Festivals of documentary films in Russia

In this article we will discuss the most popular festivals of movies made in the documentary genre. Ready? Then we can start!

From the history of the genre

Festivals documentary in Russia - it's ... It is impossible to discuss such a topic without first touching on the actual history of documentary filmmaking. At first it was a chronicle, with the help of the camera they tried to capture the time. Arrival or departure of the autocrat, the exit of the royal family to a moleben, smoldering black pipes of ships of the navy, a meeting of the reigning officers and again military, only land exercises. All this was a breakdown of the instrument!

The fact that the cinema is the greatest of all arts was once said by the founder of the great power, the Soviet Union. And as you know, great people do not say anything without consequences. With the victory of the socialist revolution, documentary cinema in Russia, more precisely in the USSR, began its rapid development.

Already since 1918, with serious financial and organizational support of the state, documentary agitation and propaganda have massively earned. In March 1918, the Kinokomitet was created, the periodical Kinemedel magazine was published, a lot of talented journalists, directors, and operators were involved in the work, and on May 1, 1918, Grandfather Lenin was sealed for the first time, though separately from the mythical log.

By 1924, documentary cinema already had its own chapter - the cinema competition "Soyuzkinochronika", which was engaged in the production and organization of the rental of newsreels, both in the Soviet Union and abroad.

Since 1925, industry and specialized newsreels have been launched. Throughout the country, the number of cinema installations is increasing, a system of correspondent points, studios is being created, special movie trains are being equipped. And in this mass of agitprop, real talents and geniuses of documentary filmmaking are manifested and grow. "Well, where," you ask, "are documentary film festivals?". In 1935, the first Moscow Film Forum was already held, where gaming and documentary films (both Soviet and foreign) took part. From there, the "festival" story actually begins.

Documentary is a worthy genre of cinema!

Many consider documentary movies boring and uninteresting. Why is that? After all, in fact, this is an independent kind of art with its own rules, traditions, paradigm. What's the matter?

Ask yourself, how long have you been watching at least some documentary? Not these senseless cuts of historical chronicles on "mystical" channels, like REN-TV, but a real, finished, albeit short, with its definite story line and author's idea.

The older generation remembers that in times not so far away (some 20 years have passed), in every cinema there was a newsreel that was almost empty at sessions, before every feature film "they cast out" or a newsreel (for example, "Wick" ), Or some short documentary.

With the collapse of the Union and the revelry of freedom and democracy, there was much that was "blown off by the wind". And with regard to documentary films, the state order was blown out, and business does not have this need. Accordingly, with the financing problems began. Now, some kind of visibility of the movement in the Ministry of Culture is being created, but documentary is financed on the principle "only if it does not die at all". But festivals are held ...

Regular Festivals

This is precisely what does not allow us to finally die our documentary film production. Moreover, enthusiasm and love for the work of the documentary filmmakers themselves, their persistence and hope for common sense!

Festivals of documentary films are conventionally built on a certain hierarchy. As early as 1933 the International Organization FIAPF was established. It helps film producers in developing rules and regulations on intellectual property, combating piracy, applying IT technologies, relations with the media, and addressing financing issues.

FIAPF ranks the film festivals according to the established criteria. At present, they are accredited with 52. Since only festivals of documentary films are considered in Russia, it must be said that of these 52 only 2 are held in Russia. This is a very small number! By the way, only one of them ("The Epistle to Man" - an international festival of documentary films) is the annual forum of documentary films, registered in St. Petersburg since 1989.

Competitive events in Russia

To coordinate the work on the development of documentary and popular science films at the end of 2013, the FC RF establishes and creates the "Documentary Film Association of the Russian Federation". For today this is the organization under the auspices of which the majority of documentary film festivals are being established and being held. The significance of these film forums can not be overemphasized.

Festival "Laurel". In mid-1999, the Russian Federation Criminal Code was established. In the founders there are 12 producing films and studios programs. At the moment, "Lavr" is a unique professional award in Russia.

"Russia" is another festival of documentary films. Ekaterinburg is a city in which it is held annually. Every year people come here not only from different cities of Russia, but from different countries all over the world. I wonder why this regular event is so popular? This is an open documentary film festival, and since 1988 it has been one of the most representative non-fiction cinema festivals. Documentary and sci-fi films from Russia, the CIS and, of course, the Baltic countries take part in the festival.

Festival "Flahertiana" (Perm). The event is held every year in early September. The event is organized by the city administration of Perm and the film company "New Course".

The festival holds serious seminars on the art of documentary expressiveness. As an international festival is held only since 2006.

The festival "Artdokfest" is the largest documentary film festival in Russia. Moscow is the city where this event is held. Born in 2007, the SK of Russia. It is held annually in early December. To the competition, authors from all over the world are allowed to make films in Russian. In the first place selected tapes, whose authors are assigned the development of modern dock. Movies.

Show US is a documentary film festival that is regularly held in the US and Russia. Premieres of not only documentary films from different countries of production, but also other genres of cinema, which are no less popular, are held here.

Other Cinema

In Russia, every year there is a series of film forums. The works of documentary filmmakers are to some extent represented in them. Along with specialized non-feature film festivals, there are those in which documentaries are shown in separate sections and sections, such as the Moscow International Film Festival, which does not need to be presented to anyone. Some festivals need to be told.

The forum of the actual cinema "Kinoteatr.DOC" (Moscow). He started working in 2005. It is a contest of short films (documentary and play), in which life is shown as it is: people, events, problems. It is held annually in the last week of February.

Forum of Russian films "Window to Europe" (Vyborg). Has been working since 1993. International Forum of Cinema and TV programs "Golden Buben" (Khanty-Mansiysk). It has been held since 1998. TV contests and TV programs take part in competitions and nominations.

International Irkutsk Documentary Film Festival "Man and Nature". Non-feature films of socio-ecological orientation are presented.

International Forum "Meetings in Siberia" (Novosibirsk). Film festival of Russian and foreign documentary films. It is held annually in early September.

The All-Russian Film Forum "Eurasian Kaleidoscope" (Moscow) is a documentary film festival about the distinctiveness of national cultures.

Do you need festivals of documentary literature in Russia?

Here was presented only a part of the film forums of documentary films. The question of whether they are needed, brings us back to another question. Ask yourself, finally, yourself about how long have you been watching at least some documentary?

This was very well said by Sergei Jursky: "Art cinema since the appearance of 3D, and now 4D is rapidly moving away from the real art, that is, from the person ... Art cinema has become infinitely imitative one another ... The preservation of a combination of human life, , Who shoots the work, and those who turned out to be in the spotlight, that is, in the frame, it turned into professional documentary films, which have nowhere to look nowadays. Therefore, any film festival of documentary films is exclusive! ".