Film education: joint educational projects of the CIS member states

From September 25 to 29, 2023, a large-scale project «Film education: joint educational projects of the CIS member states» took place in Moscow at the site of the All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S.A. Gerasimova.

The main event of the forum was the International Student Film Festival of the CIS countries «Ascension», held for the first time. 10 film schools from 8 countries took part in the competition program of the festival: Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.

Based on the results of the competition, the professional jury included: Chairman of the jury Svetlana Ivanovna Sukhovey – actress, Honored Artist of the Republic of Belarus. The festival jury also included: Azimov Sergey Zhumabaevich – director, producer, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan; Hasanov Rufat Raufovich – director, producer, acting head of the Cinema Agency of the Azerbaijan Republic; Samvel Rafikovich Manasaryan – producer, general director of Paradise company; Khotinenko Vladimir Ivanovich – director, professor, head of the department of feature films at VGIK, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation.

Turan University High School «Turan Film Academy» received two awards – Best Cinematography for the film «Return» by cameraman Matvey Shestakov and the Audience Award for the film «Incubator» directed by Yana Bushmina.

As part of the project, round tables and international scientific conferences were held with the participation of students and leading professionals in the film industry of the CIS member states. On September 26, the international scientific conference «Film education in the CIS member states as a tool for the formation of a single cultural space» was held, in which the head of the educational program «Cinematography», Associate Professor Alexander Viktorovich Kostylev, took part, a student conference «Young Cinema: Current Problems of the Industry» was held in parallel, in which second-year master’s student Nayzabekova Anastasia Dmitrievna participated.

A special place in the structure of the project is occupied by master classes by major filmmakers from VGIK and friendly states: «The importance of new technologies in modern film production» (Vladimir Khotinenko), «Cinema is a visual art» (Igor Klebanov), «New opportunities for directing interactive media and holography» (Elena Yaremenko). Festival participants were able to attend a master class by the winner of two Palme d’Or awards at the Cannes International Film Festival, director and actor Emir Kusturica. The master spoke about the aesthetic principles of modern cinema.