with his enemy Jim Moriarty is a recurring feature. Pathologist Molly Hooper assists Holmes in her laboratory. Duration: 6 x 90 min. Genre: crime, drama, mystery. The Fades. The main hero, teenage boy named Paul, is haunted by apocalyptic dreams that nobody can explain. As if that weren’t terrifying enough, he begins to see spirits of the dead, known as The Fades, all around him. The Fades can’t be seen, smelt, heard or touched by other humans. When an embittered and vengeful Fade, Polus, finds a way to be human again, it’s up to Paul to stop him - and all of the dead - from breaking back into the world and destroying the human race. Duration: 6 x 55 min. Genre: Fantasy, horror. Luther follows the cases of a troubled yet brilliant English police detective, DCI John Luther. Separated from his wife, whom he loves passionately, he is torn between an unrelenting approach to solving serial killings and his attempts to rekindle his marriage. Luther is a highly charged emotional man who is not above stretching the law to solve a case or save a life. A woman named Alice Morgan proves she is equally brilliant by committing the perfect murder of her parents, which challenges Luther as never before. At the same time Luther’s edgy police tactics make him a serious concern to his superiors, who feel that he is a threat to their reputations and that of the Police force. Duration: 10 x 60 min. Genre: Crime, drama, mystery. Extras follows Andy Millman - an actor with ambition and a script. Reduced to working as an extra with a useless agent, Andy’s attempts to boost his career invariably end in failure and embarrassment. Duration: 13 x 30 min. Genre: Comedy, drama. The Naked Chef. The title of the cooking-show means that chef Jamie Oliver strips down recipes and presents the bare essentials of cooking. Duration: 6 x 30 min. Genre: Documentary. Human Planet. The series explores the ways the humanity partially adapts to types of natural environment and tends to change them. Each episode examines how life differs for men and nature in some type of environment, from Arctic to desert and jungle, from coasts to mountains. Duration: 8 x 60 min. Genre: Documentary. Frozen Plant. The series focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Authors tried to explore the effects of global warming and the process of climate change on the both Poles. Duration: 7 x 60 min. Genre: Documentary. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION C DISTRIBUTION №11 February 22, 2013 RUSSIAN WORLD VISION Russian content distributor Russian World Vision signed an international distribution deal with Russian film company Enjoy Movies. According to the agreement Russian World Vision provides worldwide sales of latest films produced by Enjoy Movies including The Nannies (Nianki, Russia, 2012), Moms (Mamy, Russia, 2012), A Man With a Guarantee (Muzhchina s garantiey, Russia, 2012) as well as I′ll Be Around (Ya budu riadom, Russia, Ukraine, 2012) – coproduction with Ukrainian company Studio Kvartal 95. The Nannies. The lead characters, two provincial businessmen in the travel industry, who have never really treated seriously family life, children and their work, have a very important trip abroad. They dream of successful results in the negotiations. But suddenly the responsibility for the three entirely unmanageable children falls on them. Everything would be fine, if they were not children of the capital business-woman, our heroes’ potential investor. Friends have to deal with the children, their grandmother, who came ostensibly to help, and German rivals, trying not to fail in such an important deal for them. Director: Ashot Keshyan. Cast: Nikolay Naumov, Ararat Keshyan, Ludmila Artemyeva, Aglaya Shilovskaya, Lina Dobrorodnova. Genre: Comedy, family film. Moms. Every year on the International Women’s Day telephone networks transfer millions of phone calls and SMS messages. The vast majority of phone calls are addressed to the most important women in the life of everyone - to the mothers. The film tells eight different stories of how sons of different age and status congratulate their mothers. Cast: Sergey Bezrukov, Dmitriy Duzhev, Mikhail Porechenkov, Egor Beroev, Gosha Kucenko, Aleksandr Oleshko, Igor Vernik. Genre: Comedy, family film. A Man With a Guarantee. The lead character is an unusual person working as the security guard in shopping mall. He knows everybody and everything, and everyone knows and loves him. He doesn′t only work here, but also leads full-fledged life — he dresses