Photo: Daniil Gladyshev
MOSCOW, 1 April (BelTA - TV BRICS) -
The closing ceremony of the International Documentary Film Festival
“Unknown Russia” took place in Moscow on 27 March. The competition
programme demonstrated a wide range of topics - from ecology and science
to human stories, culture, and social challenges.
Screenings of the festival programme, which, in addition to Russian films, included works from countries such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, were attended by more than 7,000 viewers in cinemas. Films from Bangladesh and Uzbekistan were shown out of competition. The festival’s business programme included 14 events - plenary discussions, book lectures, project reviews, pitching sessions, and masterclasses - featuring 54 speakers. The online audience exceeded 120,000 people.
The festival’s main award, the Grand Prix, was given to the films "Emelianenko", directed by Valeriya Gai Germanika and “Forest. Guardian of Life", directed by Vladislav Grishin and Irina Schaepman.
The festival’s competition programme included two films by the TV BRICS International Media Network: "Uralian Anomaly" and “Partitura. Young Music of Russia”. Two more films by the media network’s Argentine partners were presented in the special screenings programme.
The best films of the festival will be shown not only on big screens in Moscow and on federal television channels but also broadcast on TV BRICS. The media network acted as the international information partner of the festival.
The jury included Ivan Zakharenko, Head of the Thematic Broadcasting and Special Media Projects Department at TV BRICS, with the support of the media network, and Indian director Upasana Mittal, CEO of Innovative Group, Artistic and Executive Director of the Innovative International Film Festival (IIFF) and the I-Film Festival.
"In documentary cinema worldwide, universal themes remain in demand, and no changes are to be expected in this regard. However, the examples through which these timeless themes are explored, as well as the visual form of the works, certainly follow certain trends. In this respect, stories about people in industrial and technological professions are in demand. Their inner character is unique due both to the specifics of their work and their own complex destinies. By engaging with these protagonists, we as viewers discover something new or resonant within ourselves and come to understand contemporary Russia through them, and through it, the whole of today’s world. And although the trend towards high-quality documentary cinema has been growing in recent years, for authors such festivals still remain one of the few platforms for reaching a wide audience", Ivan Zakharenko, Head of the Thematic Broadcasting and Special Media Projects Department at TV BRICS said.
Festival President Vyacheslav Goldfeld, in turn, linked the growing interest in documentary filmmaking with technological development. “We have found that interest in documentary cinema will grow, especially against the backdrop of the development of artificial intelligence, since nothing is more real than documentary,” he added.
The documentary film festival “Unknown Russia” has been held since 2024. It brings together directors, producers, television channels, online platforms, and audiences. The main objectives of the festival are to establish a live dialogue between documentary filmmakers and society, to help authors exchange experience, and to create films that will be engaging and accessible to modern audiences.
Screenings of the festival programme, which, in addition to Russian films, included works from countries such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, were attended by more than 7,000 viewers in cinemas. Films from Bangladesh and Uzbekistan were shown out of competition. The festival’s business programme included 14 events - plenary discussions, book lectures, project reviews, pitching sessions, and masterclasses - featuring 54 speakers. The online audience exceeded 120,000 people.
The festival’s main award, the Grand Prix, was given to the films "Emelianenko", directed by Valeriya Gai Germanika and “Forest. Guardian of Life", directed by Vladislav Grishin and Irina Schaepman.
The festival’s competition programme included two films by the TV BRICS International Media Network: "Uralian Anomaly" and “Partitura. Young Music of Russia”. Two more films by the media network’s Argentine partners were presented in the special screenings programme.
The best films of the festival will be shown not only on big screens in Moscow and on federal television channels but also broadcast on TV BRICS. The media network acted as the international information partner of the festival.
The jury included Ivan Zakharenko, Head of the Thematic Broadcasting and Special Media Projects Department at TV BRICS, with the support of the media network, and Indian director Upasana Mittal, CEO of Innovative Group, Artistic and Executive Director of the Innovative International Film Festival (IIFF) and the I-Film Festival.
"In documentary cinema worldwide, universal themes remain in demand, and no changes are to be expected in this regard. However, the examples through which these timeless themes are explored, as well as the visual form of the works, certainly follow certain trends. In this respect, stories about people in industrial and technological professions are in demand. Their inner character is unique due both to the specifics of their work and their own complex destinies. By engaging with these protagonists, we as viewers discover something new or resonant within ourselves and come to understand contemporary Russia through them, and through it, the whole of today’s world. And although the trend towards high-quality documentary cinema has been growing in recent years, for authors such festivals still remain one of the few platforms for reaching a wide audience", Ivan Zakharenko, Head of the Thematic Broadcasting and Special Media Projects Department at TV BRICS said.
Festival President Vyacheslav Goldfeld, in turn, linked the growing interest in documentary filmmaking with technological development. “We have found that interest in documentary cinema will grow, especially against the backdrop of the development of artificial intelligence, since nothing is more real than documentary,” he added.
The documentary film festival “Unknown Russia” has been held since 2024. It brings together directors, producers, television channels, online platforms, and audiences. The main objectives of the festival are to establish a live dialogue between documentary filmmakers and society, to help authors exchange experience, and to create films that will be engaging and accessible to modern audiences.
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