PROGRAMME OF THE 33RD MESSAGE TO MAN FILM FESTIVAL (2023)

The Special Screenings programme of the 33^rd Message to Man IFF. Feature both fiction and documentary films that are relevant and important to modern Russian and foreign cinematography.

Mikhail Ratgauz’s New Voices programme is dedicated to “cinema in between” – in between the familiar forms of arthouse, mainstream and avant-garde. It’s all about shifts. The cinema of young people in search of new story telling forms, new intensity, new ways of talking about us.

The auteur programme by Pyotr Shepotinnik serves as a retrospective of the documentary filmmaker Mario Canali’s work over the past decade. His documentary studies focus on Marco Ferreri, Gillo Pontecorvo, Vittorio De Sica and the Taviani brothers. Additionally, the programme includes a film dedicated to the legacy of American director Douglas Sirk, whose work profoundly influenced many European filmmakers, most notably Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Sirk’s films defied the conventions of Hollywood cinema during the 1940s and 1950s.

The Panorama.doc programme by Alexei Medvedev and Natalia Pylaeva was conceived as a cross-section of contemporary documentary filmmaking. “It seeks to capture the subtle shifts and changes occurring in this cinematic genre and to hear what today’s creators are speaking about. This year’s programme includes works that participated and earned recognition at the Cannes Film Festival, Cinéma du Réel, IDFA, and the Karlovy Vary Festival,” - says Natalia Pylaeva, co-curator of the programme.

Every year, in his programme Superreal Cinema, Andrey Plakhov presents the most anticipated hits from the main festivals. “The films featured in this programme often transcend conventional genre and cinematic boundaries. In one way or another, they all engage with real facts, but through creativity and vision of their creators, they are transformed into a subjective super-reality” (Andrei Plakhov).

The “Multiverse” programme includes short and medium-length films that were not included in the International Competition programme. It breaks down into four micro-universes – the four sessions titled Time Travel, Day, Night, and Apocalypse Now. The first micro-universe of “Multiverse” – Time Travel. The past of cinema and the world, revisited.

The second micro-universe of “Multiverse” – Day. Light within us and in the world.

The third micro-universe of “Multiverse” – Night. Dark within us and in the world.

The fourth micro-universe of “Multiverse” – Apocalypse Now. Confronting disasters, finding paths to salvation.

The Russian Youth. Present Continuous programme focuses on young Russian cinema, which refuses to fade away, despite premature pronouncements of its demise. It delves into the theme of inner freedom, a force that triumphs over external obstacles. The programme of 11 short live-action films created by graduates from the nation’s most prominent film schools, will culminate with a round table discussion on the fate and fortunes of young Russian cinema, with critic Larisa Malyukova moderating the conversation.

We’ll Draw It, We’ll Live It! is a selection of animated films by students of the All-Russian State University of Cinematography, Natalia Dabizha’s workshop. “The programme surprises with its wide range of themes and stylistic solutions. Along with poetic films, there are grotesque, ironic and action-packed ones… They are very different, but they all share a common thread: the emerging talent of these young filmmakers. Many of them have garnered recognition at both domestic and international festivals” (Natalia Dabizha).

The All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after Sergei Gerasimov (VGIK) was established on September 1, 1919, in Moscow. The Institute is dedicated to training creative professionals in the fields of cinematography, television, video, and various screen arts. In 2013, VGIK received recognition as an especially valuable cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation and was included in the State Register of Especially Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Russian Federation.

The history of the St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television goes back more than a hundred years, making it Russia’s oldest cinematographic school. Founded in 1918, it was then called the Higher Institute of Photography and Photographic Equipment. Today, SPUFT remains the leading creative school for professional training of talent for the film, television, and media industry. A century of experience, advanced educational methods, international cooperation — year after year, all these factors allow the University to produce highly qualified specialists and attract applicants from Russia and abroad. The University’s mission is to raise professional, broadly trained specialists that meet international standards and labour market requirements, as well as to actively promote our country’s social and spiritual development. In 2018, SPUFT received the Nika national film award for “contribution to cinematography, film criticism and education.” In 2020, the St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television topped the rating of creative higher education institutions in Russia, among 87 schools and their branches, including 47 schools of the Russian Ministry of Culture.