free of charge, eats at restaurants, sleeps in a furniture department and participates in night races on floor polishers. One day a trainee appears in his life. Their relations gradually start to develop into friendship. However, he doesn’t know one important detail: his “colleague” is the owner of the shopping mall. I’ll Be Around. The heroine named Inna is a typical new Russian comfortable middle class young woman, working as a manager at a Moscow restaurant where she is surrounded with respect and love of her colleagues. Her 6-year-old son Mitya is the centre of her universe, her best friend and ally. But one day Mitya sees his mum with a bandage on her head. Inna tells him that she had a car accident, but the truth is ruthless - brain tumor... Knowing that she will die soon, Inna starts looking for foster parents. Inna’s twisted journey of anxiety, weakness and dismay will lead to unexpected encounters, rediscovering her strength, self-restraint and in the end – hope. Director: Artem Akseenko. Cast: Alexander Oleshko, Nonna Grishaeva, Dmitriy Nagiev, Petr Fedorov, Olga Volkova. Genre: Comedy, romance, family film. Director: Pavel Ruminov. Cast: Maria Shalaeva, Roma Zenchuk, Maria Semkina, Ivan Volkov, Alisa Khazanova. Genre: Drama. Russian World Vision also signed a deal with Russian film studio Rock Films and added its film Break Loose (Vosmiorka, Russia, 2013) to the catalogue of international rights. The project is in postproduction. The film tells the story of four best friends – Herman, Lykov, Shorokh and Grekh. They’ve been to war, they’ve seen life, but they are still passionate, young and willing to serve their country. They found their place at OMON - Russian Special Police Squad. They can count only on each other, and their real family is themselves. After working hours they become simple guys with ordinary dreams like family and comfort. But life changes when once in a night club the friends incidentally get in a fight with the local mafia. The trivial fight on the dance floor turns into a real war. 18 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua Director: Alexey Uchitel. Cast: Maria Alexey Mantsigyn, Artur Smolyaninov, Alexander Novyn, Artem Bystrov, Pavel Vorozhtsov, Isidora Simijonovic. Genre: Drama. DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION C DISTRIBUTION №11 February 22, 2013 EXCLUSIVE RELEASING US based Exclusive Releasing – distribution arm of international group of companies Exclusive Media – acquired UK and CIS distribution rights for Two Mothers (France, Australia, 2013). The deal was closed at Sundance Film Festival where the world premiere of the film took place on January 18. Two Mothers is the first acquisition for Exclusive Releasing, which was launched in September 2012. The distributor plans to bow the film in theaters and on VOD day-and-date. Supposedly inspired by a true story, this film is about two mothers who really like their son’s best friend and they are best friends as well. It tells a women story with all their friendships, husbands, relationships, sons and lovers. The film was set in Australia, so, the other main peculiarity is the location. Director: Anne Fontaine. Cast: Robin Wright, Naomi Watts, Ben Mendelsohn, Xavier Samuel, Sophie Lowe, James Frecheville and others. Genre: Drama. CHANNEL ONE Russian Channel One acquired broadcasting rights for drama series House of Cards (USA, 2013) from international distributor Sony Pictures Television (SPT), which has also struck an SVoD deal in the territory of Russia with digital platform Yota. The series was produced by American provider of on-demand Internet streaming media Netflix that launched House of Cards in UK, Ireland, North America, Latin America and the Nordics at the beginning of February. In countries where Netflix doesn’t operate, broadcasters and online platforms have to pick up the series from SPT as did Canal+ (France), Sky Deutschland (Germany), Zon (Portugal), Digiturk (Turkey), Hot and Yes (Israel). House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, an ambitious Democratic congressman and the House Majority Whip. Following his assistance in ensuring the election of President Garrett Walker, Underwood is informed by Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez that the existing agreement to appoint him Secretary of State will not be honored. Furious at Walker’s betrayal, Underwood and his wife Claire, an environmental activist, begin seeking out pawns in a protracted political war against Walker. Cast: Kevin