How was the opening of the Moscow International Film Festival?

In Moscow on August 26, the grand opening of the 44th Moscow Film Festival took place, which will be held in the capital until September 2. The festival is open not only to film industry professionals, but also to all cinephiles. All you need to do is purchase a ticket to the film premiere at official website of the film festival.

Magazine TheStatusSymbol.com visited the grand opening of the MIFF and tells how the opening of the show went.

As the president of the film festival, director Nikita Mikhalkov, said at the opening, this year the MIFF will feature films from all continents except Antarctica. At a briefing before the festival, Mikhalkov announced that 245 films from more than 45 countries would be shown at the MIFF. An innovation of the film festival will be a new competition program - “Russian Premieres”, dedicated to Russian cinema.

Traditionally, the opening ceremony of the MIFF was held at the Rossiya cinema, in front of which a huge red carpet was laid out - the widest among all world film festivals. For the opening ceremony, guests chose discreet, classic looks. Along the red carpet leading to the theater were the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova, members of the jury, participants in the MIFF competition programs, the film crew of the opening film of the festival “The Heart of Parma”: Anton Megerdichev, Elena Erbakova, Sergei Puskepalis, Elena Panova, Islam Zafesof cameraman Sergei Astakhov , producer Igor Tolstunov. And also Tatyana Mikhalkova, Svetlana Druzhinina, Anatoly Mukasey, Konstantin Khabensky, Sergey Burunov, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Alena Babenko, Nikita Efremov, Sofya Kashtanova, Yanina Studilina, Anna Kotova-Deryabina and others.

This year, 13 films will be presented in the main competition. The jury included producer and marketer from South Africa Tandi Davis, cameraman and director Gayk Kirakosyan, Russian director Andrei Kravchuk, Iranian cinematographer Rasoul Sadrameli. The chairman of the jury is actor and artistic director of the State Theater of Nations Evgeny Mironov.

At the opening, MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov addressed the guests: “I understand that there are quite a large number of people in the hall who think that it will be as it was. As it was, it will no longer be. Never. This is very important to seriously understand.” The chairman of the jury, Evgeny Mironov, accepted from Mikhalkov’s hands a traditional chain with the image of the symbol of the film screening of St. George the Victorious.

It is St. George who is embodied in the film awards created by Mercury. The figure of the “Golden St. George” is made of gilded silver, and the figure of the “Silver St. George” is made of silver. The base of the figurine is made of serpentine stone, on which the gold Mercury logo is located. “Golden Saint George” is awarded for the best film in the competition program and for contribution to world cinema. Laureates in seven categories are awarded “Silver Saint Georges”. As a sign of respect and recognition of the special role of the chairman of the jury of the Moscow International Film Festival, the Mercury jewelry company produced a chain with three medallions made of gilded silver, demonstrating the main symbols of Moscow - the Spasskaya Tower, St. Basil's Cathedral and St. George. The original design is a special prize for conquering the heights of acting and loyalty to the principles of the school of K. S. Stanislavsky “I Believe. Konstantin Stanislavsky."

This year the prize “I Believe. Konstantin Stanislavsky" was awarded to Konstantin Khabensky, who noted: "To be honest, I am damn pleased to be on the list of these people and, frankly speaking, extremely uncomfortable about the current situation in front of my friends, comrades, colleagues. But I will accept this prize as an advance for possible future contributions to cinema. Since I continue to serve at the Moscow Art Theater, which preaches the word “I Believe,” we will go there with a prize. I wish the festival good films, new discoveries, grateful spectators and good weather, and I wish us all health.”

Traditionally, the opening ceremony of the MIFF was concluded with the premiere of the film. This year, the opening film was “The Heart of Parma” by Anton Megerdichev.

After the end of the film, on the empty red carpet, guests, as is tradition, were able to take memorable photographs in a relaxed atmosphere.