1. International Festivals and Exhibitions
Within the reviewed year VGIK sent 54 student films to 16 international film festivals which took place in Israel (Tel-Aviv), France (Cannes, Paris), Bulgaria (Sofia), USA (Los-Angeles), Germany (Dresden), China (Hong Kong), Germany (Oberhausen, Leipzig (Munich), the Czech Republic (Prague), Armenia(Erevan), Kazakhstan (Alma-Ata), Brazil (Sao-Paolo),etc.
Professors and students of the Acting Department went out to perform at the following events: the International Theatre and Music Festival JULA (Munich, Germany), the International Drama Festival in Schools (Lodz, Poland).
From November, 11th, 2012 till November, 24th, 2012 the 32nd VGIK International Festival was held in Moscow with 33 film schools from 27 countries participating. The Festival’s international program comprised over a hundred films. The opening ceremony took place in the House of Cinema.
2. Scientific Events
From February 1st, till February 6th, 2012 VGIK hosted the CILECT Executive Committee session participated by the heads of the Association’s regional sections and rectors of the world’s leading film schools.
In May, 24-26th , 2012, the International Symposium “The Patriotic War of 1812. Filming the Memory” was held at the VGIK Film Art Institute.
The aim of the symposium was to examine cinema and television possibilities in depicting the events of the Patriotic War of 1812 and particularly the phenomenon of the period film as the main factor in shaping the national and world cultural memory through building up and transforming the image of a historical event.
28 persons made their reports at the symposium: from Russia (Moscow, Omsk, Ufa, Khanty-Mansiysk, Yaroslavl), Belarus, Poland, France, Austria, including Professor I. Veyrat-Masson (French National Centre of Scientific Research, Paris), Professor Ch. Engel (Austria, Innsbruck University), Ph.D A. Nieuwazny (Torun University, Poland). Among the guests there were scholars and students from Germany and the Great Britain.
The participants of the symposium agreed that it was the first experience in the academic interpretation of the Patriotic war of 1812 in international cinema and television was very successful. At present the conference materials are being prepared for a publication. the estimated release of a book is in the first quarter of 2013.
From October 22nd till 26th the GEECT (The European section of CILECT) conference was held in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, with the participation of over 20 European film schools. The conference focused on the teaching process assessment criteria. The VGIK delegation including Rector V.S. Malyshev, Vice-Rector for Research E.A. Rusinova and Head of the International Department T.F. Tursunova participated in the Conference. E.A. Rusinova took part in the discussion of the section “Assessment Criteria of Course Projects in Sound Design”, where she dwelled upon the work of the VGIK Sound Design Department. T.F. Tursunova made a report on the practice of selecting and assessing VGIK applicants based on revealing of their creative abilities and qualification needed for the chosen profession and successful learning.
On the threshold of VGIK remarkable jubilee celebration, the international symposium “The 90-th Jubilee of the Film Direction Department of VGIK” was held from November, 14th to 16th. Within the framework of the symposium Arvo Iho, the director of the Baltic Media Film School (Estonia) held a master-class on “Baltic Media Film School work experience”. The symposium program included master-classes, plenary meetings and panels dedicated to such subjects as: “Training of Film Directors in the Context of Modern Social Challenges”, “Methods of Training of Directors in VGIK”, “Young Generation’s View of Film Direction in the 21st Century: Ideas and Solutions”, “Tendencies and Prospects of Training of Film Directors in Russian Film Schools”. In the course of program such topics as the methodological and technological aspects of film direction, present-day film education, the shaping of VGIK directing school traditions, the peculiarities of television direction, the prospects of non-fiction film direction development, modern tendencies in the progress of sound direction were touched upon.