Spacey, Michael Gill, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Kristen Connolly, Sakina Jaffrey and others. Duration: 13 x 60 min. Genre: Drama. DARO Monaco-based independent distribution company Daro Film Distribution made a deal with American sales-company Premiere Entertainment Group on distribution of The Outsider (USA, 2013). Daro acquired rights for Eastern Europe and CIS. The film is in the postproduction. It was also sold to VVS for Canada, DDDream for China, Eagle for the Middle East, Polarstar for Latin America. The Outsider centers on a British military contractor Lex Walker who is told his daughter has died. When he arrives in Los Angeles and discovers the body is not hers, he begins an investigation. WEST Russian independent film distributor West acquired rights for fantasy adventure Blood Sisters for CIS territories from film financing, production, sales and distribution company IM Global (has offices in Los Angeles, London and Mumbai). The deal was closed at European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin. And it was one of the numerous. US rights were 19 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua Director: Brian A Miller. Cast: James Caan, Shannon Elizabeth, Craig Fairbrass, Johnny Messner, Melissa Ordway and others. Genre: Action, crime, drama. DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION C DISTRIBUTION №11 February 22, 2013 picked up by The Weinstein Company. IM Global licensed rights in the UK and Canada (eOne), Germany (Universum), France (Metropolitan), Australia and New Zealand (Hoyts), CIS (West), Benelux (DFW), Latin America (Sun), Scandinavia (Nordisk) and Spain (Aurum). Deals also closed in Switzerland (Frenetic), Portugal (Lusomundo), Bulgari (Tandem), Czech and Slovak (Hollywood), Poland (ITI), Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia (Padora), Hong Kong (Intercontinental), Indonesia (PT Amero), Philippines (Pioneer), Thailand (M Pictures) and South Africa (Ster Kinekor). Mark Waters 20 The project is in pre-production. Shooting is scheduled to commence in early summer. Such companies as Preger Entertainment, Angry Films and Kintop Pictures are engaged. Reliance Entertainment and IM Global are co-financing the production. Blood Sisters to be released worldwide in February 2014. It is supposed to be franchise based on the six‐volume Richelle Mead young adult novel series that chronicles the life of 17-year-old Rosemarie Hathaway, a dhampir - half human/ vampire, and her best friend Vasilisa Dragomir belonging to the race of peaceful, mortal vampires – Moroi. They are brought back to their school, St. Vladimir’s Academy, after running away two years previously. On returning, Guardian Dimitri Belikov, who was the leader of the team of guardians sent to retrieve the two, is assigned to be Lissa’s guardian as she is a princess of Moroi. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua Director: Mark Waters. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Danila Kozlovskiy, Lucy Fry. Genre: Fantasy, adventure. CINEMA RELEASES OVERVIEW C CINEMA RELEASES OVERVIEW №11 February 22, 2013 UKRAINIAN THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION MARKET OVERVIEW (NOVEMBER 29, 2012 – FEBRUARY 3, 2013) Theatrical releases of 56 films took place in Ukraine in the period of November 29, 2012 – February 3, 2013. The gross box-office of these films totaled $20 million. 3.4 million tickets were sold for the premieres of the new theatrical year. At the same time films released before November 29, 2012 starting from December collected $2.8 million with almost one million admissions. So the total Ukrainian theatrical box-office amounts to $22.8 million. 4.4 million people visited cinemas during two month. TOP-20 releases collected $21.1 million – 92.5% of the total amount. 89% of the cinema-goers – more than 3.9 million – bought tickets to watch the films you see in the table below. № Title Distributor Release date Premier weekend Box Office, $ Total Box Office 29.11.2012 03.02.2013, $ Tickets sold 1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey KNM 19.12.2012 1 388 677 4 029 210 557 477 2 Life of Pi UFD 01.01.2013 822 160 2 418 055 342 590 3 Three Warriors on Far Shores / Tri bogatyria na dalnikh beregakh (Rus) GK 27.12.2012 507 697 2 392 851 522 900 4 Jungle / Dzhungli (Rus) GK 29.11.2012 698 186 1 473 419 254 894 5 Anna Karenina B&H 01.01.2013 535 537 1 251 502 243 977 6 Rise of the Guardians* B&H 22.11.2012 631 611 1 130 642* 229142* 7 Django Unchained B&H 17.01.2013 403 835 955 856 142 318 8 Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters B&H 31.01.2013 922 501 922 501 140 474 9 Mommies / S Novym godom, mamy! (Rus) GK 27.12.2012 193 900 822 208 164 087 Gentlemen Of Fortune / Dzhentelmeny, 10 udachi!