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FANK team and film director Yulia Kiseleva launch a Science Film Lab at Skoltech

The first Science Film Lab in Russia, launched at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture, invites film-makers to contribute to the production of quality science films.

The Lab aims to develop the industry of scientific documentaries and non-fiction films. As the first step, the film-makers will immerse themselves in Skoltech’s research environment and network with scientists to build an interdisciplinary community and produce the first 15 short films that will be included in a full-length almanac and released to movie theaters.

Each director will choose an interesting topic and create a science film project under the guidance of the Lab’s art director Yulia Kiseleva, director and producer of popular science films, winner of the Lavr Award, finalist of the TEFI-Region competition and two-time nominee of the European Academy of Science Film (EURASF).

While working on their projects, the directors will have the opportunity to take courses on the production, directing and distribution, as well as the world history of science films. Besides, the Lab will organize workshops led by well-known documentary film-makers and industry representatives, such as Irina Belykh, co-founder and program director of the FANK Contemporary Science Film Festival; Viktor Kosakovsky, Russian documentary filmmaker and screenwriter. Laureate of the Nika and Triumph awards; Evgeny Grigoriev, film director, vice-president of the Documentary Film and Television Guild and creative producer at the Sverdlovsk Film Studio.

At the end of the course, the students will present short science films that will be grouped into a larger film almanac. The best projects will be further expanded to full-length productions.

Yulia Kiseleva, director and producer of popular science films, art director of the course:

We have very few interesting and thought-provoking science films in Russia, with only a handful featured at theaters. It is mostly journalists or bloggers who talk about science. We want the Lab to help film-makers with a passion for science to find a good topic, create a project, produce the film and bring it to broad audiences.

Irina Belykh, Arina Pushkina, FANK management:

We realized long ago that simply showing films is not enough. The festival should also develop the industry and create new formats. Last year, supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture, the Cinema Fund and Roskino, we brought a delegation of Russian film-makers to the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP) for the first time in the history of the Russian film industry. We realized then that creating the Lab would be our next step. We wish to build an interdisciplinary community that will provide nurturing ground for new projects and non-fiction film formats.

Svetlana Maximchenko, Head of the Department of Cinematography at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation:

This year, the Russian Ministry of Culture is focusing on the support of professional events that help bring new talent into the film industry. We are glad that the new Lab is on our list of supported projects. We hope that supporting such undertakings will raise the quality of Russian popular science films and help film-makers assert themselves in the industry by making their achievements and new projects known to the public.

Oksana Kurilova, Head of PR at Skoltech

Visibility is a key to the advancement of science. We will be delighted to introduce talented film-makers to Skoltech’s scientists who engage in a wealth of exciting research projects. We do hope that film-makers and Skoltech researchers will succeed in creating quality science productions that will be appreciated by artists and scientists alike. A new interdisciplinary community created at a major research hub is what makes the Lab truly unique.

 

Contacts

Official website of the Laboratory – http://sciencedoclab.com/

VK page – https://vk.com/fankfest

Telegram channel – https://t.me/csffest

 

For other questions

Lilya Sabirova – 89655923301

Anna Fomina – 89605199406

Contact information:
Skoltech Communications
+7 (495) 280 14 81

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