Award-Winning Film, The Tundra Book at Toronto's Hot Docs

Screenshot: The Tundra Book. A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock. by Aleksei Vakhrushev, High Latitudes ltd., 2011

A co-presentation of KinoArt Festival and Hot Docs

Canadian International Documentary Festival, April 26 - May 6, 2012, Toronto

Credit: hotdocs.ca + highlatitudes.ru + kinoartfestival.com

Please mark your calendars and get ready for the best showcase of documentary films in Toronto this year! Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, returns for its 19th annual edition from April 26 to May 6, 2012. Showcasing the best in Canadian and international documentary, Hot Docs will welcome filmmakers, industry delegates and audiences to Toronto for the 11-day event. This year’s Festival will screen 189 amazing docs from 51 countries.

World Showcase: Canadian Premiere

The Tundra Book: A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock
A stunning documentary about the lives of the seldom-seen Chukchi people.

Director: Aleksei Vakhrushev
Producers: Aleksei Vakhrushev, Olga Savelyeva
Cinematographer: Vyacheslav Makaryev
Editor: Julia Trofimenko
Official Website: Film Studio "High Latitudes Ltd"
Russia, 2011, 105 min
Language: Chukchi Russian with English subtitles

Stunning photography and sensitive direction captures the fascinating culture of Indigenous reindeer herders and their struggle for survival in Russia's Arctic Circle, one of the harshest, and most beautiful, environments in the world.

Director's Biography
Alexey Vakhrushev was born in 1969 in Anadyr' (Chukotka). In 1996 graduated from VGIK (Institute of Cinematography). Since 2000 is a director and scriptwright at the TV Company "Ethno-Online". Member of the Russian Cinematographers' Union.
Selected filmography: 1996 Birds of Naukan, 2001 Island, 2003 Treasure of Semen Dezhnev, 2004 Walrus Fang Chronicle, 2005 Hunters of Freezing Coasts, 2005–2007 People of the Bering Strait; Chuvan Treasure; Bone Coast of the North; Mist Travellers; Heirs of Taymyr Shamans; Images of Time, 2005–2008 Miracle Factory; Welcome to Enurmino!

Screenings:
Sunday, Apr 29, 6:00 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 4

Tuesday, May 1, 1:00 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 4

It’s noon and -37C on Chukotka peninsula. A blistering wind slices across the tundra. In the magnificent landscape of Russia’s Arctic Circle, just across the Bering Strait from Alaska, 72-year-old patriarch Vukvukai leads his Indigenous Chukchi family in caring for their herd of 14,000 reindeer. Living in isolation except for their wind-up two-way radio and occasional visits from traders in tank-like snow vehicles, the family depends on their reindeer for food, shelter and clothing. Through the seasons, unflagging Vukvukai alternates between chuckling and barking orders at his sons and grandchildren, instilling in them the practical knowledge and spiritual traditions that have allowed the Chuckchi to survive for thousands of years in one of the harshest environments in the world. Subtly directed by Aleksei Vakrushev, an award-winning Inuk filmmaker from Chukotka, The Tundra Book provides a rare and stunning glimpse into a world still intertwined with the oldest rhythms of life.
Gisèle Gordon

Subjects : Eastern European & Russian Cultures Issues, Indigenous Cultures & Issues, Animals
Hot Docs Trailer: THE TUNDRA BOOK. A TALE OF VUKVUKAI, THE LITTLE ROCK.
Co-presented with KinoArt Festival.

2012 Hot Docs Tickets
Individual tickets to Hot Docs 2012 are $14.50. Tickets to all Late-night screenings (screenings after 11 pm) are $5.
Tickets can be purchased online here.

Courtesy of Scotiabank Students (with valid ID) and seniors (60+) can attend daytime screenings (screenings before 6 pm) for free. Same-day tickets are available at the participating venue one hour before the first screening of the day, subject to availability.

To view the full 2012 Hot Docs schedule and list of films, click here.

HOT DOCS MEDIA KIT 2012http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Enjoy and mark your calendar now for Hot Docs' showcase of global stories. See you there!

youtube.com: "The Tundra Book" Trailer
Uploaded by HighLatitudesLTD on Jan 16, 2012

"The Tundra Book. A Tale of Vukvukai, the Little Rock"
Feature Length Documentary by Aleksei Vakhrushev (2011, Russia, 105 min)

72 years have passed as deer herder Vukvukai lives in the depths of Chukotka. He is an old man full of energy and wisdom -- The Real Man of Tundra whose life can not be seen apart from the deer.
His people take care of a huge herd -- over 14,000 deer. Their life is a non-stop struggle for survival and well-being in the most harsh weather conditions of Chaun-Chukotka. They deeply believe in the strength of tradition and so succeed in their struggle. The ancient culture of Nomadic Chukchi takes care of them, so they preserve and follow it. As far as it is now -- their realm remains stable. This is the Truth of Vukvukai.

