Moscow and Sochi Film Festivals Navigate Political Shifts and Programming Challenges in 2000
In 1998, Nikita Mikhalkov was chosen as the Chairman of the Filmmakers’ Union and subsequently established the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) as an annual celebration, a status confirmed by Prime Ministers Stepashin in 1999 and Kasyanov in 2000. The XXII MIFF, which took place from July 19 to 29, 2000, under the direction of Renat Davletyarov, garnered significant political interest, with attendance from President Putin and Minister of Culture Shvydkoi. Attempts to bring stars like Quentin Tarantino and Nicole Kidman were thwarted by scheduling issues. The competition included Krzysztof Zanussi’s Life as a Fatal, Sexually Transmitted Disease, which earned the Saint Georg statuette. Jury president Theo Angelopoulos presided over a panel that featured Caroline Ducey and Irvin Kershner. Additionally, Bakhtior Khudoinazarov’s Luna Papa received the Golden Rose at the Sochi Film Festival. The 1999/2000 season was criticized for its violent themes and lackluster releases.
Key facts
- Nikita Mikhalkov became Chairman of the Filmmakers’ Union in 1998 and made MIFF annual.
- The XXII Moscow International Film Festival ran from 19-29 July 2000 under director Renat Davletyarov.
- President Putin and Minister of Culture Shvydkoi attended MIFF's closing ceremony, marking high-level political involvement.
- Krzysztof Zanussi's Life as a Fatal, Sexually Transmitted Disease won the Saint Georg statuette at MIFF.
- The Sochi Film Festival's Open Russian competition awarded the Golden Rose to Bakhtior Khudoinazarov's Luna Papa.
- Alexei Uchitel's His Wife’s Diary, about Ivan Bunin, won the Grand Prix at Sochi.
- Goskino was abolished and merged with the Ministry of Culture in May 2000, affecting film industry discussions.
- Notable films included Alexei Balabanov's Brother 2 and Alexander Zeldovich's Moscow, based on a Vladimir Sorokin script.
Entities
Artists
- Nikita Mikhalkov
- Renat Davletyarov
- Quentin Tarantino
- Nicole Kidman
- Krzysztof Zanussi
- Theo Angelopoulos
- Caroline Ducey
- Irvin Kershner
- Samira Makhmalbaf
- Sergey Soloviev
- Bakhtior Khudoinazarov
- Pavel Lungin
- Gleb Panfilov
- Linda Bellingham
- Alexander Galibin
- Peter Shepotinnik
- Algimantas Puipa
- Serik Aprymov
- Chulpan Khamatova
- Moritz Bleibtreu
- Alexei Uchitel
- Ivan Bunin
- Andrei Smirnov
- Galina Tiunina
- Alexei Balabanov
- Alexander Zeldovich
- Vladimir Sorokin
- Tatyana Drubich
- Ingeborga Dapkunaite
- Eldar Ryazanov
- Vladimir Menshov
- Vitaly Melnikov
- Yusup Razykov
- Igor Maslennikov
- Sergei Garmash
- Yuri Grymov
- Lidia Bobrova
- Gennadi Ostrovsky
- Vladimir Repnikov
- Viachaslav Shmyrov
- Alexander Atanesian
- V&O Basov
- Albert Minga
- Roman Kachanov
- Vladimir Fokin
- Valeri Akhadov
- Egor Konchalovsky
- Ilya Khotinenko
- Mikhail Kalatozishvili
- Alexander Proshkin
- Alexander Polynnikov
- Georgi Danelia
- Boris Giller
- Dmitri Svetozarov
- Natalya Kolyakanova
- Mark Rudinstein
- Sergei Lavrentiev
- Irina Rubanova
- Sitora Alieva
- Svetlana Khokhriakova
- Birgit Beumers
Institutions
- Moscow International Film Festival
- Filmmakers’ Union
- Ministry of Culture
- Goskino
- Sochi Film Festival
- Cannes Film Festival
- Venice Film Festival
- Berlin International Film Festival
- Locarno Film Festival
- London Film Festival
- Uzbekfilm
- University of Bristol
- AHRB
- Kinotavr
- Kultura
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Sochi
- Cannes
- France
- Venice
- Italy
- Berlin
- Germany
- Locarno
- Switzerland
- London
- United Kingdom
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Estonia
- Kazakhstan
- Kirgyztan
- Uzbekistan
- Georgia
- Azerbaidjan
- Chicago
- USA
- Yalta
- Grasse
- Black Sea
- Bristol
- UK