The premiere of Valery Todorovsky’s latest film The Bolshoi is one of the hottest tickets on the Russian film calendar this year and Russian Resurrection Film Festival has confirmed the Australian and New Zealand premiere of the film will be held at this year’s festival.
Russian Resurrection Film Festival Director Nicholas Maksymow has recently arrived back in Australia after attending the world premiere of The Bolshoi, held at the magnificent Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Other VIP guests in the audience of the premiere included Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, the Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, and Russian A-listers including Actor/Director Fyodr Bondarchuk and Chelsea Football Club Owner Roman Abramovich.
“Russian Resurrection Film Festival is very pleased to announce the dates and cinemas for 2017 and we are thrilled to confirm the Australian and New Zealand premiere of Valery Todorosky’s The Bolshoi will be held at this year’s festival. Moving and entertaining, The Bolshoi is a majestic treasure that succeeds on the big screen and we are so excited to bring the film to audiences across Australia and New Zealand later this year,” says Nicholas Maksymow, Festival Director of Russian Resurrection Film Festival.
The Bolshoi tells the story of a young small-town girl who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. With the help of her talent, skill, patience and ambition she hopes to reach the pinnacle in ballet and become a principle dancer with the Bolshoi Theatre.
Todorovsky’s film crew was the first in history to be given access to the majestic Bolshoi Theatre to shoot a film. In addition to a cast of professional actors over 70 ballet dancers and students were selected to dance on the historic stage and play lead characters in the film.
The Bolshoi was released theatrically in Russia last month and is receiving exceptional reviews.
The program for Russian Resurrection Film Festival 2017 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever with a fantastic line up of new films confirmed for this year.
The largest and most respected festival of Russian film outside of Russia will be screening across Australia and New Zealand throughout October and November.
“ We have carefully selected films which represent the range and breadth of quality Russian films, so whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in Russian culture, undertake a historical journey, succumb to an entertaining romance or something to take the kids to, this year’s program will satisfy all tastes!” – Festival Director, Nicholas Maksymow.
Opening night film and new adventure film Spacewalkers (2017) will screen at Event Cinemas Myer Centre on Wednesday November 1 at 6:4pm. Tickets include:- Film, Live Entertainment, Food and Imperial Vodka Cocktails. Starring renowned Russian actors Mironov, Khabenskiy and Ilyin Spacewalkers is based on a true story. The film is set during the heat of the Space Race where USSR and the USA competed for supremacy in space. Both superpowers aim to be the first to have a man walk in outer space and it’s up to the unlikely duo of a seasoned war veteran and a hot-headed test-pilot to fulfil the mission.
Directed by Boris Khlebnikov Arrhythmia (2017) took home the major prize for Best Film at Russia’s Kinotavr in June this year. The arthouse drama went on to make its international debut at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where its male lead Alexander Yatsenko won the best actor prize. The film follows the lives of Oleg, a gifted and opinionated paramedic and his wife Katya who works at the hospital emergency department. Caught between emergency calls, alcohol-fuelled sessions and the search for a meaning in life, Oleg and Katya need to find the binding force that keeps them together.
Set in Moscow in Summer 2016 About Love: Adults Only (2017) is a must-see comedy on the program this year. A follow up to the popular 2015 About Love, the film features a new lecture, a new guest lecturer (played by renowned American actor and director, John Malkovich) and a new theme: “How to preserve love in the modern world”. Five different love stories are brought together in this hilarious light-hearted comedy about love.
Directed by Pavel Chukhray, Cold Tango (2017) is set in 1941 as the German Army sweeps into Lithuania plunging its Jewish population, including the young Max and his family, into grave peril. The film brings to life the terrifying realities of life under an oppressive foreign occupation – first by Nazi Germany and then by the forces of the Soviet Union. In this climate of fear and violence, Max meets and falls in love with Laima – a Lithuanian girl whose family takes him under their protection, but who also carry their own dark secrets.
Set in 1904 in the aftermath of one of the battles of the Russian–Japanese war is new drama Anna Karenina: Vronsky’s Story (2017). The story follows Sergei Karenin and Alexey Vronsky who find themselves thrown together in a remote Manchurian village, where fate offers them a chance to return to the events long past and, finally, to find the answers both have long been seeking.
The Kitchen: World Chef Battle (2017 is the highly anticipated witty follow-up to the hit Kitchen in Paris. Before meeting Anna, a beautiful French woman, all Ivan was interested in was digital codes and hacker programs. Anna and Ivan both fly to Sochi to compete in the World Championship for Chefs: Anna will represent France and Ivan will cook for Russia. Ivan must earn the trust of his culinary super-team and sort out his relationship with his father, well-known chef Victor Barinov. If only Ivan would stick to the recipes – he may avoid trouble, chaos and prison, all whilst helping television personality and host for the World Championship for Chefs, Dmitri Nagiev, escape a forced marriage.
Snow Queen 3 – Fire and Ice (2017) is a sequel to the popular family animations The Snow Queen and Snow Queen 2. After heroically defeating both the Snow Queen and the Snow King, Gerda still cannot find peace. She is on a mission to find her parents and in Snow Queen 3 – Fire and Ice Gerda and her friends embark on an exciting journey encountering new challenges along the way.
Fast-paced black comedy road movie, Blockbuster (2017) is about two young women on the run and their unlikely friendship as a result of a wild series of bizarre events. A satirical take on modern television, low-rent media and the heroes of our times with each one struggling for the ultimate breakthrough.
All up 14 new films will screen as part of the XIV Russian Resurrection Film Festival.
Russian Resurrection Film Festival 2017
Sydney: 26 October to 5 November at Event Cinemas George Street and Burwood
Perth: 27 October to 1 November at Cinema Paradiso, Northbridge
Brisbane: 01 November to 08 November at Event Cinemas Myer Centre Brisbane City
Canberra: 10-15 November at Capitol Cinemas Manuka
Melbourne: 09 to 19 November at ACMI
www.russianresurrection.com
