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Press & Media

April 13, 2010

Articles about Film Week

Publications in English media

Allied Media Corp - The 9th Russian Film Week in NY
FashionWindows - Russian Film Week Slated in New York
The FINANCIAL - Russian film week opens in New York
RT - Russian Film Week kicks off in NY
Russia! Magazine - Russian Filmmakers Try To Conquer Western Market
The Voice of Russia - Ninth Russian Film Week starts in New York
The Epoch Times - Movie Review: Anna Karenina
The Epoch Times - Movie Review: Gift to Stalin

Publications in Russian-language media

November 13 - November 22

Global Advertising Strategies Hosted the Ninth Annual Russian Film Week in New York

New York, NY (November 24, 2009) - Over ten thousand New Yorkers attended the Ninth Annual Russian Film Week in New York, organized by Global Advertising Strategies (USA) and studio Clotho-Plus (Russia). This important cultural event received support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, diplomatic missions of Russia in New York and Washington, DC, the New York Mayor and Governor, prominent US senators.

“This eagerly-anticipated week demonstrates the outstanding contributions of Russian actors, directors, musicians, and producers to the industry, showing the many ways Russian culture continues to enrich the artistic community in our City and around the world,” said Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg in welcoming the participants of Film Week.

From November 13th through 22nd, the best works of contemporary Russian cinema were shown in some of the most prestigious venues around New York City. During these ten days, audiences were presented with twelve live-action films and one documentary. Among them, three American premieres: Anna Karenina, directed by Sergey Solovyev, which opened Film Week; Tsar, by Pavel Lungin; and Bury Me behind the Baseboard, by Sergey Snezhkin, garnering the most interest from the New York audiences. Tickets for all shows were sold out long before the screenings.

Completely selling out shows was not the only distinctive feature of Film Week this year. According to members of the Russian delegation, the organizers were able to fully transform the idea of Film Week.

“We decided not to follow the format of Film Week of previous years,” said Givi Topchishvili, President and CEO of Global Advertising Strategies. “In my opinion, beneath everything that was done before, even though the delegation was strong and the films brought were okay, the main goal of Film Week was lost – to create the opportunities for a professional dialogue between Russian and American cinematographers. In undertaking this project, we set an objective to draw the ‘right’ audience to Film Week in order to provide Russian film directors with an opportunity to interact with their American colleagues, as well as distributors and critics. This is our first experience organizing Film Week. Some things were a success, while others could have been done differently. Still, as already evident, we chose the right path.”

A series of topical discussions and “roundtables,” which aroused huge interest from the New York professorial and cinema elite, was held throughout Film Week. On November 16th, a roundtable discussion entitled Advancement of Russian Cinema in the United States: Prospects for Collaboration and Creative Exchange, was held at the School of Visual Arts Theater after the screening of the film Tsar. The discussion was led by Vladimir Padunov, Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, a renowned specialist in Russian culture and the history of Soviet and Russian cinema, and by Oleg Sulkin, Program Director of Film Week. Participants in the roundtable included directors Pavel Lungin and Sergey Solovyev; American film directors Slava Tsukerman, Julia Loktev and Dmitry Trakovsky; film distributor Wendy Lidell; President of Kino International Donald Krim; actor Peter Von Berg; Professor Edward Miller of the College of Staten Island; and film critic David D’Arcy.

The roundtable discussion that took place on November 18th at Columbia University attracted a more academic audience. Throughout the day, students and professors were shown pictures by young Russian film directors – Buben, Baraban by Alexei Mizgirev, Tale in the Darkness by Nikolai Khomeriki and Everybody Dies but Me by Valeriya Gai Germanika. The roundtable discussion, entitled “New Barbarians” in Russian cinema – a new generation of Russian film directors, was held after the screenings. The discussion was led by Catharine Nepomnyachshy, Director of Slavic Studies, Columbia University. From the American side spoke such experts in Russian culture and cinematography as Nancy Condee, Professor, University of Pittsburgh; Anthony Anemone, Professor of Russian Language, Chair of Foreign Languages and Literary Studies, Columbia University; and Katerina Clark, Professor, Yale University. Nikolai Khomeriki defended the title of “new barbarians.”

“In assessing the Ninth, - but for us the first, - Russian Film Week, it’s necessary to say that we did not anticipate such an enormous interest from viewers and the craze surrounding the films and discussions,” said Anna Treyer-Simakova, Executive Director of Film Week. “Evidently, the combination of a good selection of films, an exciting list of participants, eager to share their professional experience, plus strong advertising support determine the correct formula for a successful Film Week, revealing the audience’s potential. Most importantly, we were able to attract the attention of the professional American audience, therefore, we established a solid foundation for the continuation of dialogue.”

November 13 - November 22

Russian Film Week Returns To New York City For Its 9th Consecutive Year

New York, NY (October 21, 2009) – Organizers, leading agency Global Advertising Strategies, along with award-winning documentary production company CLOTO are proud to bring back the week-long series of movies and events that show the best in Russian film-making, created by some of the most influential and award-winning Russian directors. The film week will run from November 13, 2009 through November 22, 2009.

Over 13 feature films will be shown throughout the city, including the much-anticipated U.S. premier of Anna Karenina and Tsar. These epic films of classic tales of Russian culture and history will appeal to audiences of all backgrounds, as will the list of other films being shown throughout the week.

“As in previous years the Russian Film Week brings internationally acclaimed and award-winning films to New York City’s foreign film enthusiasts,” said Givi Topchishvili, President & CEO of Global Advertising Strategies. “These epic films, their directors and stars attract not only the city’s Russian community, but industry leaders wishing to strengthen business ties between these two great countries.”

Global Advertising Strategies celebrating its 10th year of success as an international advertising and marketing firm has a long history of bridging cultural gaps between borders and countries.

As this event represents a new era of relations between the U.S. and Russia, it is strongly supported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture as well as Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, United States Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

The week-long series of feature films also will include roundtable discussions with their directors and stars. Industry insiders will be joining in these sessions.

Global Advertising Strategies will host Ninth Annual Russian Film Week

New York, NY (September 21, 2009) - Global Advertising Strategies (USA) and studio Clotho-Plus (Russia) received the right to organize the Ninth Annual Russian Film Week in New York. Both the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation as well as the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation in Culture, Mikhail Shvidkoy actively endorse this venture.

As this event represents a new era of relations between the U.S. and Russia, Global’s initiative immediately gained the support of American officials, such as the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, Governor David Patterson, prominent US Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer. “I am grateful for the opportunity to recognize this one-of-a-kind film festival that represents the exemplary work of the Russian film industry and the Russian-speaking community, - said Senator Charles Schumer. - This Film Week represents the kind of vision, creativity and culture of the Russian community that needs wider exposure and recognition.”

Film Week will run from November 13th through November 22nd. Films will be shown in some of the most prestigious venues of New York City. The week-long series of feature films will also include roundtable discussions with their directors and stars. Industry insiders will be joining in these sessions."