Creative Business Forum Tackles Northern Region Filmmaking Issues

The session entitled “Film-Making in the Arctic: Dialogue between Nature and Technology” was held on 14 June at the Creative Business Forum as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2023. The session was hosted by the Innosocium Foundation, a social platform of the Roscongress Foundation. It was one of the planned events under Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023, the operator of the chairmanship events being the Roscongress Foundation.

The participants discussed current approaches to film making on Arctic territory and measures to ensure a balance between the producing a quality film and conserving nature. On the wave of audience interest in ethnographic filmmaking, the northern regions have become actively involved in film production. Filmmakers are seeking unique natural locations and strong characters in the North. To minimise any potential damage to the fragile Arctic environment, a networking approach must be adopted and a concept and a common platform developed for filmmakers and small and medium-sized enterprises to work together, sharing a common approach to filmmaking.

The session was moderated by Dmitry Pristanskov, Chairman of the Board of the Gorky Film Studio of Children’s and Youth Films and founder of the Monumental Vision film company.

Participants included Aisen Nikolaev, head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); filmmaker, traveller and blogger Bogdan Bulychev; Elena Dyagileva, Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region; filmmaker Stepan Korshunov; Evgeny Melentyev, general producer and co-founder of KD Studios; Anton Melnik, producer of the film “Territory”; Ildar Neverov, Acting General Director of FSUE State Trust Arktikugol; Nikolai Novikov, Secretary of the Presidium of the Council of the Heads of Russian Regions’ Representative Offices under the President and Government of the Russian Federation, member of the Board of the Regional Cinematography Support Fund of the Russian Union of Cinematographers; Svetlana Soldatova, Director and Producer of the Northern Character Production Centre; Dmitry Tabarchuk, General Director of NMG Studio; and Dmitry Yakunin, Producer and Executive Director of the Youth Centre of the Russian Union of Cinematographers, Deputy Executive Director of the Regional Cinematography Support Fund.

The session “Film-Making in the Arctic: a Dialogue Between Nature and Technology” was held at the booth of the Russian Ministry for Development of the Far East and the Arctic during the SPIEF. The booth’s business programme includes around 15 events, some of which will be held as part of Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. These include discussions called “The Northern Sea Route. Outcomes and Plans”, “Protecting and Monitoring Arctic Biodiversity” and “The Russian Arctic – Focal point. Protected Areas in the 21^st Century.”