(Rus) AVR 27.12.2012 174 929 803 908 152 137 11 Jack Reacher B&H 10.01.2013 337 941 687 121 137 508 12 Backer-up / Dubler (Rus) GK 10.01.2013 328 196 643 993 128 983 The Snow Queen / Snezhnaya Koroleva 13 (Rus) AVR 01.01.2013 371 668 627 067 124 373 14 Solovey the Bandit / Solovey-Razboynik* (Rus) AVR 22.11.2012 433 376 557 559* 119 624* 15 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2* UFD 15.11.2012 1 605 724 543 658* 368 541* 16 Flight B&H 06.12.2012 240 286 488 210 94 302 17 Playing for Keeps UFD 06.12.2012 192 090 422 069 87 521 18 Ticket to Vegas / Bilet na Vegas (Rus) AVR 24.01.2013 179 343 337 698 32 704 19 Cloud Atlas* B&H 08.11.2012 658 937 318 729* 137 157* 20 Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away B&H 27.12.2012 47 326 315 237 51 259 21 141 493 3 937 666 TOTAL ТОP-20: Sources: boxofficemojo.com, Ukrainian Film Distribution * films released before November 29, 2012, box-office and admissions over a period of November 29, 2012 – February 3, 2013 Distributors: AVR – Aurora Film B&H – B&H Distribution GK – Galeon Kino KNM – Kinomania UFD – Ukrainian Film Distribution CNG - Cinergy GK – Galeon Kino IF - Inter Film KNM - Kinomania UFD - Ukrainian Film Distribution 21 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua C FOCUS FOCUS TV MARKETS IN TAJIKISTAN, UZBEKISTAN, AND KAZAKHSTAN FOCUS №11 February 22, 2013 Television markets in such Central Asia countries as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan differ a lot from the points of view of their volume, number of broadcasters, TV-content production facilities and trends of development. TV markets in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, for instance, are just starting to evolve and integrate into global TV tendencies. From the other hand Kazakh TV industry is rather powerful and already meets all the requirements of modern TV world and represents all the main trends of global TV market. In this article we’ll give a short analysis of these three CIS territories from the point of view of current situation on their television markets. Tajikistan TV industry in Tajikistan is the least developed among other CIS countries but for Turkmenistan, which is the only one “closed for the others’ eyes” market of the region with only 5 TV state-owned channels and without private TV stations at all. According to the TV and Radio Broadcasting committee of Tajikistan there are totally 57 TV stations in the country, 17 of which are private and the others are state-owned ones. The main distinctive feature of the local TV market is absolute dominance of regional and local TV broadcasters (the majority of local TV channels are operating in the province of Sughd (one of 4 administrative divisions of Tajikistan situated on the north of the country). Currently there are only four national-wide TV stations in Tajikistan that cover more than two thirds of the state territory by means of terrestrial and satellite distribution. They are: First Channel Tajikistan (99.7% coverage), TV Safina (77.4%), Chahonnamo (75.7%), and Bakhoriston TV (72.1%). All of these TV channels are state-owned. Nationwide private broadcasters absence is the main obstacle of the country TV industry development. Local authorities actually stopped issuing new broadcasting licenses in 1999 – from that time and till the beginning of 2013 only one TV channel was “awarded” by TV license – it was private NTT channel (stands for Independent Television of Tajikistan) which started broadcasting in summer 2007 and covers with its signal the capital of the state Dushanbe and its suburbs. TV advertising market in Tajikistan is rather small – less than $10 million (the population of the country nears 7.4 million people, there are approximately 2 million households). Out of 2 million television households, 1.5 million households rely on the terrestrial platform for their primary television reception while 500,000 households rely on satellite. Dominance of the state-owned channels on the market prevents the substantial growth of advertising industry in the country. This is also one of the main reasons of poor TV content production– there are neither local series nor local adaptations of the international TV formats on the Tajik TV. Situation may