20.10.2026 at 20:45. National Competition 8: Chicks, Before the Sun, Women’s Circle, Avrora, Small Hall

Time and place

Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 20:45

Aurora Cinema Centre – Small Hall: Nevsky prospect, 60

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Description

CHICKS

2025, 4 min., Russia, language - Russian; short-length animation

Director: Anna Donskova

BEFORE THE SUN

2026, 34 min., Russia, language - Russian; short-length feature

Director: Alisa Tamarova

WOMEN’S CIRCLE

2026, 50 min., Russia, language - Russian; short-length documentary

Director: Elina Khakimova

Women’s Circle

Genres: Documentary, Short-length

Director: Elina Khakimova

Operator: Elina Khakimova

Cast: Рамиля Хаметова, Элина Хакимова, Эльвира Хакимова

Producer: Elina Khakimova

Year: 2026

Country: Russia

Duration: 50 min.

Languages: Russian

Description

Russian premiere

Two closest friends, Elina and Ramilya, on the cusp of turning 40, take a recreational trip to the mountains. Elina brings along her new lover, Vasily, hoping the trip will strengthen their relationship. Away from it all, she sees that Vasily is making advances towards Ramilya that her friend does not reject. Jealousy takes over Elina, and the holiday she had waited for turns into a psychological duel. Can their friendship survive the test?

About the director:

Women’s Circle

Elina Khakimova

Filmmaker. Born in Orenburg Region. In 2025 she entered the DocFilmCommunity school of documentary film. Women’s Circle is her graduation work.

Before the Sun

Genres: Documentary, Short-length

Director: Alisa Tamarova

Operator: Pavel Gubarev

Screenwriter: Alisa Tamarova

Cast: Maria Skoboleva, Daniella Skoboleva, Ksenia Ratke, Akim Fedorov, Vilena Levchenko

Producer: Polina Kisochkina, Ksenia Tomchuk

Year: 2026

Country: Russia

Duration: 35 min.

Languages: Russian

Description

World premiere

A summer camp on the Black Sea becomes a coming-of-age place for teenagers from an orphanage. Masha looks after her younger sister; Ksyusha lives with the fallout of a first love; Akim waits in the hope that his father will soon return.

About the director:

Before the Sun

Alisa Tamarova

Filmmaker. Graduate of the St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television, workshop of Alexander Markov and Maria Popritsak. The Dream (2022) and Decay (2023) were featured at the Saint Anna Festival; her coursework project film Three Lives of Boris (2025) competed in the National Competition of the 35th Message to Man IFF. Before the Sun is her graduation film.

Chicks

Genres: Documentary, Short-length

Director: Anna Donskova

Operator: Anna Donskova

Screenwriter: Anna Donskova

Producer: Taisiya Shlepneva, Victoria Aksenova, Victor Fedoseev

Producer company : chela Animation Studio, Big Animation School

Year: 2025

Country: Russia

Duration: 4 min.

Languages: Russian

Description

The everyday lives of young women after arrest — in a detention centre, and in the time before.

About the director:

Chicks

Anna Donskova

Director and animator. She graduated in animation from the Business & Design Institute in 2023 and as a director of animated film from the Big Animation School (Roza Gimatdinova’s workshop) in 2026. Her film And Maybe Over There They… (2026) screened in the Russian section of the Big Cartoon Festival.

Contacts:

studiopchela.ru

pchelastudiofest@gmail.com