The press release of the festival "Flahertiana-2002"
The 4th International festival of the New Documentary Cinema "Flahertiana" will take place in Perm from May 30 to June 6, 2002.
The festival is held regularly: once every two years. The first one took place in September 1995, the second one - January 1998, and the third one - in May 2000.
"Flahertiana" was founded by the Union of the Film-makers of Russia, the Administration of the Perm region, the Novi Kurs film studio and the Fund for Support and Development of Cinema Art of the Perm region.
This year the festival which is recognized on the international level has once again proved its significance. The project "Flahertiana-2002" received a grant at the regional fair of social and cultural projects "Saratov-2001" and also a grant of the Open Society Institute (Soros Fundation).
The festival's PROGRAM which has now considerably expanded compared to its previous editions, will consist of the following parts:
- The New Documentary Cinema.
- A competitive program (see "The Project Statement")
- An informative film show The program will consist of the best films of Russian and international film festivals that took place in the past 2 years. These films will not participate in the competitive program because their genre does not correspond to the conception of the festival.
- A theoretical conference dedicated to stage setting ("mise-en-scene") in the documentary cinema. This topic will be discussed by famous cinema theorists, art critics and film directors.
- "Flahertiana-2002" project of the Volga Federal District.
The project includes the monitoring of films, video and TV productions created at the regional studios of the Volga Federal District and dedicated to the culture and traditions of the peoples living in this district (see "The Project Statement"). Based on the result of the monitoring there will be created a data base of creative resources of these studios. The best 15 projects selected by the jury will be included into the festival's program, and their creators will take part in a training-competition which is part of the project. - The section of visual anthropology (see "The Project Statement").
The section will be managed by the President of the Russian Association of Visual Anthropology professor O.I. Genisaretsky and the Head of the Center of Visual Anthropology of the Moscow State University E.V. Alexandrov. - The project "Flahertiana: a school of tolerance".
The purpose of this project is to attract the attention of the society to the problem of national and social conflicts. On the final stage of the project there will be created a program of documentary scripts about people who went through such conflicts, and also a documentary play (Verbatim). The best script, selected during a pitching at the festival, will receive full financial support, some others will be supported partially. (see "The Project Statement") - An inter-regional seminar for documentary film producers.
The course is held due to the organizations that are responsible for the major Russian documentary film festivals: "Flahertiana" (Perm), "Russia" (Ekaterinburg), "Meeting in Siberia" (Novosibirsk).
The purpose of the project is to elaborate and realize a model of production, advertising and renting of domestic documentary films which is new for the region and Russia in general, to train a number of producers and film directors who are actually able to work in the new political and economical conditions.
The Board of Trustees of the festival has provided the following awards:
- The Grand Prix of the festival
- The award for the best full-length film
- The award for the best short film
- The award of the visual anthropology section
- The award of the audience's preference
- The award of the Board of Trustees of the festival