change after analogue terrestrial signal switch off – it is planned for mid 2015. DTT-signal transmission first started in May 2010 in Dushanbe in DVB-T, MPEG-4 standard. In 2011-2012 DTT became available in three more regions of the country. Nowadays Tajikistan is implementing DVB-T2 standard. Currently four abovementioned nationwide TV channels are available in the first DTT-multiplex. Overall two terrestrial multiplexes, which will include 20 channels, are planned. Uzbekistan For the number of TV households TV market of Uzbekistan is more than twice bigger than one of Tajikistan – there are about 4.7 million households and 7.4 million television sets in use in the country. The terrestrial platform is used by 81% (near 3.8 million) of all television households. Cable and satellite television delivery platforms are becoming increasingly popular with viewers and account for 10-15% and 4-5% of all television households, respectively. Although a government decree officially eliminated state censorship in 2002, independent media are still severely restricted. In 2006 authorities further tightened state control by requiring re-registration of all media outlets not passing a summary review of qualifications. In 2012 almost 40 independent private television stations and 9 state-owned regional TV channels were operating in Tajikistan, but four state-owned television stations, run by the Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, dominated the market. They are: Ozbekiston, Yoshlar, Sport TV and Tashkent. The biggest and the most popular private TV channels in Uzbekistan are: Markaz TV, NTT, Forum TV and SofTC. TV advertising evolves rapidly in Uzbekistan. Its volume last year reached $50-55 million, and its annual growth is forecasted for further few years at the 12-15% level. TV content production is just starting to develop in the country. The main producers of TV series and TV movies are state-owned Uzbektelefilm and Uzbekkino companies. In the last two years some private productions and TV stations started shooting local series and TV shows (no international TV formats are yet officially adapted in Uzbekistan). In June 2008, the first DTT pilot project in central Asia was launched in Tashkent - the capital city of Uzbekistan. Viewers could access 8 standard-definition television services using MPEG-4 AVC compression technology. In September 2008, the further multiplex was launched offering viewers in Tashkent and 22 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua C FOCUS №11 February 22, 2013 FOCUS Bukhara access to four government-owned television services. Regular DTT broadcasting started in September 2009 offering 12 DTT channels (the services are a mixture of 4 government-owned and 8 commercial pay-DTT channels). Currently DTT-multiplexes cover near 42% population of the country. Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, but its population is only 15.9 million people. The total number of TV households is estimated to be 4.2 million while the total number of television sets in use is approximately 4.6 million. The analogue terrestrial television platform is the primary television delivery platform for 86% of television households. Approximately 600 villages do not have access to analogue terrestrial television signals. Cable is used by 12% of the population, satellite TV penetration reaches for now up to 5% of the market while first IPTV service was launched in the capital city Astana in February 2009 by the broadcast network operator Kazakhtelecom (IPTV penetration in the country now is less than 1%). Kazakhstan has significant potential for further growth in the television advertising market and is the third largest among the countries in the region after Russia and Ukraine. TV advertising in Kazakhstan reached more than $420 million in 2012. Television viewership is remarkably high among young audiences, with viewers younger than 35 years old comprising nearly half of the total television audience in the country. Kazakhstan-1 is the most popular state-owned television channel of Kazakhstan. Other popular national-wide state-owned television stations are Khabar and El Arna. According to government statistics there are 116 private channels, and the most popular among them are Perviy Kanal Evraziya, KTK, and Russian CTC Media owned Kanal 31. In Kazakhstan feature movies production is rather developed mostly due to the government-owned Kazakhfilm company. In terms of TV content production this country is also evolving rapidly. For