The international festival "Unknown Russia" opened in Moscow

The International Documentary Film Festival "Unknown Russia" (III All-Russian Documentary Film Festival), which runs from March 19 to 26, has opened in Moscow, in the Great Hall of the October Cinema.

In 2026, the festival expanded its geography for the first time and opened a competition for foreign authors.

"More than 700 applications were submitted for participation in the festival from more than 60 regions — from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka. The age of the authors is from 14 to 72 years old. This year, the festival has become international: the program features films from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, France and other countries. We see great interest in stories about Russia and people associated with it, and we will continue to expand the geography of participants," said Vyacheslav Goldfeld, president of the festival.

The competition program includes seven nominations: "Characters", "History", "The Soul of Russia", "Rediscovering Russia", "Ethnoculture", "Popular Science cinema" and "Industrial and technological cinema".

"A documentary is a cast of a current historical moment. And thanks to this, it is one of the most effective tools of self-discovery for a person and society. A lively, sharp, direct look at yourself and others, as well as the opportunity to compare these views, allow you to overcome boundaries and stereotypes, engage in a productive dialogue and come to mutual understanding in the most difficult situations. Therefore, it is so important for the Rossiya-Kultura TV channel to discover new names and introduce viewers to the latest works by cinematographers from different countries," said Sergey Shumakov, Deputy General Director of VGTRK and co—chairman of the festival.

The key event of the evening was the world premiere of the film "Foci. Continuation. Life" directed by Irina Razumovskaya. This is a film almanac of five short stories about people who form the cultural environment in different regions of the country.

Among the film's characters: Peter Shpilenok, who linked his life with the Kamchatka nature Reserve; entrepreneur Yuri Uskov, who is creating a technological ecosystem of the future in Yoshkar-Ola; Anor Tukayeva, who is reviving cultural memory in Krokhino; Maria Murashova, founder of the Yakovlev Family Museum YAMUZEY in Kineshma; Andrey Kolbasinov, who is reviving the city's tea shops and traditions of Russian tea drinking in his author's project "Thread". The professions and paths of the heroes of the Hearths movie almanac often turn out to be unexpected, but invariably deeply rooted in their love for their land.

"Thank you to the audience who came and bought tickets. Today, documentaries are increasingly returning to the big screens. It is important for us that such films are watched in cinemas — there they are perceived differently, stronger, deeper. I invite everyone to come to the screenings of the festival and rediscover documentary films," said Alexey Zemsky, General Director of the NTV television company.

According to Vyacheslav Goldfeld, the president of the festival, one of the main objectives of the event is to ensure that strong, important films find their audience. And it is in the cinema that this really happens: there is a special atmosphere, a lively response and emotional involvement. And it is during this festival week that the audience has a rare opportunity to see the best documentaries on the big screen.

"The Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives actively supports projects in the field of documentary films. Over the past five years, we have supported more than 650 projects totaling about 3 billion rubles. But there are people and their stories behind these numbers. The Unknown Russia Festival gives authors the opportunity to show their films to a wide audience, and the audience the opportunity to see this movie on the big screen. I'm sure such screenings leave a particularly strong impression," said Olesya Garipova, General producer of television projects at the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.

From March 20 to March 25, the October Cinema hosts competitive and non-competitive screenings of documentaries on human destinies, historical memory and cultural heritage.

In parallel with the screenings, the business program of the festival is working, bringing together directors, producers, representatives of online platforms, TV channels and cultural institutions.

The key day of the business program will be March 25. The Khudozhestvenny Cinema will host a plenary discussion "Time for new opportunities for non-fiction films in Russia", where experts will discuss the prospects for the development of the industry, mechanisms for supporting authors and the role of new media. On the same day, there will be a discussion on "The role of video content in popularizing geographical discoveries and natural attractions in Russia," followed by a pitching of documentary projects on the topic of geography. It will be attended by representatives of leading online platforms, film funds, TV channels and production companies.

The festival will end on March 26 at the Khudozhestvenny Cinema: the winners will be announced and awards will be presented at the closing ceremony.