Programme

Ivan Kudryavtsev was born on 21 June 1981 in Moscow. He graduated from the journalism department of Moscow State University. 1999 to 2001: freelance reporter for The Voice of Russia and Mayak radio stations. From 2001: editor of the international information division at the Directorate for News Programmes, TV Channel Russia then a reporter for the Vesti programme of TV Channel Russia. From 2007: presenter of the TV Channel Vesti. 2009: became author and presenter of the weekly programme Cinematograph Industry on TV Channel Russia-24. The programme highlights new films, box-office takings and many other matters related to the cinema. The programme includes special reports from studios and filming venues, premieres of films and festivals, as well as exclusive interviews with celebrity actors.

Director, producer and script writer who became known in 2004 when his sci-fi film “Nochnoy Dozor” (Night Watch) came out. Born on 25 June 1961 in Guriev, Kazakh SSR, he studied at the Moscow Energy Institute and later at the Ostrovsky Tashkent Theatre and Art Institute. Bekmambetov’s film debut was the 1994 war drama “Peshawar Waltz”, devoted to the events in Afghanistan. The film participated in several prestigious festivals and gathered a number of awards, including the main prize and the International Film Festival in San Remo. Again in 1994, Bekmambetov founded the Bazelevs film company. The director’s film success came in 2004, after the sci-fi film “Nochnoy Dozor” came out. It was based on the novel by Sergey Lukyanenko and the key roles were played by Konstantin Khabensy, Vladimir Menshov and Viktor Verzhbitsky. The film’s producer was Konstantin Ernst, the General Director of the Channel One. It was a roaring success with the public and was shown in Russia, the CIS countries, the UK, USA and Germany. A year later, a sequel came out – “Dnevnoy Dozor” (Day Watch). In 2007, Bekmambetov directed the lyrical comedy “Irony of Fate. Continued”, which is still among the leading Russian films. In 2008, the Hollywood thriller “Highly Dangerous” directed by Bekmambetov came out in Russia and other countries, featuring James MacAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Konstantin Khabensky and Angelina Jolie. In 2012, audiences had an opportunity to see Bekmambetov’s next Hollywood work: the sci-fi thriller “President Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. In spring 2012, in Las Vegas, the director was awarded the Best Foreign Director of the Year award at the annual American cinema exhibition CinemaCon.

Co-founder of Art Pictures Studio, CEO of Lenfilm Studios, founder of Glavkino Concern and Kinocity. Director of Russia’s two most successful war films: 9 Rota (2005) on the Afghan War that made over $25 million in the national box-office and received a number of national film awards; and Stalingrad (2013) that became not only the most successful Russian film on record with the intake of over $67 million but also the first Russian-made film to be shown in IMAX. Actor in Russian film with a resume of over 60 parts in various genre films, as well as accomplished tv presenter. Winner of TEFI, Nika, Golden Eagle and other awards. Chairman on Kinotavr festival trustee board, member of Nika National Film Academy, member of Golden Eagle National Film Academy. Born May 9, 1967 to the family of Sergei Bondarchuk, a film director and irina Skobtseva, an actress. Graduated VGIK’s directing program in 1992 (Ozerov’s class).

PhD in Economics. In 1993, he founded and became General Director of the F.A.F. Film Studio. 2003–2008: Deputy Head of the Cinematography Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. 2003–2008: General Director of the Centrnauchfilm Film Studio, subsequently OAO National Film Center. 2008–2010: Director of the Cinematography Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Produced the films Rainbow Flower (2013), Last Summer (2013), The Daughter (2012), Star Dogs: Belka and Strelka (2010), Rescue (2015) and others. 2010 – present: General Director, OAO M. Gorky Film Studio.

Emmy and Golden Globe award winning producer and entertainment executive, Geyer Kosinski got his start in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency in 1992 and became an agent within a year. There, he represented talent including Billy Bob Thornton, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Bill Paxton and Robert Downey Jr. He packaged movies such as Swimming With Sharks, Sling Blade, The Usual Suspects, LA Confidential, Albino Alligator and Gia.Kosinski left the William Morris Agency in 1997 for Addis-Wechsler, which evolved into Industry Entertainment. Kosinski was managing partner and co-owner of this major management/production company that revolutionized the entertainment industry by combining management and production under the same roof, housing over 150 clients including Academy Award-winning actors, writers, directors, producers and musicians while producing 14 motion pictures and seven television shows. In 2004, as a manager and producer, Kosinski formed Media Talent Group. As chairman and CEO, he and his staff continue to cultivate the careers of actors, writers and directors. Media Talent Group has approximately 30 feature films and television shows in active production or development. These include The Disappointments Room starring Kate Beckinsale directed by DJ Caruso for Relativity Studios; Bad Santa 2 starring Billy Bob Thornton to be directed by Doug Ellin for Miramax ; Scarpetta based on Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling novels set up at 20th Century Fox Studios; GI Joe 3 starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to be directed by DJ Caruso set up at Paramount; Pete & Goat starring Billy Bob Thornton; Queen of the Desert starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Werner Herzog; London Fields starring Johnny Depp, Billy Bob Thornton, Amber Heard and Jim Sturgess and directed by Mathew Cullen; Sasha starring Zoe Saldana for Paramount; The Lady (aka Gertrude Bell) written by Jeffrey Caine for Ridley Scott to direct and starring Angelina Jolie; Our Wild Life based on the novel by Daphne Sheldrick starring Nicole Kidman; and Cleopatra starring Angelina Jolie, written by Eric Roth for Sony Pictures. Geyer Kosinski also sits on the board and executive management team of the following media and technology companies: Top Fan, Social Ink, Motion Theory/ Mirada, and King of the Web.

