Photo: Toronto Russian Film Festival Posters2010 @ artjunction.blogspot.com
MEDIA INFORMATION - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto Russian Film Festival Gives Canadians
A Glimpse Into Post-Soviet Cinema
- Three-day film festival runs from May 14-16, 2010
- Tickets now on sale at www.torontorussianfilmfestival.com
(May 4, 2010 - Toronto, Canada) - Canadians get a peek into post-Soviet cinema during the Toronto Russian Film Festival (TRFF) from May 14 to 16, 2010. Marking its inaugural year, TRFF announces an exciting line-up of 11 Russian and Russian-language feature films, animation works and documentaries including the acclaimed One War and Palata N6 (Ward N6). The festival also celebrates the two Canadian-Russian documentary films - Prokofiev: The Unfinished Diary directed by Yosif Feyginberg and David New's Betrayal.
With screenings at various locations in Toronto including the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), University of Toronto's Innis Town Hall and Bernard Betel Centre in North York, tickets are available from $7 to $22. Regular tickets can be purchased at www.torontorussianfilmfestival.com
TRFF opens with the North American premiere of the Russian-Polish co-production of Just Not Now dedicated to the Polish victims of the recent plan crash tragedy. The adaptation of a wartime romance by one of the most celebrated Soviet writer-dissident, Vladimir Voinovich, will be a charitable screening held at the John Paul II Polish Cultural Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on May 14, at 8 p.m.
During the three-day Festival, TRFF welcomes a slate of Russian A-listers including: directors Vera Glagoleva and Valery Pendrakovsky; Soviet and post-Soviet cinematic icons Irina Kupchenko, Alexei Petrenko, Svetlana Kryuchkova and Alexander Baluev; and acclaimed Russian writer, screenwriter and producer, Eduard Topol.
The following is a complete list of TRFF's screenings and special events:
FEATURE FILM SCREENINGS
JUST NOT NOW*
(North American Premiere)
2010; 84 min; Russia & Poland; Drama; Directed by Valery Pendrakovsky
An adaptation of Vladimir Voinovich's short story, The Smell of Chocolate. Taking place in Poland in 1953, this film tells the love story of a Polish girl and a Russian soldier. Starring Alexander Domogarov - Junior, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Daniel Olbrychski and Magdalena Lamparskaya and produced by Valery Pendrakovskiy and Petr Skulski.
Note: This screening is in honour of the Polish victims of the recent plane crash tragedy.
Friday, May 14 at 8 p.m.; John Paul II Polish Cultural Centre, 4300 Cawthra Road, Mississauga, ON
BURY ME BEHIND THE BASEBOARD* (POHORONITE MENYA ZA PLINTUSOM)
(North American Premiere)
2009; 111 min; Russia; Social Drama; Directed by Sergei Snezhkin
Based on an autobiographical novel by Pavel Sanaev, the film follows the story of a boy who comes from a conflicted family and is forced to maneuver within the complex relationships between his grandparents, his mother and her lover, and all of them together. Starring Alexei Petrenko, Svetlana Kryuchkova, Maria Shukshina, Konstantin Vorobyov and Alexander Drobitko and produced by Michael Litvak and Leonid Litvak.
Saturday, May 15 at 11:30 a.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
THE MAN WHO KNEW EVERYTHING*
(North American Premiere)
2009; 107 min; Russia; Erotic Thriller; Directed by Vladimir Mirzoev
Based on the novel by Igor Sakhnovsky, the winner of the prestigious literary awards "Big Book" and "Russian Booker" (2007). After attempting suicide, Alexander suddenly acquires the phenomenal ability to get an instant answer to any question. A modest and inoffensive person, suddenly everyone is after him - including women, mafia mobsters, and the international security forces. Some want to make use of his abilities, others to destroy him. But Alexander continues to live according to the laws of his own conscience. Starring Yegor Beroev, Ekaterina Guseva, Maxim Sukhanov and Andrew Tashkov and produced by Timur Weinstein and Oleg Osipov.
