Filming of the action movie "Alpine Ballad" has ended

Pan-Atlantic Studio and NMG Film Distribution company announce the completion of filming of the dramatic action film "Alpine Ballad" starring Ivan Jankowski, Milos Bikovic, Denise Sardisko and Petar Zekavica.

The film became the first official Russian-Serbian co-production within the framework of the agreement on cooperation in the field of cinematography between Serbia and the Russian Federation, signed in 2025. Filming took place in Serbia, Russia and Kazakhstan. The project team shot key full—scale scenes in a picturesque nature reserve in eastern Serbia, in the Stara Planina mountain range. Alpine Ballad is a heroic road movie with elements of melodrama and adventure, where the main characters face dangers and challenges while trying to escape from the death camp.

The film also stars Stefan Kapicic, known for the Deadpool franchise, Rostislav Bershauer ("The Surgeon", "Gold Mine"), Dana Agisheva ("Elena", "Inhabited Island"), Dirk Martens ("Berlin, I Love You", "About People and about War"). Directed by Andrey Bogatyrev ("The Red Ghost", "Vampires of the Middle Lane", "The Gold of Umalta"). Cinematographer – Sergey Machilsky ("On the move", "The First on Olympus", "Kraken").

The film is based on the cult novel of the same name by Vasil Bykov (translated into more than 50 languages). Screenplay — Svetlana Shteba ("The Three of Us", "Gone") with the participation of Serbian playwright Nebojsa Romcevich ("The Balkan Frontier").

The year is 1943. Soviet soldier Ivan (Ivan Yankovsky) escapes from a death camp located in the Italian Alps. However, his plans are disrupted by two unexpected fellow travelers: the famous German movie star Dieter Schulze (Milos Bikovic) and the Italian anti-fascist Julia (Denise Sardisco). Three days full of dangers, trials and love flaring up between the fugitives, defying the war, against the backdrop of the breathtaking landscapes of the Italian Alps.

"Alpine Ballad" has become a landmark project for our company and for me personally. The production took longer than planned, and everything went its fateful way. In an era of cultural disunity, it was a great pleasure to work with Serbian colleagues. I consider the international star cast to be a special success: rising star Denise Sardisco (Italy), Ivan Yankovsky (Russia), Milos Bikovic (Serbia/Russia), Stefan Kapicic (Serbia), Petar Zekavica (Serbia/Russia), Dirk Martens (Germany) and others. The characters speak different languages, which gives the film great international potential and makes the film universal for any audience. Vasil Bykov's literary background became a powerful impetus for an exciting film story about love and choice in war. The theatrical release is scheduled for September 30, 2027. The film will be the flagship release of NMG Holding," said Ekaterina Filippova, the film's producer.

"It was an incredible adventure: two months in Serbia, an international team and a meeting of three acting schools. I am proud to work with the classic Russian cinematographer Sergey Machilsky. And another funny coincidence: before the trip, I was watching "Better call Saul" and suddenly I had the opportunity to work with a real Serbian star from this series, Stefan Kapicic. This film was life—changing for me — I grew spiritually and professionally, found new friends and new artistic solutions," said director Andrey Bogatyrev.

"One of the most beloved works about war without war has found its embodiment on the big screen. It's going to be huge, not only in terms of technology, action, and scale of filming, but also thanks to the acting talents of Ivan Yankovsky, Milos Bikovic, and Denise Sardisko. The film has all the ingredients of success, it's a future blockbuster, we believe in it. A beautiful love story in difficult circumstances, difficult choices and incredible dedication — everything is here," said Vadim Smirnov, General Director of NMG Film Distribution.

The film was created with the financial support of the Cinema Foundation. "The Alpine Ballad" will be released on September 30, 2027.

On May 5, Medialogia presented the results of the Russian series rating for the first quarter of 2026. The absolute leader was the project "Very Strange Things", which scored 15,948 points. In second place is the series "Lilies of the Valley" (8829), and in third place is "The First Department" (7745). The fourth place was taken by the anime "Magic Battle" with 6419 points, and "Sled" rounded out the top five with 3563 points.