The opening ceremony was held at the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky.
Opening the festival, the Festival president Igor Ugolnikov noted, “I am happy that this festival is starting in Kaluga, in the museum where perhaps a hundred years ago, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky suggested that our cozy planet is just a cradle for humanity. And a further path should be laid to the stars. I hope that our festival will become another stepping stone on that path to the stars.”
Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, Governor of the Kaluga Region Vladislav Shapsha, Senator of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Taxes and Budget Anatoly Artamonov participated in the Festival opening ceremony.
Vladimir Medinsky:
“It is very important that the new Tsiolkovsky festival is starting here in Kaluga. This is not just another festival. This is a new opportunity. The festival, as the most convincing of the arts, should convince our children to go to work in space, start creating activities, start planning, just as our great predecessors did.”
Vladislav Shapsha:
“I would like the festival, which starts its life today, to become another step into a wonderful unknown future and continue its successful path in Kaluga, the cradle of world cosmonautics.”
Anatoly Artamonov:
“For several decades Kaluga has been the cradle of cosmonautics. But no one came up with the idea of creating such a festival. This was done by Igor Ugolnikov. In two years he accomplished two feats: he shot the film "Podolsk Cadets" and created the Tsiolkovsky International Film Festival. I am sure that the festival will continue to live on!"
The symbolic beginning of the festival was the breaking of the film festival commemorative plate. This was done by Igor Ugolnikov, Vladimir Medinsky, Vladislav Shapsha, and Anatoly Artamonov on the stage of the opening ceremony.
The film festival runs until Saturday, April 17th. Its program includes 10 full-length feature films, 13 documentaries, and 19 short films.
The panel was chaired by renowned director and producer Roger Corman.
On the panel are
: film director, screenwriter, and producer Timur Bekmambetov; film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor Klim Shipenko; documentary filmmaker, journalist, TV presenter, and writer Igor Prokopenko will also judge the entries.
Among the panel members will be Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov; director of the K.E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics Natalya Abakumova; head of the press service of the Roscosmos State Corporation Vladimir Ustimenko; executive director of the Youth Center of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia Dmitry Yakunin; film director and screenwriter Alyona Zvantsova; and director for marketing and strategic development of the State Film Fund and art director of the cinema "Illusion" Nadezhda Stepanova.
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 Film Fund of Russia, the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky, of Russia, Bosco Manufactures LLC, and other commercial and public organizations.
