Kazan film festival: million for nomination, open-air film and friendship with Egypt
Few days left till the opening of the Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema. The competition and out-of-competition programmes were printed a long time ago. The major prizes of the film festival were chosen. The festival, which will be the 13 th this year, cements its positions in the film market of Russia. It was discussed at a press conference. Realnoe Vremya tells the details.
''The number of applications grows''
As Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Airat Sibagatullin told while opening the conference, the Kazan film festival occupied its niche, both its authority and importance in Russia grow. ''If last year we received 603 applications, this year we did tens more. Tatarstan cinematographers presented three films among the films that will fight for prizes, which are 60. In general, Tatarstan cinema has been given a separate nomination since this year,'' the culture minister told journalists.
According to him, now the Kazan film festival, which will open on 5 September in Pyramid Culture and Leisure Complex, is one of the biggest platforms in Russia. In general, it is evenly interesting for both spectators and cinematographers who can learn many useful things in Kazan.
''As for the quality of films that are presented in the Kazan Festival of Muslim Cinema this year, their number grows. If earlier we often accepted little-known directors to the film programme who had not been presented at our festival, now the festival programme has many films that already got prizes at other prestigious film forums. So the status of our competition programme has risen,'' told Milyausha Aituganova, director of Tatarcinema.
Milyaysha Aituganova put an example of the film of Egyptian cinematographers called Women's Day, which got prizes at festivals in London, Cairo, Mumbai before the Kazan film festival. It is not the only decorated film in the programme of the Kazan film festival. By the way, this festival will have completely new films. Their world premieres will take place in Kazan.
Aituganova says the discovery-film The Preacher is a complicated film but made by a powerful director. If the weather allows, the film will be demonstrated in the open air on the opening day in the Cannon Yard of the Kazan Kremlin. The Preacher will also be available in festival halls on the opening day.
One million for winners
The festival programme has traditional masterclasses for cinematographers, artistic meetings and retrospectives of films. An exhibition that will open at the Museum of Islamic Culture of the Kazan Kremlin on 6 September can be correspondingly interesting as well as a round-table talk about problems of cinema in Muslim countries that will take place after. Ten cinematographers from different countries are ready to deliver a speech during the round-table talk.
Presentation of a friendly film festival is another event that can directly affect the development of cinematography in Tatarstan. We are talking about the festival of women's cinema in Aswan. A memorandum of understanding of Tatarstan and Egyptian cinematographers will be signed during this presentation. One of the goals is to make films together in Tatarstan. In general, it was told at the press conference that women's cinema in Muslim countries is confidently conquering its place in the sun. In this respect, Tatarstan is not an exception.
The Kazan film festival is also a platform to teach young cinematographers. For instance, its programmes have lectures about how to find a producer, investor, fight for spectators.
Giving Tatarstan cinema a separate nomination is one of the news of this festival. In general, many international film festivals do so. It helps to show national cinematography better.
Ten films will compete in the nomination Tatarstan Cinema. The Unsent Letters and Aisylu are among the undoubted favourites. Young Kazan director Yulia Zakharova's film Khalima will obviously kindle interest. The script of this film won a competition held by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. The sum given for awards in national cinema was also announced at the press conference. It is one 1 million rubles. There will be four prizes here, they vary from 100 to 300,000 rubles.