Russian Documentaries

It is very difficult to make documentaries in Russia. It is very difficult to organise film festivals in Russia. It is very difficult to touch upon controversial subjects in Russia. We know that, but we also know how important it is to support the filmmakers there and to help them bring the films to life and to an audience abroad. I have had contacts with Russian documentarians for years, some of them since the existence of the Balticum Film & TV Festival on Bornholm in the 1990’es – some of them (because of their age) for a shorter period. To this category belongs young Georgy Molodtsov, who sent me a press release yesterday promoting the Russian Film Market Guide 2015 that is strongly recommended. Here is a quote:

“Moscow Business Square, Documentary Film Center and Russian Documentary Guild issue an English-language catalogue which includes detailed information about Russian documentary market. The print catalogue is now being presented at the Berlinale-2015 and its online version is available on Russian Documentary Guild web-site: http://www.rgdoc.com/industry

Printed version of the catalogue might be downloaded from web-site as well – http://rgdoc.ru/upload/iblock/RussianFilmMarketGuide.pdf

Both catalogues include a list of leading international documentary film festivals based in Russia. There is also a list of internationally successful production companies, national distributors, industrial sites, and Russian TV-channels. Besides this, the print catalogue shares an article which covers two important things such as financing sources available in Russia and opportunities of co-production with the Russian film companies…”

The Guild also publishes a Top 20 called “National Documentary Rating (is) a project (of Russian Documentary Guild), which determines the success of Russian films in domestic and international festival, tv and theatrical distribution during the 2013 calendar year (from Jan, 1 to Dec, 31).” On the list you find fine works as “Winter, Go Away“, “Linar“, “Vivan las Antipodas“-

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Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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