instance, in 2011-2012 there were more than 10 local TV series and more than 20 local TV shows produced. Kazakh TV stations already adapted such international TV formats as The X Factor, Pop Idol, Operación Triunfo, The Money Drop, Strictly Come Dancing, I Love My Country etc. Digital Terrestrial Television implementation in DVB-T2 standard started in Kazakhstan in summer 2012. Currently more than 370 towns and villages of the country (3.5 million of people) are covered be DTT signal. The state planes to deploy 7 digital multiplexes and complete the analogue switch-off process till mid 2015. Author: Artem Vakalyuk, Media Resources Management, Ukraine P.S. Data on TV ratings and share of the TV channels in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is not available because of the absence of national-wide TV researches in these countries. TV Shr Kazakhstan, December 2012, % (all 6+) 35 31,04 30 25 20 14,75 13,07 9,75 15 10 8,18 5,3 4,08 3,75 5 0 Data: TNS Gallup Media Asia 23 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua 2,47 1,58 1,25 INTERVIEW INTERVIEW INTERVIEW ALEXEY FEDORCHENKO: “WE CAN’T EARN A LOT ON THE FESTIVAL FILMS, BUT I DON’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ELSE” C INTERVIEW №11 February 22, 2013 Alexey Fedorchenko is a well-known Russian filmmaker, who specializes on shooting auteur festival movies. His titles Silent Souls, David, First on the Moon, etc. won a score of awards at the top international festivals. In an exclusive interview to Content Report Alexey Fedorchenko told about his plans, about the companies working exclusively on the festival films and the reasons why do the Russian cinemagoers prefer US action blockbusters to the Russian comedies, pirated copies of which they watch at home. To our great joy it appeared that still there are directors who treat film industry as an art rather than a business. Please, tell us about the projects you currently work on, especially about the feature films Angels and Revolution and Space Mowgli. When will you release them? As far as we know Angels and Revolution received the government subsidy – what are the financing proportions? It happened so that currently I’m working on two projects simultaneously. The first one is Angels and Revolution based on Denis Osokin book of the same name. Denis is a writer who I have been working with lately. When Angels are done, I will start shooting The Kid [aka Space Mowgli] based on a novel of Strugatsky brothers. Its tentative title was Operation Mowgli when Strugatsky started to work on it. Angels and Revolution and Space Mowgli are in a preproduction now – the script is being written for both of them. We bought the rights for The Kid last year, when Boris Natanovych [Strugatsky] was still alive. As for grants, Angels received support from the Ministry of Culture, and The Kid – from the Russian Cinema Fund. The state will provide with 30–50% of production budgets, the rest is up to private investors. What do you think about the Russian Cinema Fund activities? What is your attitude towards the old funds allocation scheme approved by the Cinema Fund to finance not the specific films but the leading prodcos instead? Actually, I didn’t understand that scheme perfectly. My The 29th February Film company is not on the list of “major” companies, but still, we did get the money. I suppose the old scheme will be canceled in the nearest future – it didn’t prove to be working. How can you explain the fact that even with this new allocation scheme the market share of the Russian movies continues to fall? What should be done by the film companies or the government itself to change this trend? Alexey Fedorchenko The viewer had been habituated to watch US movies. To make them go and watch the Russian ones we have to teach them from the cradle. In the past our children used to watch Spokoynoy nochi, malyshi! evening show every Saturday. Every Saturday at the same time. They wanted a cartoon, but it was not the cartoon why they did it actually – it was the tradition. Our films were the vital element of education and parenting. But they are no longer – the Soviet-made animation has vanished and the films that have been shot during the last 20 years can only be seen on the festivals. Still, it makes no sense to chase the Hollywood and try to copy its ideas. Transformers will always be better than Black Lightning. What happened to Mertvie Pashni project, which took part in the pitching held within the framework of XXIII Kinotavr? Our company