In early December, ROSKINO, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, organised a film location tour for representatives of the film industry of the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of activities aimed at the international promotion of Russian regional locations for filming. The programme of the visit included visits to Moscow, St. Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod.

The aim of the tour is to present potential filming locations in Russia to foreign filmmakers and strengthen their co-operation with the local film industry.

Earlier, in July this year, Iranian colleagues had already come to Moscow as part of the Days of Iranian Cinema organised by ROSKINO, met with representatives of Russian companies, and visited The Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK). Iranian filmmakers also visited St Petersburg in August and took part in the Lendoc Film Festival.

The December visit was more eventful. The Iranian delegation included director Alireza Samadi; deputy director of economic development at the Farabi Cinema Foundation Alireza Hayihiharib; Head of the Avini Institute of Fiction and Documentary Films Javad Ezzati; film and TV series producer Seidmahdi Javadi; producers Sayed Saber Emami and Mohammadreza Shafiei; actor and director Hadi Hejifar.

In Moscow, the Iranian guests noted the high level of film production infrastructure.

Foreign filmmakers spent two days in the Novgorod region. The producers noted that the timing for the location tour was chosen very well: Iranian cinema needs winter locations and weather conditions in which winter scenes could be filmed.

The programme of the visit included an excursion to the Valery Rubtsov Film Museum and a visit to historical places of Veliky Novgorod, which traditionally become a filming ground for Russian and foreign cinematographers – the Kremlin, Torgovaya Storona, Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Folk Wooden Architecture.

The dialogue on cooperation continued in St. Petersburg: at the Lendoc film studio the guests were immersed in the history of Russian cinematography and also got acquainted with Russian international film projects.

As part of the film location tour, several round tables were held under the theme “Film dialogue between Russia and Iran: what unites the film industry of the two countries?”. Producers from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as representatives of the regional film industry, are interested in the possibility of creating joint projects with Iranian film companies for feature and documentary films and series.

Among the specific projects initiated during the event are: shooting Iranian films and TV series in Russia with the involvement of Russian actors and unique film specialists in special effects and innovative technologies; creating documentary series about the history and culture of Iran for Russian viewers; attracting Iranian computer graphics and animation companies as partners for the production of Russian projects.

Filming Locations in Russia is a ROSKINO project with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture to promote Russian regions as filming locations for foreign filmmakers. The project’s mission is to open Russia to the international film community, promote regional film production and increase the country’s tourism potential.

Photo: ROSKINO