Produced by High Latitudes ltd. (2011) with financial support of
Nonprofit organization "Social development foundation "KUPOL"
The Russian Ministry of Culture
All Roads Film Project (National Geographic Society)
Credit: HighLatitudesLTD

hotdocs e-bulletin: Box Office Update: More Films Going Rush

Screenshot: hotdocs e-bulletin:
Box Office Update: Three More Films Go Rush
Credit: Hot Docs | Daily : E-bulletin

Tickets are going fast, and many screenings have already gone rush, including MARLEY, CHASING ICE and THE TUNDRA BOOK. A TALE OF VUKVUKAI, THE LITTLE ROCK.

Don't wait to get your tickets and passes.

Purchases can be made online, by phone at 416.637.5150, or in person at the documentary Box Office located at 783 Bathurst Street, Toronto.

My Perestroika Opens in Toronto at the Royal December 2

Screenshot: My Perestroika by Robin Hessman
88 min. 2010 Russian Federation / United Kingdom / United States
Coming Soon @ The Royal Cinema
608 College St. West, Toronto
Credit: theroyal.to

My Perestroika Showtimes:
Friday, December 2 at 7 pm
Sunday, December 4 at 9:30 pm
Monday, December 5 at 7 pm
Tuesday, December 6 at 7 pm
Thursday, December 8 at 9:30 pm
The Royal @ 608 College St. West

KINOSMITH presents

My Perestroika

A feature documentary by
Robin Hessman

Opens in Toronto on Friday, December 2, 2011

After winning awards and critical acclaim at festivals and theatrical engagements in over 80 U.S. markets, Robin Hessman’s “My Perestroika” opens in Canada beginning in Toronto on Friday, December 2, 2011.

When the USSR broke apart in 1991, a generation of young people faced a new realm of possibilities. An intimate epic about the extraordinary lives of this last Soviet generation, Robin Hessman’s feature documentary debut tells the stories of five Moscow schoolmates who were brought up behind the Iron Curtain, witnessed the joy and confusion of glasnost, and reached adulthood right as the world changed around them. Through candid first-person testimony, revealing verité footage, and vintage home movies, Hessman, who spent many years living in Moscow, reveals a Russia rarely ever seen on film, where people are frank about their lives and forthcoming about their country. Engaging, funny, and positively inspiring, in My Perestroika politics is personal, honesty overshadows ideology, and history progresses one day, one life at a time.

At the center of the film is the Meyerson family.

Borya and Lyuba are married and have a son, Mark. They are both history teachers at Moscow’s School #57. As we are drawn into the fabric of their everyday lives, we hear stories of two very different Soviet childhoods: Lyuba was a conformist who would salute the TV when the Soviet hymn played, while Borya preferred to subvert the system whenever possible.

Their childhood classmates provide their own perspectives.

For more information: http://myperestroika.com

Media Contact:
V Kelly & Associates
Virginia Kelly, Meghan Parnell
info@vkpr.ca
416-466-9799

My Perestroika - 2011 Trailer

youtube.com: My Perestroika - 2011 Trailer
by newdayfilms on Feb 28, 2011 / Stats: 41,802

links:
artjunction.blog: The Canadian Premiere of "My Perestroika" at Hot Docs 2010

facebook.com: RUSSIAN TORONTO PARTIES: The Royal ~ MY PERESTROIKA
Hello Russian Canadians, the fascinating and critically acclaimed documentary film "My Perestroika" is coming to Toronto!! It will be playing at the Royal from Dec 2- 9th!
by Anya Talis

docspace.ca: Award Winning documentary MY PERESTROIKA opens Friday, December 2
by Eamonn

tandemnews.com: Hessman’s My Perestroika in Canada
Award-winning documentary tells story of five Moscow schoolmates brought up behind the Iron Curtain

Examiner.com: Toronto independent film: Film review: My Perestroika -
by David Voigt, Toronto Independent Film Examiner

My Perestroika Opens in Toronto at the Royal December 2: Screenshot: My Perestroika by Robin Hessman88 min. 2010... bit.ly/rXkHFR
@High_Park_Web

From generation Nyet to Net Generation: My Perestroika opens @TheRoyalCinema #tonight Dec 2 for a short run in #Toronto shar.es/olEtP
@artjunctionto

Award-winning Documentary Vodka Factory at Toronto's Hot Docs

Poster: Vodka Factory by Jerzy Sladkowski, Hysteria Film AB, Sweden, 2010
A co-presentation of KinoArt Festival and Hot Docs
Canadian International Documentary Festival, 28 Apr - 8 May 2011, Toronto
Photography by Wojciech Staron
Credit: hotdocs.ca + hysteriafilm.se + kinoartfestival.com

Please mark your calendar for the next two weeks: April 28 - May 8, 2011. Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, conference, and market, presenting over 200 films from more than 43 countries and welcoming hundreds of international filmmakers and industry delegates to Toronto for its 18th annual edition from April 28 to May 8, 2011.

This year the Hot Docs teams up with local festivals and organizations to present select screenings of award-winners from film festivals around the globe. One of those high profile special presentations include a Swedish documentary Vodka Factory, which won the grand prize - the Golden Dove Award at the DOK Leipzig festival and Grand Jury Special Mention at the One World Documentary Film Festival.

