Russian film "Pinocchio" will be shown in the Middle East

The Russian film "Pinocchio" is planned to be released in cinemas in the Middle East, and relevant screening agreements have been reached with leading distributors in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The film will be the first film from the National Media Group (NMG) to be released in these countries.

Currently, the film's distribution rights have been sold to 53 countries around the world, including Latin American countries, as well as Spain, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Cyprus, Israel, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Italy and Italian-speaking countries.

"The announcement of plans to distribute the film in the region coincides with a significant date: the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Modern Russian media content is one of the tools of cultural diplomacy. Screenings of the film "Pinocchio" in the countries of the Middle East will help viewers in the region to get to know modern Russian cinema better, deepening mutual understanding between the countries and contributing to the strengthening of Russia's "soft power". The countries of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf are an important market for the holding with a high proportion of the young population and a high demand for high—quality film content. And we are very pleased and excited to note that Pinocchio, which holds a special place in the hearts of Russian viewers, became the first film for NMG at the box office in the Middle East," said Svetlana Balanova, General Director of the National Media Group.

In Russia, the film was widely distributed on January 1, exactly 50 years after the premiere of the television movie "The Adventures of Pinocchio", beloved by generations. The tape has collected more than 2.4 billion rubles. Among the producers of the film are the film companies Hydrogen and Art Pictures Studio, NMG, Channel One, Plus Studio, Art Pictures Distribution with the support of the Cinema Foundation. The film's distributor in Russia is NMG Film Distribution. The foreign distributor is Art Pictures Distribution.

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On January 15, Pinocchio screenwriter Andrei Zolotarev noted that the created film transformed from a story of separation from parents to a fairy tale about special children and inclusivity. On January 6, viewers who watched the film shared their emotions from what they saw with Izvestia. According to them, nostalgia for childhood became the main leitmotif of the New Year's weekend. People who got acquainted with the film called the special role of the relationship between the doll itself and Papa Carlo, and also pointed out the beauty of the costumes and decorations.

On January 3, Izvestia correspondent Maxim Prikhodov reported that cinemas had to introduce additional Pinocchio sessions, as the audience demand for viewing was very high. Even before the premiere, on December 24, 2025, this was evidenced by data from a survey on the most anticipated films for the New Year.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.