is well-known in the festival sphere, but we want to occupy some niches in the commercial film industry. That’s why we are still working on the script for Mertvie Pashni. The project is graphics, very interesting and unusual. This will be an adaptation of Mikhail Klikin novel of the same name. We don’t want to hurry trying to idealize the script. Locations have not been chosen yet, but I think we won’t move too far from Yekaterinburg. Do you rent equipment or The 29th February Film Co. has its own technical basis? Mikchail Klikin 24 We have our own equipment. It is enough to produce, for example, a TV series. There are also no problems with the rent, so you can shoot wherever you want – Russia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, USA or China. The planet had become so small. It’s very simple. Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua INTERVIEW INTERVIEW C INTERVIEW №11 February 22, 2013 What lessons did you learn from the co-production with the foreign colleagues? What is the difference between theirs and ours approach? Did you face any complications? Last year American producers from Grolsch Film Works | VICE offered me to take part in their The Fourth Dimension project. It was an international film almanac consisting of three novels, each half an hour long, which should have been made by the Russian, American and Polish directors correspondingly. Curiously enough, there were no complications at all and I really loved to work on it. I learnt a lot. The film proved to be the great job done by the producer, story editor and assistant director. We don’t have that – story editors completely disappeared in Russia. But working abroad you always have the man to assist. I used to have a proofread and professionally analyzed material the same day I sent it in USA. And what is the most important – they do not give you orders, just some pieces of advice. I mean I could choose – to do what they say or not to do. I liked that very much. We are competitive in terms of equipment, but not in story editing right on the film set. Doing business in festival film industry, have you ever thought about producing TV content or movies for cinema distribution? There are some ideas. The Kid is B movie and simultaneously we are working on a TV series based on a book of Strugatsky. But I won’t tell which one. What festival achievements are you most proud of? There are many awards and I do really have my favorites. They are: my first Stockholm Film Festival Grand Prix for documentary David, Venice Horizons Documentary Award for First on the Moon and a quite unexpected award for Silent Souls – Abu Dhabi Film Festival’s Black Pearl. Strugatsky brothers Modern companies fall into two categories: the first one focused on the production of TV content, the second produce films for cinema distribution. There is small number of those working on the festival movies. What is it for you? Is it for the love to art? It’s rather difficult to make money on the festival movies... Yes, we can’t earn a lot on the festival films, but I don’t want to do anything else. Of course we can make series or ‘one-weekend’ films, but it is so boring, just don’t want to waste my life on that. I like what I’m doing and I want to go on. To me it is the best and the most interesting job. By the way, I’d like to mention that our company doesn’t operate at a loss. Is there any lack of the qualified HR on the market generally and in your company particularly? We have a good fully formed crew. We teach and train people ourselves – on set. What about the distribution of films you produce? I wish each our project was commercial-oriented. Any work should be paid for. For example, Silent Souls did well when released in Russia. It earned about $650.000 in 30 territories [about two thirds in Russia] including USA, Australia, Switzerland and Brazil. It had been released on 40 copies in France and 42 in Italia. To me, this project is worth to be envied. How did you manage to do that? Does your company have its own distribution arm? No, we don’t. Igor Mishin, Silent Souls producer was the one who released the film, and actually it was very strange distribution. Igor had to decide on the cinemas himself, because this kind of films is definitely not for one weekend release. For instance, one copy had been in release for three months. Distributors don’t want to have anything to deal with such films, but Silent Souls proved that our festival movies can and moreover – must – be shown in the cinema. In Russia are focused on big cities with two or three cinemas for auteur films screenings such as Salyut in Yekaterinburg, Pioner in Moscow and Pobeda in Novosibirsk. These theaters have been educating their own (and ours) audience for years, so they were the best choice to show our movies. 