A Russia–China film dialogue was held as part of the Spirit of Fire Festival

A Russia–China film dialogue was held as part of the business program of the XXIII International Festival of Cinematic Debuts "Spirit of Fire".

It was attended by Alexander Alimov, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Elsa Antonova, CEO of Roskino; Vadim Byrkin, producer; Katerina Mikhailova, producer and founder of Vega Film; Albina Mukhametzyanova, CEO and General Producer of the YARKO animation company; and Media Telecom, Commercial Director Konstantin Vladimirov, Chairman of the Board and Founder of Purple Wave Co., Ltd., producer Cui Lumen, producer, founder of Mirage Films Esther Li, member of the Chinese Association of Film Directors, Hunan Xiaoxiang Film Group director Liu Miaomiao, Associate Professor of Film Directing at the Huace Film Academy at Zhejiang University of Media and Communications Luo Yuhong, First General Secretary Wang Ning, General Director of Beijing Poigray Entertainment Co.,Ltd. Ning Xiao, General Director of Beijing Quan Xin Quan Yi Cultural Communication Co.,Ltd., actor, producer, representative of the Working Committee of the Chinese Association of Film Artists, Director of the Department of Events of the Chinese Film Museum, Adviser to the Forum and Workshops of the Beijing International Film Festival cultural exchange between China and Russia Andrey Lazarev, cinematographer, screenwriter, director Jatla Siddhartha.

The film dialogue was moderated by Olga Kashirina, an expert on international cooperation in cinema, producer and orientalist.

The participants of the film dialogue focused on the development of bilateral cooperation in the field of cinema, which is becoming particularly relevant in the context of the Years of Culture of Russia and China. They discussed initiatives in the field of cinematography that can be implemented within the framework of cooperation, examples of successful joint film production, prospects for the presence of Russian companies in Asian film markets, legal and business aspects of joint projects, exchanges between cinematographic universities and measures to support joint projects.

"We welcome dialogue with all countries, we have no restrictions either on geographical coverage or on the choice of countries, but it is especially important with partners such as China, whose relations are at their peak, the leaders of our countries say. We have a trusting relationship and a strategic partnership. Cooperation should be supported by work in the field of culture, and we are pleased to see a growing interest in the field of cinematography.: This is an exchange of experience, participation in festivals, international film distribution and co-production. At the St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures, the Russian side announced the idea of establishing the Eurasian Film Academy, and we applaud our Chinese partners, who were among the first to respond to this initiative from the Russian side," said Alexander Alimov, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

"We must build a platform for cooperation between Russian and Chinese cinema. We could present the best works and novelties that would promote cultural exchange and demonstrate our cultural specifics. In China, the Beijing, Shahai, and Hainan Festivals are the main platforms for promoting films. Russian cinema should be represented at these film festivals, these are venues where interactivity is the main advantage. Our goal is for cooperation in cinema to reach the depth that we would like," said Wang Ning, First Secretary General of the Working Committee of the Chinese Association of Film Artists, Director of the Event Management Department of the Chinese Film Museum, adviser to the Forum and Workshops of the Beijing International Film Festival.

"The art of the Soviet Union greatly influenced China in the 60s. Chinese artists and writers had to understand Russian and Soviet art. Since its foundation, the Beijing Film Institute has been guided by the Soviet experience, and today our cooperation has great prospects, because we have a common joint base, we have a good joint foundation. The production base of any film is based on a commercial basis. We keep the artistic level high in our collaborative screenwriting efforts. And I want to note the high level of what I saw at the Spirit of Fire festival. We hope that Russian film production will definitely continue to be successful in China," said Liu Miaomiao, a member of the Chinese Association of Film Directors, Hunan Xiaoxiang Film Group film director.

The Spirit of Fire International Film Festival has been held in Ugra since 2002 with the support of the regional Government. The festival is Russia's largest international platform for aspiring filmmakers. Gazprom Neft has been supporting the Spirit of Fire for 19 years. The company co-organizes the cultural and educational program of the festival and awards the best Russian film in the nomination "For the preservation of cultural traditions".