Unifrance takes great pleasure in presenting the first "On Set with French Cinema” program to be held in Moscow from October 2 through 5, 2007.
Régis Wargnier is to be the first filmmaker to take part in this project, leading master classes at the VGIK, Russia’s most prestigious film school. The French director will present a preview screening of Have Mercy On Us All and will share his experiences in directing actors and screenwriting with students. He will also describe the process of how a film comes into being, revealing his “work secrets" from the making of his film East-West, referring to shooting documents, storyboards, and production notes, in the presence of Igor Tolstounov, the film’s Russian co-producer.
In addition to these master classes, Régis Wargnier will present a special evening screening at Moscow’s 35mm cinema on October 2, featuring I’m the King of the Castle, a title yet to be released in Russia, and A French Woman. Wargnier has also been invited to participate in the "Territoria" project established by the European Union and the Mayor of Moscow aimed at facilitating contact between film students from all over Russia with European performing artists and visual artists (including dancers, musicians, painters) and filmmakers at a seminar to be held on October 5.
The world’s first public film school, the VGIK was founded in 1919, (the Russian State Institution of Cinema) is renowned as a center for avant-garde creativity, originally established to promote revolutionary cinema. Between 1928 and 1933, classes given by Sergei M. Eisenstein, legendary director of films such as Battleship Potemkin, left an indelible mark on the school. The reputation of the VGIK did not diminish after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the school has continued to welcome large numbers of students from the Community of Independent States (CIS). Among high profile graduates of the VGIK, we can mention Nikita Mikhalkov, Andrei Konchalovsky, and Andreï Tarkovski.
The VGIK provides a training ground for film and television professionals, and offers a broad range of specializations, including directing, working with actors, production, animation, and multimedia.
For further information on the On Set with French Cinema program: www.onsetwithfrenchcinema.com