Saturday, May 15 at 7 p.m.; Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto ON
ON THE BRINK I STAND* (NA KRAJU STOJU)
(North American Premiere)
2008; 87 min; Russia; Thriller; Directed by Rauf Kubaev
A frontier guard Andrey discovers tanks where drug dealers hide huge parties of heroin while crossing the Afghani border. In revenge for their colossal losses, gangsters decide to execute Andrey. Having avoided death by miracle, he not only gets even with his executioners, but also wins his love back. Starring Arthur Smolijaninov, Svetlana Ustinova, Ravshana Kurkova with Eduard Topol as producer and screenwriter.
Saturday, May 15 at 10 p.m.; Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON
WARD No. 6
(Toronto Russian Film Festival Premiere)
2009; 83 min; Russia; Drama; Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov & Alexandre Gornovsky
Based on a novel by A.P Chekhov, the head doctor of the provincial mental hospital deems one of his patients to be a man with an original way of thinking and his own philosophy. Through the conversations with this patient, the doctor realizes the madness of the world and soon becomes crazy too. But who decides what the line between sanity and insanity is? Starring Vladimir Iljin, Alexander Pankratov-Cherniy, Yevgeny Stychkin and Aleksei Vertkov and produced by Karen Shakhnazarov.
Saturday, May 15 at 6 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
THE MAN WHO KNEW EVERYTHING*
(North American Premiere)
2009; 107 min; Russia; Erotic Thriller; Directed by Vladimir Mirzoev
Based on the novel by Igor Sakhnovsky, the winner of the prestigious literary awards "Big Book" and "Russian Booker" (2007). After attempting suicide, Alexander suddenly acquires the phenomenal ability to get an instant answer to any question. A modest and inoffensive person, suddenly everyone is after him - including women, mafia mobsters, and the international security forces. Some want to make use of his abilities, others to destroy him. But Alexander continues to live according to the laws of his own conscience. Starring Yegor Beroev, Ekaterina Guseva, Maxim Sukhanov and Andrew Tashkov and produced by Timur Weinstein and Oleg Osipov.
Sunday, May 16 at 2:30 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
JUST NOT NOW*
(North American Premiere)
2010; 84 min; Russia & Poland; Drama; Directed by Valery Pendrakovsky
An adaptation of Vladimir Voinovich's short story, The smell of chocolate. Taking place in Poland in 1953, this film tells the love story of a Polish girl and a Russian soldier. Starring Alexander Domogarov - Junior, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Daniel Olbrychski and Magdalena Lamparskaya and produced by Valery Pendrakovskiy, Petr Skulski.
Sunday, May 16 at 5:30 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
ONE WAR*
(North American Premiere)
2009; 85 min; Russia; Drama; Directed by Vera Glagoleva
Based on real events in May 1945 during the Second World War, the film sheds light on an island for female prisoners and the children they bore to the Nazi occupants. The women live with the hope of liberation and forgiveness, but reality turns out differently. Starring Alexander Baluev, Natalia Surkova, Anna Nahapetova, Fyodor Koposov, and Julia Melnikova and produced by Vera Glagoleva and Natalia Ivanova.
Sunday, May 16 at 7:40 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
ALEUSHKA'S AND YERYOMA'S ADVENTURES
(North American Premiere)
2008; 85 min; Russia; 3D Animation; Directed by George Gitis
This 3D animated film is a musical fairy tale with a twist in which Russian national motives are interconnected with the present. Alenushka and Yeryoma live in the fantasy country and they love each other, but magical apples that Alenushka happens to receive as a gift interferes with their happiness. The artful Shah and Knight want to kidnap Alenushka, but love, as always, wins over the most terrible sorcery. Produced by Armen Manasarjan and Gevorg Nersisyan.
