Outcomes of the XVIII Vladimir Menshov International Film Festival WON TOGETHER

10/11/2023 15:21

The XVIII Vladimir Menshov International Film Festival “WON TOGETHER” completed its work on November 9 in Sochi. The awards ceremony took place in the Hall of Organ and Chamber Music named after A.F. Debolskaya.

From the first minutes, the audience was immersed in the amazing musical world. Outstanding musicians did the seemingly impossible - the piano, organ and double bass played together, and this trio sounded like a single ensemble. Such an amazing harmony was born thanks to the skill of the People's Artist of Russia, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, teacher, composer Daniil Kramer (piano), laureate of the First Prize of the All-Russian Competition of Jazz Performers Sergei Khutas (double bass) and laureate of international competitions and awards Ekaterina Melnikova (organ).

Solo numbers were performed by theater and film artist Alexander Rapoport and Honored Artist of Russia Nina Shatskaya.

The host of the ceremony was multiple winner of Russian and international competitions Egor Serov.

A fabulous performance was performed by talented puppeteers Roman Sokolovsky and Anton Sukharev, heroes of Tatyana Soboleva’s film “Lewis Carroll’s Journey Through the Looking Glass and What He Found There,” who received a prize at the opening precisely as the heroes of the film.

The artistic director and producer of the festival is Valery Ruzin.

The closing ceremony director is Konstantin Melnikov. Design scenographer and media creator of the ceremony - Andrey Demin.

During four days of film screenings in cinemas, viewers saw 150 documentaries by young directors and famous filmmakers. 11 international and 19 Russian premieres took place.

The jury included experts from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Sweden. The jury was headed by People's Artist of Russia Vladimir Khotinenko.

“Every film in the competition program has a character. Each film has what I was hoping for when the festival opened. There are people who live in incredible circumstances. Since we won together, let’s live!” – he commented on the life-affirming competition program of the film festival “WON TOGETHER”.

At the University College of Economics and Technology of Sochi State University, master classes were held daily by world-famous filmmakers for students of all faculties: Emmy Award winner, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Sergei Miroshnichenko; People's Artist of Russia, member of the European Film Academy, film director Vladimir Khotinenko; VGIK professor, film expert, screenwriter Tatyana Yakovleva; Georgian film director and screenwriter Irakli Kvirikadze; film director Tatyana Soboleva; Kazakh classic Vladimir Tyulkin; political scientist Vitaly Tretyakov. All of them are not only film directors, but also teachers. Viktor Ozerov, a member of the “WON TOGETHER” board of trustees, spoke about the importance of holding the festival regularly:

“Our festival began on November 4, the day of the All-Russian National Unity Day. This has a great philosophical meaning - we won together, and the unity of the Russian and Soviet people remains the main source of our victories in the past, present and future. For 18 years, our festival has firmly established itself and is the largest in the Russian Federation. During this time, we received our own name - the name of Vladimir Menshov. This costs a lot and requires a lot. I am confident that the festival’s films will take their rightful place in the film industry, because our unspoken motto is the words of one of Iosiph Kobzon’s last songs: “We don’t need foreign territories, we don’t want to fight with anyone. But at the same time, we will not let anyone forget the lessons of history!” I wish faith in the future to each of us and our great Motherland, RUSSIA!”

An important event in the business part of the festival was the signing of the Agreement on the establishment of the International Chinese-Russian Academy of Film and Television in Chongqing (PRC). The main goal of the document is to strengthen cultural and historical cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation and to bring into the broad information field the joint struggle of the Soviet and Chinese peoples and countries in the war against the Japanese militarists. The agreement contains a clause on the organization of a joint scenario laboratory.

The Agreement and Memorandum were signed by the Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly Andrei Belianinov and the General Director of the Chongqing Dubail Import & Export Corporation (GROUP) Mr. Wei Dong.

The business program of the film screening also included: a round table “CINEMA: HISTORY AND MEMORY” under the motto “Let’s defend the historical truth!”

