MIPCOM to Spotlight Russian Content

MIPCOM 2017 is highlighting programming from Russia through the Russian Content Revolution program, which will feature world premiere and international screenings, conferences and networking opportunities.

The program coincides with the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia. The World Premiere Screening of Trotsky, presented by Channel One and Sreda Production, will be the flagship event of the Russian Content Revolution showcase. It will be supported by the Russian Export Centre, which is organizing the Made in Russia national pavilion at MIPCOM.

“This autumn marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution,” said Konstantin Ernst, the CEO of Channel One Russia, producer of Trotsky. “Two of its protagonists were Lenin and Trotsky. Channel One will showcase on this occasion the docudrama about Lenin based on previously-unseen archives, while Trotsky will be presented to audiences as the hero of a drama series.”

Ernst added: “Leon Trotsky was the real mastermind and executive of the October upheaval, virtually its producer. He is an international star of the last 100 years, a real pop-icon, a man of great achievements, who met a tragic fate. Our series is the first drama dedicated to Trotsky in the history of Russia, so we hope to rouse both Russian and international audiences’ interest in this project.”

Ernst will attend the event to present the project. He will be joined by Alexander Tsekalo, the general producer of Sreda Production and producer of the series, and its main stars, Konstantin Khabensky and Olga Sutulova.

“Russian content producers are already well-known for the high quality of their product and Russian studios have gained a strong reputation in foreign markets,” said Petr Fradkov, the CEO of the Russian Export Centre. “Media content producers and production studios are being supported by the Russian Export Centre as part of our ongoing efforts to promote digital content exports.”

NTV Broadcasting Company will showcase its fresh content at MIPCOM. This will include a special event at the Opening Gala and an International Screening of The Road to Calvary. TV3 Channel will present a unique case in the mystery thriller Gogol. The creators and producers of the series, as well as actresses Yulia Franz and Taisiia Vilkova, will present one episode, followed by a discussion on the monetization model used for the project.

More output from leading Russian companies will be presented at the Russian Drama Showcase. Amedia Production and Mars Media Entertainment will show the new historical drama Golden Horde. All Media, the official distributor of Yellow, Black and White, will screen two fresh projects, a sci-fi series titled Better Than Us, and Cleaned Up.

A special high-level networking event, Meet the Russian Producers, is an invitation-only session that will host key international decision-makers meeting with established Russian drama producers. Key professionals from Sreda Production, CTC Media, Art Pictures, Star Media and Sputnik Vostok Production will attend the session.

In addition, at MIPJunior Fresh Russian Animation Screening will feature a range of recent Russian projects for kids, including new projects from Riki Group, Wizart, Melnitsa, CTC and other key industry players. The MIPJunior showcase is presented by the Russian Export Centre. MIPJunior will also host a World Premiere TV Screening of the kids’ fantasy series Heroes of Envell.

“We have successfully launched a marketing and advertising program to promote and support Russian animation producers,” noted Russian Export Centre’s Fradkov. “The first step as we see it is to set up national pavilions at key international fairs and exhibitions. MIPJunior and MIPCOM are among the must-take-part events for digital content producers.

Laurine Garaude, the director of the television division at Reed MIDEM, said, “There is no doubt the Russian production sector is undergoing an upheaval, with major international buyers such as Netflix, Fox TV Studios and Hulu all buying content from Russia of late. So, it is timely for the international marketplace to take a closer look at the innovative drama and animation programming being produced there, to see why the country is now a serious player on the international stage.”