Special Presentations: The North American Premiere

Vodka Factory

Director: Jerzy Sladkowski
Produced by: Hysteria Film AB
Sweden, 2010, 90 min
Language: Russian with English subtitles

Fantasies of big-city stardom cushion a single mother labouring on an assembly line from the brutal banalities of life in Russia’s backwoods in this award-winning, intimately filmed story of the high price of dreams.

Director's Biography
Jerzy Sladkowski, born in Poland, studied film and TV at the School of Journalism in Warsaw and worked for TVP in Poland before immigrating to Sweden in 1982. He has produced and directed over 40 films, mostly documentaries for television.

Screenings:
Wed, May 4 6:30 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 2

Thu, May 5 11:00 AM
The ROM Theatre

Sun, May 8 6:15 PM
Innis Town Hall

“I’m a silly person, but sensitive too,” declares Valya, the 22-year-old single mother who works in a local vodka factory and lives with her mother in the backwoods Russian town of Zhigulyovsk. There’s no future here: there’s nothing to do but drink and all the men are deadbeats. Ambivalent about caring for her son, the comely, heavily mascaraed Valya escapes the brutal banality of her reality by dreaming of becoming an actress in Moscow. But in realizing her dream, she would not only be abandoning her son, she’d be destroying her mother’s: Fifty-year-old Tatiana finally has a chance at love when an old flame re-enters her life. Filmed like fiction and imbued with the gorgeous melancholy of crushed dreams, award-winning Vodka Factory is a stunningly intimate reflection on the price of dreams.

Gisèle Gordon

Subjects : Women & Women's Issues, Families & Family Relationships, Labour & Working People, Russian Culture & Issues

Co-presented with KinoArt Festival.


Hot Docs documentary Box Office
131 Bloor Street West ***New Location****
(p) 416-637-5150
(e) boxoffice@hotdocs.ca

Hot Docs 2011 Trailers: VODKA FACTORY
4 min - 15 Mar 2011 - Uploaded by HotDocsFest

Maybe you could be interested in some other documentaries, please check it out at hotdocs.ca.

The Naked of Saint Petersburg
22 minutes | Denmark | Language: (Subtitled) Russian | North American Premiere
Director: Ada Bligaard Søby
International Spectrum

Bobby Fischer against the World
93 minutes | USA | Language: English | International Premiere |
Director: Liz Garbus
Special Presentations

Family Portrait in Black and White
99 minutes | Canada | Language: (Subtitled) Russian Ukrainian English | Canadian Premiere | Rating: PG
Director(s)
Julia Ivanova
Canadian Spectrum

Pit No. 8
95 minutes | Estonia | Language: (Subtitled) Russian | Canadian Premiere
Director: Marianna Kaat
Workers of the World!

After the Apocalypse
65 minutes | UK | Language: (Subtitled) Kazakh Russian | International Premiere
Director: Antony Butts
World Showcase

The Block
75 minutes | Germany | Language: (Subtitled) German
Directors: Stefan Kolbe, Chris Wright
Ripping Reality

Our Newspaper
58 minutes | Netherlands | Language: (Subtitled) Russian | Canadian Premiere | Rating: PG
Director: Eline Flipse
International Spectrum

Please mark your calendar and get ready for the best showcase of documentary films in Toronto this year!

Note: Free tickets for all screenings before 6 p.m. are available for seniors (60+) and students with valid photo I.D. at the venue box offices on the day of the screening (subject to availability).

links:
Toronto Film Scene: Festivals: Hot Docs 2011 is just around the corner!
By Pam Fossen, March 15, 2011

torontovka.com: VODKA FACTORY - Documentary

swedenabroad.com: 28 Apr - 8 May 2011: 7 Swedish Documentaries at HotDocs Film Festival in Toronto

10th docpoint: Helsinki Documentary Film Festival: Vodka Factory

10th docpoint: Jerzy Sladkowski, Vodka Factory @ Kinopalatsi
By Mikko Kauppinen, 01 February 2011

HubPages.com: Vodka Drinks: The Best Vodka Cocktails and Mixed Drinks
...Vodka As Culture

Vodka has definitely made it's impact on culture. It seems like every college musician has at least one song on the subject. There are both rock groups and songs named "Vodka" while searches online for "Vodka Factory" turn up an award winning documentary as well as a very popular viral video of a forklift driver going nuts and taking down an entire factory with the forklift (possibly under the influence of said vodka). ...
By Jerry G2

pedsovet.org: "Водочный завод"
Человек как воспитатель и воспитуемый
Психология и другие науки о человеке на службе педагогике
версия для печати 26.03.2011

The Canadian Premiere of "My Perestroika" at Hot Docs 2010

Poster: Canadian Premiere of My Perestroika, Directed and Filmed by Robin Hessman
Photo from the documentary: Lyuba, taking a break during a long day of teaching
Courtesy of Red Square Productions
Credit: hot docs: April 29 - May 9, 2010

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
and
KinoArt Festival
invite you to attend
the Canadian premiere of
"My Perestroika" (UK, USA),
a documentary follows five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times, from their sheltered Soviet childhood, to the collapse of the Soviet Union during their teenage years, to the constantly shifting political landscape of post-Soviet Russia.