As CEO and Co-Founder of RealD, Michael V. Lewis has been responsible for building the company into a globally recognized leader in visual technology for cinema, consumer electronics and professional applications. RealD pioneered digital 3D cinema and today has the world's largest 3D cinema platform. Michael is widely quoted on the future of the cinema experience, media and technology industries in such publications as The New York Times, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and Daily Variety, and has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, ABC News, MSNBC, 60 Minutes and CBS News. Under Michael's leadership, RealD has twice been named by Fast Company as one of "The World's Most Innovative Companies". He has received multiple awards including being named in The Hollywood Reporter “Digital Power 50” and as one of the publications “Innovative Voices”. In 2011 Michael was honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Vanguard Award in recognition of achievements in new media and technology. Previously, Michael was CEO and Co-Founder of L-Squared Entertainment, an award-winning digital entertainment studio. The company specialized in using technology to create new entertainment experiences, including being the first to utilize PC computers in the creation of digital effects for the motion picture "Virtuosity". While at L-Squared, he served as producer and financier on the 3D IMAX film "The Magic Box" and as co-producer on the blockbuster 3D IMAX film "T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous". He was also executive producer for The Virtual Studio Tour, starring Danny DeVito, for the CAA/Intel New Media Lab. Prior to L-Squared, Michael was Senior Vice President of InterMedia/FilmEquities Inc., a media investment banking and advisory company. While at InterMedia, he was involved with innovative investment banking transactions and advisory services for new technology companies, major film studios, distributors, major independent production companies, film exhibition companies, publishing companies and international broadcasters He is an active member of multiple community and national business organizations. Michael is a marquee donor to the Motion Picture Television Fund and is a member of the City Year Los Angeles Board of Directors.

Chris was appointed to the newly-created function of President for International at the Motion Picture Association as of January 2015. He is responsible for coordination of the MPA’s international offices (EMEA, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Brazil & Mexico). In his role as President Chris represents the MPA in a number of national, regional and international industry federations and rights management entities. Chris joined the organization in 1995. From 1995 through 2014 he was in charge of MPA’s regional office for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The office’s principal areas of activity include work on legislative and regulatory issues at the European and national levels, development and implementation of content protection strategies, coordination of region-wide content protection activities in coordination with national partners, advocating the development and respect of digital rights management, collaboration with other rights holder groups to promote intellectual property rights, negotiation and administration of collective management agreements. Prior to joining the MPA Chris spent sixteen years working in the U.S. Government on international trade issues. When he left the Government, he was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe, responsible for trade relations with the region. He led U.S. delegations in negotiations with the European Union and national governments on a variety of trade issues. Prior to that, Chris was appointed to the newly created position of Assistant US Trade Representative for Trade and Environment, pioneering efforts to integrate health and environmental principles with those of international commerce. He held a series of other trade positions in the 1980-s, including three years in the US Mission to the EU in Brussels. Chris holds a Masters Degree in international affairs from Georgetown University, as well as a degree from the University of Wisconsin in economics. He speaks English, French, and Croatian and has conversational Italian and Spanish language skills. He was born in Milwaukee in 1955, is married and has one child.

Dr Susanne Nikoltchev took office as Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory in July 2013. Prior thereto she was the Observatory's Head of Department for Legal Information and editor in chief of all its legal publications (since 1998). She has been a media, telecoms, international trade and EU competition lawyer associated with the American law firm of Covington & Burling (1995-1998). As a member of the bars of Germany and Washington D.C., she has worked in private practice in Germany, the United States and Belgium with particular exposure to audiovisual issues on the international and European level as well as on the national level. She obtained her first law degree from the University of Heidelberg in 1988, followed by masters degrees from the European University Institute in Florence (LL.M. in European and Comparative law, 1989) and the University of Michigan (LL.M. in US law, 1994) and her doctorate in law (comparative legal studies, thesis published in 1997) from the University of Trier (1996). She passed the second German state examination in law in Baden-Württemberg (1993) with distinction.

