The International pitching of film projects of the Kazan International Film Festival “Altyn minbar” took place within the walls of the Kazan State Institute of Culture
Kazan Correspondent
The International pitching of film projects of the Kazan International Film Festival “Altyn minbar” took place within the walls of the Kazan State Institute of Culture. The victory was won by the screenwriter from Iran Javid Sobhani with the project “White Horse”. The winner will receive 500 thousand rubles to shoot the film.
“I am overjoyed. I can’t believe that it was my work that was supported by the commission. Considering what serious scripts were presented by my colleagues, I feel even more responsible. I will do my best to meet the jury’s expectations,” promised Javid Sobhani.
At the moment, the crew of the film project has not been approved. “We would like to attract filmmakers from Russia, particularly from Tatarstan, to make the project as realistic as possible,” the screenwriter added.
The plot of the future film is tied to the story of a young Moscow journalist. Haunted by mysterious dreams of a white horse, she tries to uncover the mystery of her mother’s marriage to a Tatar of Iranian origin.
In search of answers, she embarks on a journey from Russia to Iran, exploring her dual heritage against the backdrop of the Nowruz celebrations. As she unravels her father’s revolutionary past, she discovers the true meaning of identity and belonging to a world where cultures intertwine.
“The story is hooked because it raises the very complex topic of identity. We, as representatives of the Turkic world, are well aware of how belonging to a genus affects our self-perception and helps us find our way in this life”, Asel Umarova, a member of the judging committee, chairwoman of the Association of Creative Industries and commercial director of the first online cinema of Kyrgyz films “Ethnomedia” explained the jury’s choice.
Read: Kazan International Film Festival ‘Altyn Minbar’: Twenty Years of Dreams
This year the selection committee reviewed 106 applications from 30 countries. Twelve scripts from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Pakistan and Bangladesh passed through to the final stage of the international pitching.
According to the jury, during the discussion, the commission identified three favorites. The scripts of the animated film project “On the Way Home” by Ainur Davletov (Tatarstan) and the folk horror “Albasty” by Roman Korolev (Tatarstan) also made it to the top three.
International pitching is part of the business program of “Altyn minbar” Film Festival and is a public presentation and defense of film projects – scripts, screenplay applications or synopses before an international expert council.
The obligatory condition of pitching is co-production with Tatarstan: filming must involve the participation of Tatarstan filmmakers or take place on the territory of the republic. Thus, the pitching stimulates the development of co-production with Tatarstan in the regions of Russia, including with the participation of foreign countries.
We remind that the XX Kazan International Festival “Altyn minbar” takes place from September 6 to 11, 2024. The motto of the festival: “Through the dialog of cultures – to the culture of dialog” calls the whole world in the language of cinema to friendship and cooperation of representatives of all nationalities and religions.
It should also be noted that “Altyn minbar” festival was included in the list of film projects supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The Kazan International Film Festival is held with the support of Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Ministry of Culture of Russia, and in partnership with the Strategic Vision Group “Russia-Islamic World”.
Read: The Iranian Family Film to open the Kazan International Film Festival
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