My Perestroika
Director: Robin Hessman
Language: Russian with English subtitles
Program: World Showcase
Exploring the dreams and disillusionments of people who were raised behind the Iron Curtain, My Perestroika is an intimate and compelling portrait of the challenges faced by the last generation of Soviet children.

Screenings

Monday, May 3, 2010
Time: 9:30 PM

Saturday, May 8, 2010
Time: 2:00 PM

Where: Cumberland Cinemas
Location: 159 Cumberland Street, Toronto ON, M5R 1A2
Nearest intersection: Bloor Street & Avenue Road
Phone: 416-964-9359

For more information and tickets, click here.

Official website: http://myperestroika.com

You Tube: HotDocsFest — March 31, 2010 — Interweaving the contemporary world with fascinating home movie footage from the 1970s and 80s, My Perestroika offers an intimate and compelling portrait of the myriad challenges faced by the last of generation of Soviet children.
My Perestroika is a co-production of Red Square Productions, Bungalow Town Productions, and ITVS International, in association with American Documentary | POV and YLE Finland
Directed and Filmed by Robin Hessman

links:
flickr.com: Robin Hessman, IFP Alum, and her MY PERESTROIKA poster
Taken on January 14, 2010
Uploaded on January 28, 2010
by www.ifp.org

newdirectors.org: My Perestroika: New Direstors / New Films

Sundancing: Sundance Film Festival coverage from our writers and editors.
Sundance Film Review: My Perestroika
"Robin Hessman's My Perestroika — a glimpse into the lives of five classmates who came of age during Communism, Perestroika, Glasnost and ...finally... a free market — on the surface may sound pedantic..."
By Andrew Pridgen

Ljova & My Perestroika at Sundance Film Festival 2010
Ljova is presently attending the Sundance Film Festival, in support of Robin Hessman's wonderful documentary My Perestroika. Enjoy three of Ljova's tracks in the film's score.

festival.sundance.org: My Perestroika’s long road
Posted by Mike Jones

Filmmaker Magazine: SUNDANCE FEATURES: MY PERESTROIKA'S ROBIN HESSMAN
"... What is most remarkable about My Perestroika are not the poignant and surprising revelations about life in Russia, but the extreme level of intimacy that Hessman maintains in each interview. Though the majority of these are sit-down, single camera interviews, they have the candor and spontaneity of verite footage. Her insight into the subject (and fluent Russian) stemmed from a fascination with the Soviet Union since grade school and almost ten years living in the country. Hessman set out to make the film in three months and ended up filming for five years, but one thing she knew from the beginning is that no history has a single truth, and even a million voices couldn’t tell the whole story..."
By Alicia Van Couvering
Posted by Scott Macaulay

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: NEW DOCS: My Perestroika
"What happens when propaganda falls apart and the ideals you’ve been taught to uphold come crumbling down? A fresh perspective on the collapse of the Soviet Union, My Perestroika takes a familiar historical narrative and makes it personal, following five classmates who came of age during this time of enormous transition..."
SB

onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com: Drinking With Divas – Robin Hessman
"My Perestroika tells the story of five forty-year-old Russians – a married couple teaching history, a single mother, an aging punk rocker, and a successful businessman – tracing their paths from childhoods behind the Iron Curtain to comings-of-age during the collapse of Communism to their disparate fortunes in modern Russia. This beautiful film has the lingering finish of a top-shelf vodka. Highly recommended!"
By Sarah Deming

pbs.org: Documentaries with a point of view: Sundance Video: Q&A With Filmmaker Robin Hessman and the Subjects of "My Perestroika"

Free Screening of Documentary on History of Soviet / Russian Underground Music at Margret

Poster: Alexander Lipnitsky's film on the history of Soviet / Russian underground music
at Margret Bar /Lounge, November 12, 2009 @ 6 - 9 pm
Credit: www.kinoartfestival.com
www.nostalgiatv.ru

KinoArt Festival "For the Love of Russian Film, Music and Art"
Invites You to a FREE Screening of

Alexander Lipnitsky's Documentary Film
The History of Russian Rock
Q&A follows, director in attendance

Journalist and musician Alexander Lipnitsky will introduce his series of television programs about the main heroes of Russian rock music in the 80's:

• Aleksandr Bashlachev: Eternal Post / Eternal Fast (Vechny Post)
• Sergey Kuryokhin: Pop-Mechanics (Popularnaia Mehanika)
• Mikhail "Mike" Naumenko: Zoo (Zoopark)

When: Thursday, November 12, 2009
Time: 6 pm - 9 pm

Where: Margret bar / lounge for the Junction
2952 Dundas Street West, Toronto ON
(just East of Pacific Avenue)
There is ample street parking on Dundas St. West
Green P parking info

Via TTC:
from Dundas West Stn: Junction bus #40 at Pacific Ave.,
from Keele Stn: Keele bus #41 & Weston bus #89 at Dundas St. West
from High Park Stn: Lambton bus #30 at Dundas St. West

www.facebook.com/margretondundas
www.margretondundas.com
416 762 3373




View Larger Map

Hope to see you there!

