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Siberian Film Festival Awakens Youthful Creativity
Written by Marya Nazarova, secretary general, UPF-Russia
Novosibirsk, Russia—Siberia and its place in Russia and the world were the theme of a youth film festival partly organized by the Siberian chapter of UPF.
On May 25, 2017, the closing ceremony of the first regional youth film festival "Of the Same Planet" was held in the Novosibirsk Regional Youth Library. The library was one of the organizers of the festival, along with the All-Russia Festival Committee and the Siberian branch of UPF.
The concept for the film festival was born when a member of one of the migrant communities asked a direct question: "What are you proud of, Siberians? We are proud of our religion, culture, and customs. And what is it you have that we would want to learn from you?"
So the basic concept of the film festival was formed: everything connected with our Siberia and the city of Novosibirsk. Because Siberia is a multinational region with a multitude of cultures and people from different parts of the world, the name selected for the film festival was "Of the Same Planet." After all, despite the fact that we are all different, there is one thing we have in common: immense and incomparable, our unique Siberia.
Fifty-two individuals entered their works in the film festival, including authors' groups. The level of work was varied, but in general it was quite high.
The 13 films that were presented were carefully reviewed several times by the members of the jury. The first two places were won by four works. A film from the town of Tatarsk was in third place. Other participants received special diplomas, souvenirs and prizes.
The main highlight of the festival, according to the organizers, was the display of each film and video, followed by a short analysis by professional filmmakers. For two and a half hours Tatyana Gamaley, a documentary filmmaker and journalist; Oksana Berillo, director of the All-Russia Cinema Film Festival in Novosibirsk; and Konstantin Shtyhno, a film director, gave their opinions, argued with the entrants and explained their mistakes and shortcomings. There were a lot of emotions and sharp objections. At times it seemed that the jury was too categorical. After all, the film festival was organized not just for professionals!
Unexpectedly, however, at the end almost all the participants said they appreciated this hard-hitting discussion most of all.
Tatyana Mikhailova, an animator of the Tatar cartoon studio Chudo-Yudo, who posted the recording of a discussion on Instagram, phoned the youth library the next morning to inform them that the response to this recording exceeded all expectations.
Having found out that this kind of discussion is anticipated at next year’s film festival, filmmakers from Omsk, Kuibyshev, and even the central part of Russia said they want to participate in the event. It turns out that young authors are equally interested in the possibility of professional assessment and analysis of their work, no less than in awards and diplomas.
"I can sometimes disagree with criticism, but I'm very much interested in knowing what professionals pay attention to and in understanding their requirements," explained Yefim Kitaev, author of the film Heavy Sports, who received a diploma for the true picture of a real athlete’s life.
In turn, the jury members also expressed their interest in such a format for discussion.
It turned out that Tatyana Gamaley, the documentary filmmaker, had long ago spoken of the main idea of the film festival: Siberia. After the end of the festival, she said in her address to all:
“Repeatedly I myself tried to draw attention to this topic in my classes and speeches, but somehow in vain. I want to believe that your film festival will succeed in this. I would be happy to participate in all the following film festivals. Please invite me!”
A group of young people from the "Old Mill" Children’s and Youth Center, who won in the "Social Video" category for their film They Heard Each Other, immediately offered to organize monthly meetings at the youth library with professional filmmakers and anyone who is keen on making authors’ films. Konstantin Shtyhno immediately agreed to participate.
The winners
Diploma of the third degree in the category "Indigenous Peoples of Siberia": Sofya and Violetta Mikulina, family animation studio Ryba-Kit, Tatarsk, headed by Dmitry Mikhaylovich Mikhailov.
Diploma of the first degree in the category "The Value of Siberia": the cartoon True Friends, Natalia Andreenko, Daria Andreenko, Evgeny and Makar Andreenko, Anastasia Sitskaya, the "Media" experimental animation studio, headed by Marina Sirota.
Diploma of the first degree in the category "Youth Reactor": Novosibirsk Athletes Love Reading and Books, Mark Rakityansky.
Diploma of the first degree in the category "Indigenous Peoples of Siberia": Ostrog (“Prison”), Andrey Kuznetsov, Varvara Pavitskaya, Polina Korzhenevskaya, "Dom" animation studio, Berdsk, headed by Gennady Pavlovich Domyonkin.
Diploma in the first degree in the category "Social Video": They Heard Each Other, Varvara Maksimenko, Alexandra Vasilieva, Anna Maksimova, Valeria Kudina, Sofia Dorozhinskaya and Diana Granovskaya, "Old Mill" Children’s and Youth Center, headed by Lyubov Pavlovna Lazareva.
The organizers gave batteries for gadgets to all participants of the film festival.
So, see you at the festival "Of the Same Planet" next year!
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