The Second Kino Art Festival Launched Today at Toronto's Samovar Room

Media Conference: KinoArt Festival:
For The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art
Introducing Russian Director Sergey Solovyev
and Lead Actress Tatiana Drubich,
and announcing the North American premiere of Anna Karenina
and other film and documentary highlights.
November 4, 2009 at Samovar Room
Credit: www.kinoartfestival.com

The Second Toronto Russian Film Festival is happy to inform you that today the 1st press conference took place at the club "SAMOVAR"!

The conference was dedicated to the main festival's film Anna Karenina. The director of the film Sergey Solovyev and the leading actress Tatiana Drubich took part in the event. Press conference was opened with speech of the festival's director Alla-Ani Poliakova.

Welcome to KinoArt Festival 2009, the 2nd Russian Film Festival in Toronto, which starts on Thursday, November 5th, and runs until Sunday November 8th. My name is Alla-Ani Poliakova and I’m the Director of KinoArt Festival. Sitting next to me is Russian director Sergei Solovyev, Russian lead-actress Tatiana Drubich, Project Coordinator of KinoaArt Festival, Luba Shmygol and publicist for the festival, Vitaly Gurevich.

We are very excited to bring Toronto this event, with our goal always being to chronicle the evolution of Russian cinematography of past and present. This year we are thrilled to be offering the most impressive feature films, documentaries, animations and shorts, some never before seen.

Our program this year includes a new and groundbreaking North American premier of Anna Karenina, a documentary on the Moscow underground called Metro, a 2008 Russian box-office hit We are From the Future, as well as other amazing selections such as Taras Bulba, Morphine, and Yuri's Day.

New to this years’ lineup, we will have a panel discussion with Thomas Lahusen, Professor of Eurasian Cultural History at the University of Toronto and documentary filmmaker, together with Sergei Kapterev, senior researcher at the Institute of Film Art in Moscow, discussing the present, past, and future of Russian cinema.

The KinoArt Festival 2009 would like to thank our Sponsors, whose help and generosity has made this years’ lineup one to remember. Canada Heritage, Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Steam Whistle, United Stars, Torontovka, The West East Newspaper, Brunello Imports, Finn-Tastic, University of Toronto’s Slavic Languages & Literatures Department, The Ethnic Channels Group, NexTV, Russian Waves, Express Gazeta, Mix TV, Torontovka.com, Nasha Gazeta, and of course the Samovar Room, who have provided us with this exquisite room for the Media Conference.

I would like to introduce to you prolific Russian writer and director Sergey Solovyev, who is bringing not just one, but three great films to Toronto for KinoArt. Along with one of the most recognized Russian actresses, Tatiana Drubich, Mr. Solovyev has brought to life one of the best Russian novels of all time, Anna Karenina, which was also filmed in Leo Tolstoy’s birth-place. Along with Anna Karenina, Mr. Solovyev is bringing Toronto his 80’s cult-classic film Assa, and the long-awaited sequel Assa 2.

It is my privilege to introduce you to Russia’s most distinguished and sought-after leading actress Tatiana Drubich, who plays the lead role in the North Premier of Anna Karenina.

Once again, thank you for joining us today for the launch of the 2nd KinoArt Festival and if you require further information about the Festival, please visit us online at www.kinoartfestival.com

Alla Ani Poliakiva,
Director of The KinoArt Festival

Press-Release: The Second KinoArt Festival in Toronto November 5 – 8 for The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art
KinoArt Festival: Media Alert!! Conference November 4 at Samovar Room
picture.belga.be: KINOART
[Check a great photo coverage of the media conference taken by Dominic Chan/WENN.com]