kinoartfestival.com

links:
kinoartfestival.com: Alert – Screening of Documentary
Screening of Alexander Lipnitskiy’s documentary on the history of Soviet/Russian rock music will take place on Thursday, Nov.12th, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Margret Bar.
KinoArt Festival: Russian Rock Music Retrospectives with Alexander Lipnitsky

KinoArt Festival: Russian Rock Music Retrospectives with Alexander Lipnitsky

Second KinoArt Festival in Toronto, November 5-8, 2009

KinoArt Festival Alert – Screening of Documentary

Screening of Alexander Lipnitskiy’s documentary on the history of Soviet/Russian rock music will take place on Thursday, Nov.12th, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Margret Bar.

Alexander Lipnitsky @ the Toronto's Kino Art Festival
"For the Love of Russian Film, Music and Art"

[ V ] Friday, November 6, 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Panel discussion on the past, present, and future of Russian cinema

Munk Centre for International Studies
1 Devonshire Place, Toronto - 416-946-8900


[ V ] Saturday, November 7, 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Documentaries about AQUARIUM and ZVUKI MU

Club Samovar
51 Winchester St, Toronto - 416 925 4555


[ V ] Sunday, November 8, 8:30 – 9:30 pm

Documentary about legendary Russian rock group KINO
Kino had a major role in the film ASSA

Regent Theatre
551 Mt. Pleasant Road, Toronto 416 489 8484

Club Samovar
51 Winchester St, Toronto - 416 925 4555

Alexander Lipnitsky in His Own Words

From 1983 to 1990, I was a bass guitarist with the "Moo Sounds". Among the band’s biggest achievements was our album, produced by Bryan Imo and recorded at London’s OPAL RECORDS STUDIO. The album sold 3500 copies in Europe and USA in 1989. I also played at Serious Fun Festival. Together with a California band The Residents we performed at NY Lincoln Center. I participated in several documentary films screened in France, Italy, Germany, USA, and USSR.

During 1990-2009, I was a producer of the following bands: ATAS, BIOSINTEZ, SHATEN KINGS, and Upstairs.

As a journalist of SOVETSKAYA KULTURA (Soviet Culture), I covered USSR jazz festivals during the 70’s. In the 80’s, I published in the following underground magazines: SMORCHOK, SELF, SDVIG, etc. During 1994-2009, some of my articles were published in the Playboy and Rolling Stones.

My TV career was launched in 1991 with an hour film VICTOR TSOY: SUNNY DAYS.

I worked with Joanna Stingray on her TV project RED WAVE 21 and created a number of TV programs about famous rock musicians from Russia and the West, including stories about The Doors and Boris Grebenshchikov. The latter featured in a documentary titled “40:0 in Grebenshchikov’s Favor,” produced in 1993.

In 2006, my own TV show, Yellow Submarine, premiered on NOSTALGIA cable channel. The show is dedicated to the history of Russian rock music.

To the audience of Toronto KinoArtFestival I will offer a program consisting of my TV documentaries on the key figures of Russian rock-music, such as Alexandr Bashlachev, Sergei Kurekhin, Alexei Khvostenko, AUKTSYON band, Moo Sounds, KINO, AQUARIUM and ZOO, with introductory remarks in English.

My motto is to play a fair game and show the truth, without using special computer effects. For my projects, I use newsreels and find people who, in my opinion, are well worth mentioning as part of the Russian rock music history.

Google Books: Noise of the world: non-western musicians in their own words
"ALEXANDER (SASHA) LIPNITSKY | ZVUKI MU Zvuki Mu is one of the few rock bands qua rock band featured in this book, for similar reasons to Tribe After Tribe. ..."
by Hank Bordowitz - 2004 - Music - 381 pages

links:
Free Screening of Documentary on History of Soviet / Russian Underground Music at Margret

mp3.com: Zvuki Mu

wikipedia.org: Russian rock

wikipedia.org: Legends of Russian Rock

digitaljournal.com: KinoArt Russian Festival Opens in Toronto Thursday
"In recent years, he created a series of television programs on the main heroes of Russian rock in the 80's. Itself in many ways a symbol of the era, Lipnitsky is now considered one of the most competent of Russian rock historians."
by Lenny Stoute

kuryokhin.letov.ru: SERGEY KURYOKHIN: uncivil engineering
Sergey Kuryokhin and his popular mechanics give performance art soviet twist
by Michael R. Benson