The dialogue on November 9 was attended by historians, filmmakers, search teams, public figures from Russia, China, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries. They talked about how the main battles of the Great Patriotic War were reflected in documentary films and about the experience of cooperation in documentary projects between Russia and China and the CIS countries.

On November 10, the INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC FORUM for preserving the memory of the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War “WON TOGETHER” was held, at which the initiatives of the Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly Andrei Belianinov and the Chairman of the Russian Union of Veterans Vitaly Azarov on the establishment of the Organizing Committee for the preparation of the Congress of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and movements were discussed Resistance "For the Revival of the Spirit of Elbe."

Participants in seven competitions of the annual documentary show were awarded in a solemn ceremony.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Prize for best feature film: “ROXTORIA”, director Grigory Kurdyaev, Russia
Best Short Film Award: ZARI, directed by Arman Gholipour Dashtaki, Iran
Prize for best screenplay: “Whose Dog Am I?”, director Robert, Hungary, Romania
Best debut: “WHY?”, director Teodor Geonov, Bulgaria, Czech Republic
Special Jury Prize: "1942, WORLD AT WAR", directed by Véronique Lagoarde-Sego, Marc Balle, France
Special diploma of the jury for a poignant disclosure of the theme of the heroes of the Great War: “THE SOLDIER LIVES”, Sherzod Nazarov, Uzbekistan
Special jury diploma for brilliant simplicity and respect for the meaning of human life: “MEDIC”, director Alizhan Nasirov, Kyrgyzstan

NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

First prize named after Vladislav Mikoshi: “MAN OF LABOR”, director Olga Azhnakina, Russia
Prize for the best director's work named after Igor Shadkhan: “ORANGE BALL”, director Natalya Savras, Russia
Prize for best cinematography named after Anatoly Golovnya: “MISHA THE ICEBREAKER”, director Dmitry Stepanov, Russia
Film Hero Award: Roman Sokolovsky, LEWIS CARROLL'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE MIRROR AND WHAT HE FOUND THERE, director Tatyana Soboleva, Russia
Special diploma: “For reflecting reality through the looking glass” in the film LEWIS CARROLL’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE MIRROR AND WHAT HE FOUND THERE, director Tatyana Soboleva, Russia
Special Jury Diploma: “THE CASE OF THE BEARCUTTERS”, director Denis Safonov, Russia
Diploma: “The Worlds of Maya”, director Marina Chuvailova, Russia

INTERNATIONAL FILM SCHOOLS COMPETITION

Best Film Award: GYPSY DREAM, directed by Miroslav Blazeski, Macedonia
Prize for Best Young Director: “OYUM”, director Aidai Askarova, Kyrgyzstan

Special jury diplomas:

For a bright start in the profession of documentary filmmaker: “BEFORE THE BRONZE”, director Yakov Podkustov, Russia
For the beauty of the image, style and grace in the genre of documentary portraiture: “SOUL”, director Inessa Avanesova, Armenia

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION “HISTORY IN FRAME”

Prize from the Chairman of the Festival Organizing Committee Andrey Belianinov: “PATRIARCH TIKHON IS IN POWER ON THE EDGE. UNKNOWN PAGES OF SOVIET HISTORY”, director Igor Prokopenko, Russia
Prize “History in Frame - New Facets” for fresh coverage of historical processes: “RUSSIAN EXODUS IN MALTA”, director Maxim Ryzhakov, Malta
Prize of the “Military Secret” program - for the best television or film project dedicated to national or world history: “CSDF: POINT OF REFERENCE. BALLAD ABOUT THE FRONT OPERATOR”, director Andrey Istratov, Russia
Diploma for the original embodiment of a super popular theme: “AVDEEV. OPEN SPACE”, director Maxim Kuznetsov, Russia
Diploma for the novelty of the embodiment of the connection between the past and the present through deer paths: “WHITE GHOSTS”, director Eva Belova, Russia
Diploma for the original embodiment of the theme of traditional values: “YOU ARE MY DAD”, director Nikolay Raisov, Kazakhstan

