The competitive program of the XII International Festival of Muslim Cinema in Kazan has been announced. The number of applicants for the awards online included 60 films from 33 countries. These are works in nominations “Fiction length”, “Short feature film”, ” Feature-length documentary”, “Documentary Short” and “Animation”, as well as almanac of young Russian directors, having amounted to a new competitive position – “Young Russia”.

We remind that all in all for participating in the Kazan Festival 2016 more than 700 applications have been received (including the first from Lithuania and Chile), the short-list has been generated by the selection committee, headed by film critic Sergei Lavrentiev (Moscow). Seeing the contest works will be from 5 to 11 September in the cinema “Rodina” and “Mir”.

The main category of the festival – “Feature film” – included one picture from Russia. This film is “Deity

D’yesegoy” created by Yakut director Sergei Potapov. Competition to it will make films from Iran, China, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Malaysia; another movie ( “The woman of my life”) is a joint work by Bulgarian filmmakers, Iraq (Kurdistan), Romania and Macedonia. We remind it was among the feature films “played” the highest number of prizes of the festival – “Best Film”, “Best Director”, “Best Screenplay”, “Best Cinematography”, “Best Actor and Best Actress.”

Short fiction films in competition are presented by movies from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Russia ( “The Way Home” Tatyana Astapova and “Two neighbors” Tansulpan Burakaeva).

The works by Tatarstan filmmakers entered the contest in nomination ” Feature-length documentary” and “Documentary Short Film.” This is film “Marjani Mosque. The history of embodied traditions “Renat Khabibullin and” ZK” by Ruslan Valeev. In these competitive categories the works of cinematographers from France, Iran, Serbia, Afghanistan, Syria, Sweden, Lithuania, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Russia are presented. Quite a lot of works have been created in co-production (Lebanon, Qatar, the United States, Russia, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Russia, Norway, Finland and others.). Just two

documentaries dedicated to outstanding writers: these are films “Rasul Gamzatov. Confession “(Azerbaijan) and the” Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi ‘(Russia-India).

The works by Russian authors dominate in the category “Animation” (here a picture of Tatarstan – “Heritage Arrow” by Sergei Kiatrov presnted) and make a 100% filling of the new category “Young Russia” (including the works of RT – “Shishel-Myshel” by Svetlana Kalina and “Land of solitude” by Aidar Sharipov).

The full competition program is placed on the official website of the festival kazan-mfmk.com.

Summing up, a member of the selection committee, film critic Adil Khaibullina (Kazan) notes the following trends: “A lot of films anyway concern people with disabilities. These pictures will be shown in the main and parallel programs. The theme of war is also popular with filmmakers from year to year, but today they are interested not so much the cause and process of the war itself, as adaptation to normal daily life after the military operations. Immigrants – one more demanded and often raised problem that affects the cinema festival. Interestingly, this topic is covered in the range from pain to irony, and even on the most complex and serious issues filmmakers often respond with humor and optimism. Of course, the program of the festival always

touches religious problems. This year, we learn about the spread and development of Islam in different countries under different conditions (Lithuania, France, USA). The theme of independence and sovereignty, as well as their consequences for the people relevant for the discussion in the cinema today. Many directors of feature and documentary films are trying to answer the question, how to find the self-identity of the people, the balance within a large multinational country. ”

“In the main competition more” spectator ” movies have appeared that should be viewed good not only by specific public festival, but also a wider audience, – concludes chairman of the selection committee Sergey Lavrentev. – As for the leaders of the program, my many years of festival experience suggests that it is not necessary to make predictions. Much will depend on the view of the jury. ”

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Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema (KMFMK) – one of the largest film festivals held annually in the capital of Tatarstan since 2005. The concept of the festival is reflected in its motto: “Through the dialogue of cultures to a culture of dialogue.” The Forum program of selected films bear the idea of peacemaking, tolerance, tolerance, shows how to build inter-ethnic dialogue – not

by chance for the Kazan Film Forum entrenched image of the “Humane Film Festival.”

The XII International Festival of Muslim Cinema in Kazan will be held from September 5 to 11, 2016, In addition to the competitive program viewers expect extensive non-competitive and the parallel programs. The festival will held master classes with figures of cinema, meetings with participants of the festival, round tables devoted to topical problems of cinematography, the press conference.