80sretromusic.com: Zvuki Mu
"Led by singer, songwriter, poet, actor, and all-around artistic troublemaker Pyotr Mamonov, Zvuki Mu was one of the few bands of the so-called "Russian Revolution" in late-'80s pop music that merited more than a casual glance from Western audiences. (As opposed to bands like the remarkably dull hard rockers Gorky Park.) Formed in 1981 by Mamonov, who was already a published author in his early 30s, Zvuki Mu (literally "sounds of moo," an absurdist name that suits Mamonov's playful lyrical style) performed increasingly above-ground gigs in Russia and Eastern Europe throughout the '80s ..."
Curtis Zimmermann, All Music Guide

yakutiatoday.com: Stepanida Borisova: World-famous but still unknown
"I remember Sasha Lipnitsky gave a concert in Moscow suburb, on Nicolina Gora. One of the life's brightest musical impressions! And not only musical – do you remember Zhanna Aguzarova came into your dressing room and said: Stesha, you are a great singer; I can tell you that as another great singer".
Interviewed by Irina Efimova, Vecherka.Ykt.Ru
Translated by Alexandra Markova, a Yakutsk State University student

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]

KinoArt Festival: Media Alert!! Conference November 4 at Samovar Room

Poster: Media Conference: KinoArt Festival:
For The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art
November 4, 2009 11:00 am at Samovar Room
Credit: www.kinoartfestival.com

KinoArt Festival – Media Alert!! – Conference November 4

***** MEDIA ALERT *****

October 30, 2009 – Toronto, ON

All media are invited

KinoArt Festival
For The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art

presents

Media Conference 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.

WHO: Director Sergey Solovyev and Lead Actress Tatiana Drubich.

WHAT: Introducing them to Toronto Media and hearing stories on the making of the film. The Conference will also serve as a platform to announce other films, documentaries, animations and shorts showcased at the 2nd KinoArt Festival.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 4, 2009. Informal greetings at 10:30, conference begins promptly at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Samovar Room – 51A Winchester Street, Toronto ON http://j.mp/3JUfKZ

WHY: This Media Conference is a rare and intimate opportunity to meet first-hand, face-to-face one of Russia’s most prolific director and writer Sergey Solovyev and one of Russia’s most distinguished and sought-after leading actress Tatiana Drubich.

www.kinoartfestival.com

All media are invited.
For more information, get GAT:
Vitaly Gurevich | 416.888.3744 | vitaly@gat.ca
Ingrid Hamilton | 416‐731‐3034 | ingrid@gat.ca

Press-Release: The Second KinoArt Festival in Toronto November 5 – 8 for The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art

Poster: Second Kino Art Festival Toronto
November 5 - 8, 2009

The Second KinoArt Festival in Toronto November 5 – 8 for The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art

Screenshot: KinoArt Festival in Toronto, November 5 – 8, 2009
Credit: kinoartfestival.com

KinoArt Festival
For The Love of Russian Film, Music and Art

Russian Directors Restake Claim to Their Classic Literature

with North American Premieres of

Anna Karenina and Taras Bulba

at the 2nd KinoArt Festival

running November 5 – 8 in Toronto

www.kinoartfestival.com
www.gat.ca

For Immediate Release

(October 30, 2009 – Toronto, ON) – Western filmmakers have had their turns. Now new, groundbreaking, culturally-authentic versions of Anna Karenina and Taras Bulba will be on offer at the second KinoArt Festival.

The Russian Film Festival, which runs in Toronto from Thursday, November 5th, until Sunday, November 8th, 2009, will also offer Russophiles a long-awaited sequel to Assa, the film that galvanized the underground Russian rock scene back in 1987. Also featured is the North American premiere of Metro, a stunning and unique documentary on the monumental Moscow subway, the first film of its kind to cover this subject. As well, there’s the 2008 Russian box-office hit We are From the Future, Andrei Maliukov’s time-traveling adventure that takes place in St. Petersburg during the fierce defense of the city in 1942.

After a successful launch in 2007, KinoArt Festival is back and this year brings with it the massive premiere of Anna Karenina along with legendary Russian director Sergey Solovyev and actress Tatyana Drubich. Solovyev’s version of the Leo Tolstoy’s epic love story will turn heads and provoke cinematic debate.

"We are very excited to bring Toronto our second KinoArt Festival," says Alla-Ani Poliakova, Founder and Executive Director of the Festival. "Our goal has always been to chronicle the evolution of Russian films, past and present through our film event, and this year we are really thrilled to be offering the most impressive feature films, documentaries, and shorts, some never before seen, and bring that to North America, specifically Toronto."

Other highlights at KinoArt include director Kirill Serebrennikov’s Yuriev Den, about a famous opera singer, which won the Grand Prix at Warsaw International Film Festival in 2008.

Making its debut in Toronto is Taras Bulba, directed by renowned director Vladimir Bortko it is based on the book by Nikolai Gogol (called "one of the 10 greatest books of all time" by Ernest Hemingway). Famously embraced by Hollywood as a starring vehicle for the late Yul Brynner, it’s an enduringly controversial story about Ukraine's Cossack warriors and their campaign to defend their lands from the advancing Polish armies.

From the notorious Russian director Alexei Balabanov, comes Morphine, his interpretation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s A Country Doctor's Notebook. The film’s screenplay was written by another famous Russian director, Sergei Bodrov, Jr. This joint effort recounts the events of 1917, the turbulent year of the Russian Revolution.

