The following persons took part in the press conference:
Igor UGOLNIKOV - President of the Film Festival, producer, screenwriter, film director, General Director of the VoenFilm Studio;
Evgeny AIZIKOVICH - General Producer of the Tsiolkovsky ISFF;
Vladimir USTIMENKO - Member of the Jury of the Tsiolkovsky International Film Festival - 2021, Head of the Press Service of the Roscosmos State Corporation;
The following persons joined the press-conference online:
Natalya ABAKUMOVA - member of the Jury of the Tsiolkovsky ISFF, director of the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K. E. Tsiolkovsky;
Igor PROKOPENKO - Jury member of the Tsiolkovsky ISFF, documentary filmmaker, journalist, TV presenter and writer;
Roger CORMAN is the Chairman of the Jury of the Film Festival, an American film director, producer and actor.
Mr. CORMAN sent a video message with a welcome speech from Hollywood to Kaluga. His film "Battle Beyond the Stars" will be shown in retrospective festival program.
The festival is most likely the only film show in the world dedicated to space. It will last five days. On April 17, we will hold a closing ceremony and grant the prizes, ”said Igor UGOLNIKOV.
About 800 films from more than 80 countries of the world applied for participation in the competition. I was amazed that not only traditionally space countries participated in the competition, but also that the short list included wonderful films from Kenya, Mexico, Armenia, a fantastic film from Iran. All this creates a serious-minded approach, and over time, in a couple of years, we will enter the top of international thematic festivals, ”said the general producer of the festival Yevgeny AIZIKOVICH.
The winners will be nominated in three categories: Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film.
The best film will be awarded the Tsiolkovsky Grand Prix, the Korolev Grand Prix will go for the best director, and the Klushantsev Grand Prix will be awarded for technical achievements and special effects. In addition, there is a special prize from the Roscosmos State Corporation, which is made from used parts of the launch vehicle and the prize of the President of the festival.
The program of retrospectives will feature films from the collection of the State Film Fund, including Vladislav Starevich's film "Journey to the Moon"produced in 1912. In addition, some of the last year's winning films will be screened. Among the special events of the festival are meetings with famous filmmakers, science writers, scientists, lectures, master classe sessions and much more.
Most of the films will be shown in the new cinema of the K. E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics which opened its doors for the public. “Our cinema facility is equipped with the most modern equipment; we also have a planetarium , where we arrange full-dome cinema screenings, which is uncommon,” says Natalya ABAKUMOVA, director of the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K. E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics which opened its doors for the public.
All screenings of the competitive films will be held offline in compliance with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. The events will be broadcasted online on the festival's website and social networks. Of course, we will not be able to show films on the web site, but in the future we plan to do it too. Such hybrid approach will allow us to cover more audience members and participants, ”explained Igor UGOLNIKOV.
Our main task is to promote space and show that our life has been devoted to space, and we'll live and breathe with space in future, ”noted Vladimir USTIMENKO.
The Tsiolkovsky ISFF is held with a grant from the President of the Russian Federation, provided by the Presidential Grants Fund and with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Kaluga Region, the Roscosmos State Corporation, the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K E. Tsiolkovsky, the State Film Fund of Russia, Bosco Manufactures LLC and other commercial and public organizations.