From October 16 to 24, audiences can look forward to nine days packed with festival events. A total of 33 films in the International Competition, 19 in the National Competition, and 23 in the experimental competition In Silico will compete for awards at the 36th Message to Man International Film Festival. The programme will also feature 12 curated programmes and numerous premieres. St. Petersburg will host the city’s first photography exhibition by legendary cinematographer Yuri Klimenko, a photofilm laboratory led by Denis Klebleev, discussions, and an extensive industry programme.
The festival will open with the Russian premiere of the documentary The Match (dir. Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco, Argentina, 2026). The film premiered at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it was the only documentary selected for the prestigious Cannes Première section. Made to mark the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England, the film goes beyond the boundaries of sports documentary. Football becomes a starting point for exploring the complex relationship between the two countries, historical memory, war, and national identity. The film has received high praise from critics and audiences alike.
On October 16, the festival’s press conference will take place at the Aurora Cinema, preceded by a press preview of the exhibition The Cinematic World of Yuri Klimenko. The press preview begins at 1:20 PM, followed by the press conference at 2:00 PM.
This is one of two exhibitions of the master’s photography presented as part of the festival. The main exhibition, Shadows: Photographs by Yuri Klimenko, will open on October 17 at 2:00 PM at the Rodina Cinema Centre, with the photographer in attendance.
The festival’s opening ceremony will take place at the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre.
This year’s juries include filmmakers from Russia, Israel, Portugal, Senegal, Bulgaria, Morocco, and the United States. Among the jury members across all three competitions are former participants and award winners of Message to Man.
Festival Press Conference
October 16, 1:00 PM
On the opening day, the festival organisers and jury members will hold the traditional press conference. The event will begin with a press preview of the exhibition Yuri Klimenko’s World of Cinema at the A–Ya Gallery in the courtyard of the Aurora Cinema at 1:20 PM. At 2:00 PM, participants will move to the Aurora Cinema, where they will discuss the festival programme and special events.
Speakers:
- Alexey Uchitel, Festival President;
- Mikhail Zheleznikov, Festival Programme Director and curator of the In Silico experimental film competition;
- Mikhail Ratgauz, Director of Special Projects and curator of the New Voices programme;
- Adnan Baraka (Morocco), member of the International Competition jury, director, producer, and musician;
- Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal), member of the International Competition jury, director, artist, writer, composer, and producer, and one of the key figures in contemporary African cinema;
- Stasya Tolstaya (Russia), member of the International Competition jury, director and actress;
- Sérgio Tréfaut (Portugal), member of the International Competition jury and director;
- Vasily Stepanov, Chair of the International Competition Selection Committee;
- Pavel Pugachev, curator of the National Competition.
The press conference will also be attended by representatives of the National Competition jury, the In Silico experimental film competition jury, the Press Jury, and the Student Jury, as well as festival programme curators and selectors.
Moderator: Nina Romodanovskaya, Editor-in-Chief of ProfiCinema.ru.
Festival Opening
October 16, 4:00 PM, Aurora Cinema. The festival will open with a screening of The Match (dir. Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco).
The film premiered at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it was the only documentary selected for the prestigious Cannes Première section.
The film takes audiences back to the legendary 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England at the Estadio Azteca. Rare archival footage, including Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” moment, is combined with contemporary commentary from participants. The match serves as a starting point for exploring more than two centuries of relations between the two countries, from their earliest contacts to the Falklands (Malvinas) War. Forty years after the match, it emerges not only as a landmark in sporting history but also as a reflection of a long-standing historical rivalry, where the beauty of football collides with the absurdity of war.
The evening celebrating the opening of the 36th festival will take place at the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre.
A live stream of the opening ceremony will be available from 7:30 PM on October 16 on the festival website and in the official Message to Man community on VKontakte.
Jury
International Competition:
- Adnane Baraka — director, producer, and musician, and a Message to Man award winner;
- Moussa Sene Absa — director, artist, writer, composer, and producer;
- Stacy Tolstoy — director and actress;
- Lori Felker — director, lecturer, curator, and performer, and a former Message to Man participant;
- Sérgio Tréfaut — director and producer who has previously participated in the festival.
National Competition:
- Lyubov Mulmenko — director and screenwriter;
- Alexey Khanyutin — director and President of the Guild of Non-Fiction Cinema and Television;
- Andrey Chertov — cinematographer and director.
In Silico Experimental Film Competition:
- Maya Zack — artist and director;
- Maria Kuvshinova — film critic;
- Andrei Rudyev — artist;
- Sid Iandovka — artist, director, and musician.
Press Jury:
- Elena Gracheva — literary scholar and educator;
- Asya Kolodizhner — journalist, film critic, and screenwriter;
- Denis Osokin — prose writer, poet, and screenwriter.
Student Jury:
- Artem Zhdanov, student at the School of New Cinema;
- Elizaveta Savvina, student at VGIK;
- Elizaveta Sogrina, student at the St. Petersburg State Institute of Film and Television.