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL FILMS COMPETITION

Prize for the best feature film: “LET ME WIN”, directors Maria Finkelstein, Svetlana Muzychenko, Russia
Prize for the best short film for the convincing embodiment of the theme of returning a name lost due to the circumstances of the war: “DON’T CRY, MOTHER”, directed by Milana Majar, Republika Srpska
Special diploma for creating a film-portrait of an elderly highlander, faithful to the calling of a doctor: “ALONE DOCTOR IN THE FIELD”, director Victoria Maksoeva, Georgia
Diploma for revealing the theme of rural folk museums: “THREE MUSEUMS ON THE SHORE”, director Alexander Kalashnikov, Russia
Diploma for the embodiment of the theme of fatherly education: “FATHERS. ABOUT THE MAIN THINGS”, director Mark Larionov, Russia

INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION COMPETITION

Prize for best television documentary: “WAR. FEMALE GENDER”, director Ekaterina Toldonova, Russia
Prize for the best television cycle or series: “PASTILE. A FORGOTTEN CRAFT”, director Yulia Mavrina, Russia
Prize for the best television work (in different genres): “FOR OUR “VICTORY”. FROM DREAM TO LEGEND”, director Ekaterina Sharomet, Belarus
Prize for the best television work about culture named after Svyatoslav Belza: “3723 VOZNESENSKY”, director Valery Belov, Russia
Gemma Firsova Prize - for the best socio-philosophical television work: “THREE COMPANIONS”, director Vladimir Tyulkin, Kazakhstan
Jury Diploma for discovery in the genre of television interview: “DON’T FORGET THE TWO”, director Serge Moati, France
Diploma for the best television debut: “MALEVICH. BEYOND THE ZERO”, director Ivan Baturin, Russia.

SPECIAL COMPETITION “VOICES OF UNBROKEN PEOPLE”

Prize for the best film: “BEING YOUNG”, director Fedor Malyshev, Russia
Jury Prize for the best author's work: “THEATRE ON THE FRONT LINE”, director Marina Mironova, Russia
Special diploma and prize: DONBASS. VOICES OF UNBROKEN PEOPLE”, director Olesya Orlenko, Russia
Special diploma: “DOCTORS IN BULLACK VESTS”, director Daria Dytynko, Russia

Journalist Wilhelm Domke-Schulz, Germany, director of the film “Faces of Donbass”, director Marina Mironova, Russia (“Theater on the Front Line”), director Daria Dytynko, Russia (“Doctors in Bulletproof Vests”) were awarded with memorable gifts from the Pobeda TV channel.

The “WON TOGETHER” Festival received greetings from:

Minister of Culture of Russia Olga Borisovna Lyubimova,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov,
Secretary of State, Deputy Minister of Defense Nikolai Aleksandrovich Pankov,
State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Fedorovich Mezentsev,
Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District Vladimir Vladimirovich Ustinov,
Film director, People's Artist of Russia, Director of the MOSFILM concern Karen Georgievich Shakhnazarov,
Deputy of the State Duma, Executive Secretary of the “Search Movement of Russia” Elena Moiseevna Tsunaeva,
Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Academician Sergei Yuryevich Glazyev,
Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, Andrei Yuryevich Belianinov,
Head of the Sochi city administration Alexey Sergeevich Kopaygorodsky.

All greetings were announced at the opening ceremony of the film festival and published in the “Bulletin of the Film Festival”.

Media partners of the festival: Russian news agency TASS, Communications holding InterMedia, publishing house "World of News", Literary newspaper, Public television of Russia, TV channel "Culture", TV channel "Pobeda", Media holding "Regions of Russia". Media holding MAX MEDIA GROUP (Sochi).

The XVIII International Film Festival “WON TOGETHER” has not completed its work and will continue its work in the format of a film marathon in different cities of Russia. Documentary films will be shown at venues in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Kazan, Makhachkala, Novosibirsk, Orenburg, Stavropol, Chelyabinsk and a number of other cities.

The organizers of the festival are the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly and the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio. The festival is held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Administration of the City of Sochi.