Shultes takes the audience on an existential voyage to Moscow, into the heart of Russia’s capital. The film is shown through the eyes of an ordinary Muscovite, who lives in an ordinary apartment building somewhere on the outskirts of the city, alone. His only connection to reality: his notepad.

The Festival closes with a searing documentary, Process directed by Alexander Zeldovich and devoted to the anniversary of the 1952 execution of the Jewish anti-fascist committee of the former U.S.S.R. Process, co-presented by the Jewish Film Festival, will be followed by a Q&A.

The same evening, visiting director Sergey Solovyev (Anna Karenina) will screen Assa – a Russian cult favourite from the late 80’s. His original film gave voice to the underground rock music scene, with the lead played by the charismatic rocker Victor Tsoy (the film’s soundtrack features a number of songs performed by a variety of Russian rock singers). Following the screening of Assa, after a wait of 22 years, will be the North American premiere of the sequel Assa 2. Solovyev’s sequel portrays the new generation in contemporary Russia, within a complex structure that references Solovyev’s own Anna Karenina.

Of note, 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, will participate in a panel on the present, past, and future of Russian cinema on November 6. Some of the questions raised will be the politics of documentary film, the problem of film exhibition and preservation, and the relevance of the Soviet cinematic experience to contemporary Russian and world cinema.

Following the panel discussion, a stunning debut will occur - the world premiere of Their Kingdom, a 1928 documentary from Soviet Georgia presented by Sergei Kapterev, with a post-screening Q&A. The film, by Mikhail Kalatozishvili, had been considered lost until its first two reels were discovered at Russia’s State Film Archive. Sergei Kapterev holds a Doctorate in Cinema Studies from New York University and is the author of the book Post-Stalinist Cinema and the Russian Intelligentsia, 1953-1960.

Also, Lahusen will present his own two short films; The Province of Lost Film and The Photographer at KinoArt on November 7.


Tickets can be purchased at the Venues night of screening
And www.torontovka.com (in Russian)

Gala Opening: $20 Adults, $12 Students and Seniors - includes Gala Post Reception
Main Program: $12 Adults, $10 Students and Seniors

Isabel Bader Theatre
93 Charles Street West
Tel: 416.585.4523

Regent Theatre
551 Mt. Pleasant Road
416.489.8484

Slavic Department at University of Toronto
121 St. Joseph Street
Tel: 416.926.2075

The following list outlines KinoArt Festival 2009’s sponsorship line-up:
Ministry of Tourism; Canada Heritage; U of T Slavic Department; United Stars; Brunella; Steam Whistle; Finn-Tastic; Ethnic Channel Group; Next TV; Tokmakov TV; Torontovka.com; West East Newspaper; Express Gazeta; Mix TV; Nasha Gazeta

-30-

For more info, to request screeners, to set up interviews, get GAT:
Ingrid Hamilton ingrid@gat.ca h/o: 416-482-6142 c: 416-731-3034
Vitaly Gurevich vitaly@gat.ca c: 416-888-3744

AcademiaRossica
3rd Russian Film Festival, 30 October — 8 November 2009
Apollo Cinema. London, Tel. 0871 220 6000
More information on http://academia-rossica.org

links:
russianfilmweeknyc.com: 9th Annual Russian Film Week NYC November 2009
kinoglaz.fr: 17th Honfleur Russian Film Festival (France) - 25 - 29 November 2009
wikipedia.org: Cinema of Russia
ng.ru: "Анна Каренина" без Анны Карениной
Екатерина Барабаш, Санкт-Петербург-Москва
kp.ru: Татьяна ДРУБИЧ: Сегодня самоубийство Анны Карениной сочли бы глупостью
Анастасия ПЛЕШАКОВА
eg.ru: Промо-ролик нового фильма Сергея Соловьёва «Анна Каренина»

First Ever Toronto Russian Film Festival KINO and ART 2007 Invitation

Kino & Art Festival 101: Dr.Valeri Kogan, a film producer and businessman,
gives an introduction to the First Toronto Russian Film Festival
in the Steam Banya club tent at Nuit Blanche art night
Photo: artjunction.blogspot.com

The First KINO Art Festival (KAF) 2007 is a Toronto’s latest great cultural raison d'être.

Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Sunday, October 7, 2007

Festival Venues:
Royal Cinema
608 College St. (at Clinton St.), Toronto M6G 1A1 [map]

National Film Board Theatre
150 John St.(at Richmond St W) Toronto M5V 3C3 [map]
(Osgoode subway station)

Toronto Centre For the Arts
5040 Yonge St. Toronto M2N 6R8 [map]
(North York Centre subway station)

The Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living
1003 Steeles Ave. W. (at Bathurst St.) Toronto M2R 3T6 [map]

Bar Italia
582 College St. (at Clinton St.), Toronto M6G 1A1 [map]

The State Theatre NightClub
69 Bathurst Street (at King St. West), Toronto [map]

Mana Bar and Lounge
722 College St. (west of Bathurst St.), Toronto M6G 1C4 [map]

Festival Program:

Thursday, October 4, 2007
Day 1: Opening Night Film and Party

Gala Opening: Temptation / Искушение (2007)
Director: Sergey Askenazi
North American Premiere
Director in Attendance
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Opening Night Party
Venue: Bar Italia
Time: 9:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
(by invitation only)

Friday, October 5, 2007
Day 2

Connection / Связь (2006)
Director: Dynia Smirnova
North American Premiere Royal Cinema
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Free Floating / Свободное плавание (2006)
Director:Boris Khlebnikov
Canadian Premiere
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 9:15 p.m.