In November, 19-20, 2012, the 6th international symposium “Animation as a Cultural Phenomenon” was held. The program of the symposium was dedicated to the centenary of the Russian animation and consisted of 10 master-classes held by 8 teachers of the Animation and Multimedia Department of VGIK. Mikhail Tumelia, a director and animator from Belorussia gave a master-class on Animation in Belarus. Otto Adler, a Director and Professor of the HGKL (Switzerland) held a master-class on Teaching Animation in the Lucerne Film School. There were plenary meetings and panels on the following topics: “The Centenary of Russian Animation”, “Masters of Russian Animation”, “Classic Animation and Contemporary Tendencies”, “In the upcoming of the 90th Anniversary of VGIK Animation, 1923-2013”, etc., where aesthetical and creative sides of animation and multimedia were discussed. A special focus was made on the problem of the multimedia language and evolution of the audiovisual perception.
On December, 6-8th, the Department of Esthetics, Cultural Theory and History in collaboration with the International Department and the Department of Academic Development held the IV International Symposium “German and Russian Classic Literature in Russian Cinema and Russian Classic Literature in German Cinema” as part of the cultural exchange year Russia-Germany. The contributors were: K. Ichin (Belgrade), T. Oljai (Turkey), A. Mayer-Fraatz (Jena, Germany), O. Sazonchik (Frankfurt-on-Maine, Germany).
The International Department made the translation and editing of the book devoted to
Vadim I. Yusov in the series “Outstanding Cinematographers” for publication in Poland. VGIK Professor Vadim I. Yusov received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Camerimage Festival in Poland.
3. Events at VGIK
In 2012 the following master classes were given by: directors Leon Prudovsky (Israel), Pascal Thomas (France), Matias Bize (Chile), Mathieu Demy (France), Parviz Sheikh Tadi (Iran), Milcho Manchevski (USA), Krystian Matysek (Poland), Robin Hessman (USA), producer Natalie Lafaurie (France), playwright/screenwriter Motti Lerner (Israel), film critic Ted Baehr (Movie Guide, USA), actors Amin Zendegani, Elham Hamidi (Iran), Max von Sudow (Sweden-USA), cinematographer Abdollah Abdi Nasab, screenwriter and producer Paul Brown (New York Film Academy, USA), writer and screenwriter Francesco Piccolo (Italy).
Within the framework of international university exchange projects delegations from La femis (France), Beijing Film Academy (China), Centro sperimentale di cinematografia (Italy), Sheffield Arts Institute (UK) visited VGIK.
Meetings with the representatives of the Embassies of the USA, Israel, France and Chile were held where issues of cooperation and the prospects of VGIK international relations as well as arrangement of mutual cultural events were discussed.
Within the frame of the further development of the International connection of the film education from 23.11.2012 to 07.12.2012 the first stage of the educational project for making short films (episodes) was realized. The project is based on the experience of the United States film industry and professional training with the participation of world acclaimed screenwriter and director Milcho Manchevski and the students of the Acting Department (Workshop of Prof. Igor Yasulovich). The aim is the implementation of the program “Acting on the Set” as well as enhancing the training of the future professional actors and enrichment of VGIK acting school. The second stage of the project is planned for April 2013.
Michael Sukale, Oldenburg University professor, famous philosopher, esthetician and science historian was invited to take part in the discussion on modern art problems by the Student Research Society.
4. International Events in Russia
In 2012 VGIK held the Fourth International Summer School in Yaroslavl. As before, students from various film schools took part in it, including 22 VGIK directing, cinematography, producing and multimedia students and 12 students from Australia, Armenia, Belarus, Israel, India, Italy, China, Columbia, Switzerland and Finland. The participants made 6 documentary and 4 animated films about Yaroslavl and its inhabitants as well as TV clips about the summer school participants and events. Famous Russian and international filmmakers held master-classes for the school participants. In the section of the documentary film there were: film directors V.P. Fokin, producer A. Ciuffo (USA), S.M. Lando (Russia), Stan Newman (France). Master-classes in the animation section were carried out by Alexander Petrov, Garry Bardin, Stanislav Sokolov, Professors of the Multimedia and Animation Department. The classes consisted of film screenings and individual consultations. The school activities were widely covered by mass media.
In June-August 2012 the Summer School of Screenwriting took place in VGIK. It was organized in collaboration with the Association of Film and Television Producers. The classes were held by Professors from the University of South Carolina (USC, USA) with a focus on training of screenwriting teachers and students.
