Russian Film Week (RFW) returns for a second year – the biggest cross-cultural Russian event to take place outside Russia
RFW brings the full scope of Russian cinema to Britain to celebrate its artistic merit.
Besides highly anticipated sell-out films Mathilde (Alexey Uchitel) and Arrythmia (Boris Khlebnikov), RFW delivers the best of Russian film in the last 18 months, demonstrating the depth, richness, variety and impressive technological innovation that Russian cinema has to offer to the world. The line-up will include shorts, animation, documentary films and a diversity of genres.
The programme goes beyond multiple film screenings with Q&A sessions to include exhibitions, talks, parties, masterclasses, industry events, designed to pave the way for positive future collaborations between British and Russian film professionals.
RFW will also put on fascinating documentary screenings as part its FemFest, Revolution Centenary, and Ecology Days. Waterstones Piccadilly will host throughout the week free VR demonstrations provided by Russian VR Seasons and PlanetPics (Natural Treasures of Russia programme).
RFW opens with a screening of Attraction climaxing with the BFI closing screening of Mathilde and after-party on 26th November, and Golden Unicorn Awards Charity Gala Dinner on the 25th. The winners in 12 awards categories, including Best Foreign film About Russia, will be announced – as decided by a renowned international jury.
In attendance at the festival will be over 75 of Russia’s most talented directors, producers and actors including: Fedor Bondarchuk, Alexander Yatsenko, Valery Todorovsky, Alyona Babenko, Anna Mikhalkova and Aleksey Uchitel. Guests of honour include Ralph Fiennes, Olga Kurylenko, Mike Newell, Baroness Gail Rebuck and Samy Naceri.
This year’s partners including the BFI, Science Museum, PictureHouses, Curzon Cinemas, Ciné Lumière, Regent Street Cinema and more in London, Cambridge, and Edinburgh.
As 2017 is the Year of Ecology in Russia, RFW have teamed up with WWF UK to raise funds for the WWF Amur Tiger Conservation Project in Russia over the duration of the festival. RFW and Synergy University have also launched a special Student Ecology Short Film competition with a special Golden Unicorn–Synergy Award.
