MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Motion pictures by directors from Spain, Argentina and France will vie for awards at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival, the event’s program director Ivan Kudryavtsev said at a press conference.
"The main competition includes 50 participating countries, including 24 from the list of hostile states. The top five most represented countries have practically not changed from last year, with Russia in first place, China in second, Spain and France trading places, being in third and fourth place. And Argentina rounds out the top five," he said, announcing the competition’s program.
Kudryavtsev said that this year, the festival received over 1,600 submissions, a 17% increase from the year before. "In all, we selected around 200 motion pictures for our program versus 240 last year. By doing this, we are trying to single out those films that will appeal to both industry professionals and the general public," he said.
According to him, the festival’s main goal is not only to entertain Moscow residents but also make sure that "movie theaters fill up again, ticket sales go up, that the Moscow festival is well-attended, keeping this Moscow tradition alive and making sure that it is passed down to the next generation."
Best picture award
In the festival’s best picture category, 12 motion pictures will be up for the prize, including three films from Russia. The Planet, directed by Mikhail Arkhipov, tells the story of a director filming a movie about an expedition to Venus, but he becomes jaded and begins to question whether viewers need to watch a motion picture about space when there are so many unresolved problems on Earth.
Also up for best picture is Family Happiness, directed by Stasya Tolstaya, an adaptation of a novel by Leo Tolstoy. The film is about the evolving relationship of a married couple and their struggles to overcome personal challenges.
The third Russian movie is Two People in One Life and a Dog, directed by Andrey Zaytsev. The motion picture tells the story of a couple living in St. Petersburg and examines "what modern people feel is missing in their lives today."
Panel of judges
Kudryavtsev also said that a Spanish producer and director will lead the panel of judges of the main competition. "The judges will be led by Luis Minarro. Russia will be represented by Aleksey German Jr.," the official noted.
Also among the judges will be Romanian director Cornel Gheorghita (The Crypt, The Brassy Bands), US actor and director John Robinson (Transformers, She’s Funny That Way), Russian actress Maryana Spivak (Vongozero: The Outbreak, Tsoi) and Egyptian singer Bushra.
American scholar and writer Peter Kuznick will chair the panel of judges for the documentary competition. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers in 1984 and in 1985, founded the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington DC. Kuznick notably helped organize large exhibits dedicated to the 50th and 70th anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
About festival
The Moscow Film Festival was first held in 1935. In 1995, it was announced that it would become an annual event. However, the festival was not held in 1996 or 1998. Since 1999, the festival has been held every year. The festival’s president is film director Nikita Mikhalkov. TASS is the event’s information partner.