*Presented in Russian language only, this film does not have subtitles
Sunday, May 16 at 12 p.m.; Bernard Betel Centre, 1003 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto ON
A COUPLE OF BAY HORSES (PARA GNEDYH)
(North American Premiere)
2010; 96 min; Russian; Drama; Directed by Sergei Krutin
A granddaughter comes to visit her grandmother for the summer. They are very different and have not seen each other for a long time. The grandmother is old-fashioned and strict, and the granddaughter is a modern, independent young woman. It is hard for them to be together, but suddenly they are brought close by the eternal theme - the relationship of men and women and how to behave in order not to be left with a broken heart and broken life. Starring Irina Kupchenko, Agniya Kuznetsova, Mikhail Zhigalov and Jaroslav Zhalnin and produced by Alexander Bokovikov and Sergey Sendyk.
Sunday, May 16 at 2:30 p.m.; Bernard Betel Centre, 1003 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto ON
DOCUMENTARY SCREENINGS
The following documentaries are by Russian-Canadian filmmakers.
VLADIMIR NABOKOV. RUSSIAN ROOTS.*
(North American Premiere)
2010; 26 min; Russia I Documentary; Directed by Olga Chekalina
The film dedicated to the Russian period of the life of the great writer Vladimir Nabokov. Central to this film is an interview with his son Dmitri Vladimirivich which refers to the last unpublished novel of V. Nabokov "Original Laura". Produced by Olga Popova and executive produced by Natalia Semina.
Saturday, May 15 at 2:15 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
PROKOFIEV: THE UNFINISHED DIARY*
(Toronto Russian Film Festival Premiere)
2008; 52 min; Canada & France; Documentary; Directed by Yosif Feyginberg
Based on the published Prokofiev's Diary, the film reveals the largely untold story of the composer's 18 pivotal years between 1918 and1936 outside Russia. It exposes the raw drama, pathos, and emotional upheaval of an itinerant artist who wanders from Russia to the U.S, to Europe, and then shockingly returns to Russia. The film investigates Prokofiev's life and art through his own words, and examines the complex interaction between the works of this period, and the bewildering choices Prokofiev made at this time. Produced by Barbara Barde, Paul Saadoun, Yosif Feyginberg and co-executive produced by Natalia Semina.
Saturday, May 15 at 3:40 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
BETRAYAL*
(Toronto Russian Film Festival Premiere)
2004; 52 min; Canada; Documentary; Directed by David New
He was a linguist, a brilliant academic, and a master spy. She was a seductive blonde beauty, dressed in minks and diamonds. Karl Koecher is the only known intelligence agent from the Soviet Bloc who succeeded in penetrating the CIA. He and his wife Hana spent 20 years leading a double life as "sleepers", Soviet moles building up a carefully designed identity. But it seems they led another secret life - as swingers, trading partners and attendees of orgies in the swing clubs of Washington D.C. and New York City. They may well have collected deeper secrets still from members of the American military who shared their beds. Betrayal features exclusive interviews with Karl and Hana Koecher; Vladimir Kruchkov, the former head of the KGB; and Alexander Sokolov, the former head of Soviet Counterintelligence. Produced by Simcha Jacobovici and Robert Topol.
Saturday, May 15 at 4:40 p.m.; Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto ON
SPECIAL EVENTS
CREATIVE MEETING WITH WRITER EDWARD TOPOL
Acclaimed Russian writer, screenwriter and producer Edward Topol talks about his latest novel Margaret's Brotherhood Known for his literary talent and his knowledge of Russia, Topol is the author behind bestselling literary works such as The Kremlin's Wife, The Red Square and Free Flight of a Single Blond Girls. Topol's The Red Square and The Minors have been made into films.
Sunday, May 16 at 4:30 p.m.; Bernard Betel Centre, 1003 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto ON
*Indicates this film has English subtitles
Toronto Russian Film Festival
Founded in January 2010, the Toronto Russian Film Festival (TRFF) is a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to promote the art of Russian and Russian-language post-Soviet cinema in Canada. TRFF not only encourages professional exchanges between Canadian and Russian filmmakers, but also provides a platform for ongoing dialogue between the Russian communities in Toronto and Moscow and an arena to foster business opportunities between the two countries.
For more information, please visit: www.torontorussianfilmfestival.com.
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Media Contact:
Hina P. Ansari
INAR PR
Tel: 416.568.4462
Email: hina@inar.ca
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