In Moscow, opened the 37th International Film Festival – RBC

President of the Festival, film director Nikita Mikhalkov at the opening ceremony of the 37th Moscow International Film Festival

Photo: RIA Novosti

On Friday, June 19, at the cinema “Russia” opened the 37th Moscow International Film Festival. With greetings from President Vladimir Putin addressed the gathering Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Ivliev, RIA Novosti reported.

«Dear friends, I greet you on the occasion of your forum, which has great traditions, they have every right to the name of historical” – the telegram says. Putin wished that the festival was held in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, creativity and art.

The jury of the festival, which will take place from 19 to 26 June, led by French film director Jean-Jacques Annaud. The forum’s program includes films from Russia, France, Spain, Lebanon, Iran, Bulgaria, Finland, Serbia and other countries. In the main competition involved 12 films, including three Russian tape – “Arventur” Irina Evteyeva “Orleans” Andrew Proshkina and “Dear Hans, Dear Peter,” Alexander Mindadze.

At the entrance to the cinema “Russia” guests and participants of the festival met the president of the festival, film director Nikita Mikhalkov and his wife Tatiana. On the red carpet leading from the monument to Pushkin in theater, former head of the Department of Film, Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Telnov, head of the Department of Culture of Moscow, Alexander Kibovsky, directors Rezo Gigineishvili Andrei Proshkin, Vera Glagolev, Yuri Kara, producer Igor Mishin Igor Ugolnikov, fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev, politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Irina Skobtseva actress Renata Litvinova, Ravshan Kurkova, Anna Chipovskaya, Victoria Isakova, actor Andrei Sokolov, Maxim Averin Alexei Vorobyov, director Jean-Jacques Annaud, actress Jacqueline Bisset and others.

As previously wrote RBC in 2015, government funding for the festival, which is about 70% of the total budget will decrease to 110-115 million rubles. This information was confirmed by the general producer of the festival Leonid Vereshchagin. Total expenditure on the MIFF can reach 157-164 mln. Rubles, or about 20% less than the year before. Vereshchagin did not name exact figures, but assured that “all these reductions can not be called critical, we expect to stay within the current [truncated] budget by cutting spending».

The second major source of funds for the festival are the sponsors. Earlier Vereshchagin said that “due to certain circumstances,” sponsorship of the festival this year will decrease, because Russian companies cut marketing budgets.

International Film Festival is considered one of the oldest in the world, the first international festival was held in the Russian capital in 1935 year. Film Forum is held every two years.