KAF House Gala
(open to general public guest list at info@kaboompromotion.com)
Venue: State Theatre NightClub
Time: 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 6, 2007
Day 3

Animation program for children
Venue: Toronto Centre For the Arts
Time: 2:00 p.m.

From Canada with Love
Program by Russian-Canadian Artists (shorts and feature length documentaries)
Moscow Freestyle Producer/Director: Julia Ivanova |Vancouver| (51mins)
Crazy Lovin’ Director: Veronika Belianina |Toronto| (20 mins)
The Letter Director: Matvei Jivov |Toronto| (21 mins)
Pictures at an Exhibition Director: Natasha Turovsky |Montreal| (37 mins)
Venue: National Film Board
Time: 2:00 p.m.

Alive / Живой (2006)
Director: Alexander Veledinsky
North American Premiere
Venue: Toronto Centre For the Arts
Time: 4:00 p.m.

Frescoes / Фрески (2003)
Director: Alexander Gutman - Retrospective
Documentary Program
Venue: National Film Board
Time: 4:00 p.m.

Playing The Victim / Изображая жертву (2006)
Director: Kirill Serebrenikov 2006
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 4:30 p.m.

Enemies / Враги (2007)
Director: Mariya Mozhar
North American Premiere
Venue: Toronto Centre For the Arts
Time: 6:00 p.m.

In Search of Happiness / В поисках счастья (2006)
Director: Aleksander Gutman - Retrospective
Documentary Program
Venue: National Film Board
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Alive / Живой (2006)
Director: Alexander Veledinsky
North American Premiere
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Connection / Связь (2006)
Director: Dynia Smirnova
North American Premiere Royal Cinema
Venue: Toronto Centre For the Arts
Time: 8:00 p.m.

Short Documentary Program
The best films from Russian film Festivals
Presented and Recommended by Cine Fantom Club
North American Premieres
Artel (2006) Director: Sergey Loznitsa (32 min)
On the Third Planet out of Sun (2006) Director: Pavel Medvedev (32 min)
Yaptik-hasse (2006) Director: Edgar Bartenev (32 min)
Sarafan (2006) Director: Aleksandra Strelyanaya (21 min)
Venue: National Film Board
Time: 8:45 p.m.

Two In One / Два в одном (2007)
Director: Kira Muratova
Canadian Premiere
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 9:15 p.m.

Sunday, October 7, 2007
Day 4: Closing Night Film and Party

Animation Program
The Best Films from Russian Animation Film Festivals
North American Premiere
Venue: National Film Board
Time: 11:45 a.m.

From Canada with Love
Program by Russian-Canadian Artists (shorts and feature length documentaries)
Reflections Director: Timofey Yuriev |Toronto| (4 mins)
Princess Castle Producer/Director: Boris Ivanov |Vancouver| (7 mins)
From Russia, For Love Director: Julia Ivanova |Vancouver| (53 mins)
God’s Goodness Director: Marc Betsworth DOP: Pasha Patriki |Toronto| (20 mins)
Seven Storeys Director: Boris Ivanov |Vancouver| (25 mins)
Venue: National Film Board
Time: 2:00 p.m.

Frescoes / Фрески (2003)
Director: Alexander Gutman - Retrospective
Documentary Program
Venue: The Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living
Time: 12:30 p.m.

The Tuner / Настройщик (2004)
Director: Kira Myratova
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 2:30 p.m.

In Search of Happiness / В поисках счастья (2006)
Director: Aleksander Gutman - Retrospective
Documentary Program
Venue: The Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living
Time: 3:00 p.m.

Closing Night Film: Artistka / Артистка (2007)
Director: Stanislav Govoruchin
North American Premiere
Venue: Royal Cinema
Time: 5:00 p.m.

Closing Night Party
Venue: Mana Bar & Lounge
Time: 7:30 p.m. – midnight
(tickets at the door)

Individual tickets: $10
Full Weekend Wristband Pass: $100
Tickets are available at the box office or on line
Three-day wrist band passes can be purchased here
For events at the Toronto Centre For the Arts, (416-733-9388) tickets can be purchased at the box office, or at Ticketmaster.

For more information on films and tickets please call 647-344-6599
or visit Kino Festival of Russian Film and Art web site
http://www.kinoartfestival.com/


links:
Russian Cinema: Kino Festival of Russian Film and Art
Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association: EVENTS: KINO Art Festival
First ever Russian Film Festival in London: Apollo West End, 27 September - 3 October, 2007
The third Russian Resurrection Film Festival in Melbourne
Press Release: The 7th Annual Russian Film Week in New York, October 12 - 17, 2007

KAF's Image Gallery: Nuit Blanche and the Festival 2007.

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