Alexander Rodnyansky, media executive, producer and filmmaker. Over the course of his career he has produced more than 30 television series and 40 feature films, in both the auteur and commercial genres. In 2013 Mr. Rodnyansky produced the highest grossing Russian film of the decade –Stalingrad, directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk, which mad over $72 million internationally. Most recently Alexander Rodnyansky produced Leviathan which won the Golden Globe award, was nominated for Oscar and won the Best Screenplay at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Other critically acclaimed films produced by Rodnyansky include Oscar nominees Régis Wargnier’s Est-Ouest and Nana Dzhordzhadze’s A Chef in Love; Rodnyansky's international releases include Cloud Atlas by Andy and Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer; and Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. In 1995, Rodnyansky founded the first independent Ukrainian TV channel, 1+1, which, under his management, became the leading national television broadcaster. In 2002, Rodnyansky resigned as CEO of 1+1, while remaining its co-owner until 2008, when he sold his shares to CME Group. In 2002, Rodnyansky was appointed head of the CTC television channel. In 2004, he became the CEO of CTC Media, which operates five television channels in three different countries. In 2006, CTC Media went public (on the NASDAQ stock exchange) – the first private Russian company to do so. CTC Media’s capitalization increased from USD 40 million when Rodnyansky joined the company to USD $4 billion when he left in 2008.

Prior to joining CTC Media, Yuliana was President of the Mikhailov & Partners group of companies. Before that, she was Chief Executive Officer of Mikhailov & Partners, one of Russia’s largest strategic communications agencies, having assumed this role in 1994. From 2004 to 2005, Yuliana was a partner with the BBDO Group, where she was responsible for business development activities. From 2001 to 2004 she was a Board member and Corporate Communications Director for the Russian investment company ESN Group, as well as the Vice Chairman of Kelenergo, a Russian energy company. Yuliana was named one of the 20 most influential businesswomen in Russia by Kompania Magazine in 2013. In 2012, she ranked first in the PR agency manager category of Kariera Magazine’s list of “Top 100 communications specialists.” Yuliana also won the 7th Annual National Media Manager of Russia Award in 2007. Yuliana received a degree in marketing from the Moscow University for the Humanities.

Born 30.07.1961 in Tashkent. Education: 1983-The All-Russian Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), (theatre acting and cinema). 1991 – VGIK (director-producer). Director and producer of the films: Kya-dya (1986) Siz kim siz? (1989), Kammi, (1991), Stop on Request (series 2000-2001), The Turkish Gambit (2005), and directed and produced the film August. Eighth. (2012), directed and produced the video at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics in 2014, called Russian Odyssey. He is the producer of the following films; Ice Age (series, 2002), Russians in the City of Angels (series 2002), Saboteur (series, 2002), Admiral (2008), High Security Vacation (2009), Et tu, Brute? and A global History of Betrayals (series 2009). He has directed the following programmes: Kinopanorama (1995), Intercept (1997), The Other Day 61-91, Our Era (1997), 10 Songs about Moscow (1997), Lord of Taste (2003). He has received the following awards and prizes: the All-Union Film Festival “Youth”, (Kya-dya 1988, Siz kim siz? 1989), the Debut Film Festival: prize for best film (Siz kim siz? 1989), the International Film Festival in Tel Aviv: the special jury prize (Kya-dya 1990); the Russian Federation State Prize in educational activity for the television programme Formula of Power (2002); the Golden Eagle Prize for best television series or mini-serial (Saboteur, 2008), the TEFI Award in the category of producer of a film/series (Et tu, Brute?, 2009), and the Georges Prize for August. Eighth (Russian Action of the Year, 2012). He is a member of the advisory board of the Federal Fund for Social and Economic Support of Russian Cinematography. He is also a member of the Russian Federation Minister of Defence Public Council.

Paul Heth is widely credited with the revitalization of the Russian cinema sector. In 1993 he co-founded and operated Russia’s first two modern style cinemas. In 1996 Mr. Heth co-founded Kodak Kinomir, which under his leadership was one of the highest grossing and most profitable cinemas in the world. In 2000 Mr. Heth partnered with the American media conglomerate National Amusements (parent company of Viacom and CBS) to design, build and operate unique ‘next generation’ multiplex cinemas in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. In 2002 Mr. Heth with National Amusements co-founded Kinostar cinemas in Russia, which generated close to 10% of the Russian national box office. Mr. Heth led a successful trade sale of the company in June of 2011. In addition to his activities in theatrical exhibition, Mr. Heth and his producing partner Michael Schlicht have been a producer on some of the most successful films in Russian box office history including ‘Stalingrad’ (Russia’s all time box office leader), ‘Vysotsky. Thank you for being alive’ and the ‘Very best movie’ comedy franchise.

In 1992 industry veteran Michael Schlicht founded the first privately owned film distribution company in Russia "Gemini Film". For more than a decade he was overseeing 20th Century Fox operations in Russia. In 2006 his company merged with 20th Century Fox Russia which he was running for another 2 years. After he left Fox in 2008, he helmed the Sony Pictures International Russian division. Together with Sony Pictures he also set up Sony Pictures entertainment to produce Russian films for distribution across to CIS and beyond. Films produced By Mr. Schlicht include Fedor Bondarchuk's blockbuster "Stalingrad", "Vysotskii" and "The very best movie" comedy franchise. Schlicht is a Moscow Institute of Foreign Affairs (MGIMO) graduate. He is married and has a daughter.