25 Media Resources Management. 22 Zakrevsky St., Kiev 02660, Ukraine www.mrm.ua Tel.: +380 (44) 459-4610; e-mail: info@mrm.ua INTERVIEW INTERVIEW INTERVIEW INTERVIEW C INTERVIEW INTERVIEW №11 22, 2012 2013 №9 February 31 October, Are you pleased with the Russian results projects of your can’t last movie Zheny Lugovykh Mari? did ploring some specific issue. afford it.Nebesnye For example, Russian producers mayHow ask me viewers andocean critics accept it? it in The Perfect Storm (2000). And I have to explain them that a group of to make the like they saw 100 programmers described the behavior of physical phenomenon during a year. Then the results of their work were set intoFilm the interface of to thebeprogram that created such a storming ocean. funds spent I’m very pleased. turned out authentic and very interesting. It is early daysAnd yetthe to speak about for researches arethere equalwas to the budget of–Russian project. on the Rome Film festival (November thethe viewer – actually, onlywhole one screening world premiere 2012 – edit.). Film received positive reviews in Italy and France. And Vatican official newspaper claimed Nebesnye Lugovykh to beBekmambetov the best festival filminvested of the year. The in filmthe is booked-up by the fesCGF closelyZheny cooperates withMari Timur who heavily FilmLanguage tivals for thetechnology. whole 2013. onepart sawinit in – we are in talks with the distributors. Can’t wait to (Kinoyazyk) DoStill, youno take theRussia researches of his company Bazelevs? show it! Alexey Fedorchenko We do cooperate with Bazelevs in some researches. But this cooperation is rather sketchy. Actually we do What areinto your year? What will youthat work on? have some results that are different not delve theplans study.for Asthe for next the FilmLanguage I know Bazelevs from the declared objectives but still… We’ve got a pretty rich script slate. I had been filling it up for several years, and now there are five excellent storiesiswaiting to be in shot. some them in development already. scriptasmust have spice. There information theAnd Web thatofyou areare going to launch your own The projects a producer. Is Its storytelling that true? should be unusual in terms of the language, the story, the turning points etc. And it should not be cliched and novelettish. I have some ideas. I have knowledge and skills that would be sufficient to launch a project. And the company is strong enough to realize it. We just need to try and move on if it works. In the nearest future we’ll decide on the range of projects that would be interesting to work on. At the same time we are going to separate company’s activity as a producer from providing postproduction services which is our core business. Most likely postproduction department will accomplish orders for our projects otherwise there will be a risk of failing in both areas. Alexander Gorokhov CIS: C ONTENT R EPORT CIS: Content Content Report report is CIS: is a a trademark trademark of of Media Media Resources Resources Management, Management, Ltd. Ltd. Copyright Copyright belongs belongs to to MRM MRM Company. Company. In In case case of of use use of of any any materials materials or or informationfrom fromCis: Cis:Content ContentReport report interactive interactive link link to to http://mrm.ua/en/project/regular/ciscr/subscribe http://mrm.ua/en/project/regular/ciscr/subscribe is is aa MUST. MUST. information Editorial team: team: Artem Artem Vakalyuk, Vakalyuk, Alexandr Alexandr Zakhlyupany, Zakhlyupany, Maria Maria Chuprina, Chuprina, Boris Boris Sydorenko, Sydorenko, Dmitry Dmitry Rubin, Rubin, Victoria Victoria Yarmoschuk. Yarmoschyk. Editorial In case case of of any any questions questions please please contact contact us: us: Media Media Resources Resources Management. Management. 22 22 Zakrevsky Zakrevsky St., St., Kiev Kiev 02660, 02660, Ukraine Ukraine In www.mrm.ua Tel.: Tel.: +380 +380 (44) (44) 459-4610; 459-4610; e-mail: e-mail: info@mrm.ua info@mrm.ua www.mrm.ua 26 28 Media Resources Resources Management. Management. 22 22 Zakrevsky Zakrevsky St., St., Kiev Kiev 02660, 02660, Ukraine Ukraine Media www.mrm.ua Tel.: Tel.: +380 +380 (44) (44) 459-4610; 459-4610; e-mail: e-mail: info@mrm.ua info@mrm.ua www.mrm.ua