Within the frame of the cultural exchange year between Russia and Germany VGIK took part in the German-Russian Days of Student Cinema. In September 2012 the VGIK film program was presented in the “Khudozhestvenny” cinema theatre. The students attended the master-class of the leading German producers and participated in the panel discussion on the problems of international cooperation. The best works of the young German and Russian filmmakers of the recent years were shown. The screenings included short film programs made by students of the leading German and Russian filmschools: Munich Film School (Hochschule fur Film und Fernsehen Munchen), Filmakademie Baden-Wűrtemberg, VGIK and Higher Courses of Screenwriters and Directors selected by the schools representatives. The VGIK program was presented by T.F. Tursunova, the Head of the International Department and Sultan Usuvaliev, the fifth-year student of the Cinema Studies Department (class of A.N. Medvedev)
During the reviewed period VGIK students on the invitation of the “Sony Pictures” took part in the premiere screenings and meetings with the makers of the films “Hotel Transylvania”, “Pirates! Band of Misfits” (2012).
5. The Export of Film Education Services
In October, 8-14, 2012, the VGIK delegation headed by Rector V.S. Malyshev visited Vietnam on the invitation of the Hanoi Film and Theatre Academy (SKDA). The program of the visit included screenings of student films and a class-concert performed by the students of the Acting Department. During the visit, S. Klebanov, Professor of VGIK, held a master-class on perfecting of cameraman skills. Over 150 students attended the master-class. Besides VGIK instructor
A.V. Puzan held an acting master-class on “Speech and Voice Training Based on a Complex of Speech and Movement Exercises”. In accordance with the contract signed between VGIK and the Hanoi Film Academy the collaboration between the institutes was prolonged. The VGIK Professor V.A. Sachkov conducted 3-week master-classes in Hanoi (Socialist Republic of Vietnam). Hoan Tuan Ang, the Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, decorated V.S. Malyshev with the Medal for a great contribution to the cultural links between our countries.
Assistant Professor of the Animated Direction Department N.B. Dabizha took part in the festival in San-Marino organized by Tonino Guerra Foundation (Italy). She also held master-classes on Puppet Animation in the lycee of the Turin Film Academy (Italy) and in Urbana (Italy).
Assistant Professor of the Animation and Computer Graphics Department N.V. Lukinykh participated in the “Semaphore” festival in Lodz (Poland), where a program of Russian animation was shown. N.V. Lukinykh took part in the panel on “The Problems of Contemporary Animation” at the KROK International Animation Festival.
Professor of Animation and Computer Graphics S.M. Sokolov held a master-class on Russian Puppet Animation at the “Semaphore” festival in Lodz (Poland). As part of the conference devoted to the centenary of Russian and Polish animation S.M. Sokolov hold a number of master-classes in the Yale University in New-Haven (USA). Stanislav Sokolov’s participation in the conference was very useful for an objective assessment of the process and training results as well as for pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of educational systems in Russia and the USA.
6. Student Training Abroad.
The student of the Film Direction department V. Loginova took part in the work of the “Interaction” International Student Film Camp (Serbia) in 2012.
7. Mutual Projects
In March of 2012 the VGIK delegation including I.V. Zernova, Vice-Rector, V.V. Arkhipova, Dean of the Design Department and O.K. Kleimenova, Dean of the Film Studies and Screenwriting Department visited Naples on the invitation of the Vesuvian University. In the course of the visit they signed a bilateral agreement on the collaboration with the university.
In 2012 an agreement on realizing a co-project with the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (SADA) was signed. VGIK students S. Sigalaeva and A. Bochkov went to Sweden to take part in film shooting.
In November 2012 VGIK delegation consisting of the Rector of VGIK V.S. Malyshev and the Head of the International Department T.F. Tursunova visited La femis (France). The visit resulted in signing an agreement between VGIK and La femis concerning a mutual project in Sound Design training. The realization of the project is planned for April-May 2013.
Joint programs contribute to the further development of the international interuniversity relations in the sphere of audiovisual arts between VGIK and its foreign partners. The development leads to the exchange of achievements in professional training.