Category: Arts

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 22, 2025

News editorial office

Mosfilm is nearing completion on the sound design for the historical adventure film "Lefty." Pavel Doreuli, sound director and co-founder of Atmosfera Studios, whose team is overseeing the entire project, spoke to Mosfilm.ru about the main tasks and challenges: creating the voice and mechanics for the key character, a high-tech flea, and contrasting two worlds: Lefty's crude but brilliant inventions and the sophisticated devices of British intelligence.

The Atmosfera team has been working on the complex sound design for the new film "Lefty" at Mosfilm studios since late May. As Pavel Doreuli (pictured with Pavel Stasenko, sound designer for the re-recording of "Lefty") explained, the sound department was faced with numerous tasks, which were gradually implemented. One of the central ones was creating the sound image of the mechanical Flea—the film's key artifact and character.

"Initially, the Flea in the film is a type of spy mechanism used by the British secret service. The well-known expression, 'Lefty shoed the flea,' is an allegory for his defeat of all their complex mechanisms. Therefore, the task was to create not only the sounds of movement for the Flea but also to convey that it was a high-tech device for the time. It even has a voice! Furthermore, we had to create an organic feel for this character. After all, it's essentially a mechanical robot with pneumatic legs. We sought this in some manifestation of the mechanisms at work, but… with emotion! Accordingly, there were many iterations, and the sound image has only just come together," shared Pavel Doreuli.

Besides Flea, a unique sound design was required for the world of Lefty's inventions: his prosthetic limb, his robotic assistant, detectors, and other flea-fighting devices. It was important to contrast Lefty's self-taught world, where functionality over aesthetics comes first, with the technologically advanced and elegant devices of British intelligence: various types of spy fleas, tracking systems, and so on.

"The sound on set was recorded very well. One of the director's requirements was to preserve as much of the original sound as possible. However, some work was still required: lines were added, some lines were rewritten, extras and cameos were recorded. Overall, more than 90% of the film's sound will be from the set," the sound engineer explained.

A separate, large-scale component of the work is the musical score. The film's soundtrack was written by film composers Georgy Fyodorov and Roman Selivestrov (Major Grom, the fantasy saga Eterna).

"There's a lot of music in 'Lefty.' It simply fills the entire space! The music is very emotional, it drives the action. In my opinion, this is a very interesting compositional approach that supports the dramaturgy and focuses the audience's attention in the right direction," concluded Pavel Doreuli.

ABOUT THE FILM

The film "Lefty" is based on Nikolai Leskov's famous novella, which receives a bold and original interpretation in this new adaptation. The screenplay was written by Ilya Kulikov and Valeria Podorozhnova, and Vladimir Besedin ("Major Grom") directed. The film won the award for most anticipated adaptation at the "Chitka 4.0" festival.

The project stars Yuri Kolokolnikov, Fedor Fedotov, Leonela Manturova, Yan Tsapnik, Alexey Guskov, Artur Ivanov, Alexander Chevychelov and others.

The plot takes viewers to Russia at the end of the 19th century. Against the backdrop of looming war with Great Britain, a mysterious device—a mechanical flea—is discovered in the imperial palace. A young officer, Pyotr Ogarev, who dreams of earning the trust of Emperor Alexander III, is tasked with investigating the incident. In his search for the truth, he teams up with Lefty, a brilliant but forgotten craftsman from Tula. Together, they plunge into a world of intrigue and danger. To uncover the conspiracy, the heroes must challenge the system, unravel family secrets, and make a difficult choice between duty and love. At stake are the country's security and their own destinies.

"Lefty" is an adventure film set in a historical setting. The film is very vibrant, a color scheme chosen to give viewers a fresh sense of the era, without the usual stylization typical of classic films. The film features unique inventions and devices created at the intersection of historical accuracy and the author's imagination.

"The film contains a huge number of details that may not be noticeable at first glance, but they create depth in the characters' images and personalities, and in the story as a whole. Every time the viewer rewatches the film, they will be met with new surprises and discoveries. I strived to give viewers the most engaging cinematic experience possible," said director Vladimir Besedin.

"For me, 'Lefty' isn't just a film, it's a journey. St. Petersburg comes alive here—with its dampness, beauty, and eternal irony—as if it itself becomes the hero. This is the story of Russian talent, capable of shoeing even a flea, but never learning to shoe its own heart. It's about the fragility of the soul, stronger than steel and, at the same time, more vulnerable than any flea. In this strange mixture of genius and simplicity, pain and laughter, stumbles and miracles—there lies the piercing truth of the Russian people," shared actor Yuri Kolokolnikov.

"'Lefty' captivated me with its unexpected combination of a classic literary plot and powerful cinematic thrills. It's an explosive combination, and I hope our film will manage to achieve true success this winter, become a blockbuster—or rather, a flea-buster—and explode at the box office. We were striving for this, working very hard," said actor Fyodor Fedotov.

The final shoots took place on a soundstage in Moscow, while location filming took place in St. Petersburg in the fall and winter of 2024. The film's team meticulously approached the creation of every scene and strictly minimized the use of computer graphics. Numerous sets, models, and locations were built by artists, and the film also features a real animatronic—Lefty's robot companion.

The film will be released on January 22. The project was created by LEGIO FELIX with the support of the Cinema Fund and produced by Ilya Kulikov, Andrey Semenov, Ruslan Sokolov, and Vladimir Permyakov. The distributor is Atmosfera Kino, the theatrical release partner is Kinopoisk, and the film is released with the support of the TNT television channel.

For questions on renting music studios, re-recording studios, speech and sound studios: Tatyana Yuryevna Balter – Director of the Tonstudio PC. Tel.: 7 (499) 143-9803 E-mail: tonstudio@mosfilm.ru Tonstudio, Mosfilmovskaya St. 1, building 27

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 18, 2025

News editorial office

Production designer Yulia Makushina (pictured) spoke to Mosfilm.ru about the extensive work involved in creating the visual world of Mosfilm's new film, "Survive the Ice." The primary goal was to recreate the spirit of Soviet polar stations, and the greatest challenge was constructing a full-scale set in the Far North, near Murmansk.

A team of artists and set designers is currently preparing to construct a key filming location—the Voskhod station, a prototype for the real-life Soviet and Russian Antarctic station Vostok. Work is underway on several fronts: from historical research to the design of complex structures capable of withstanding the polar winter.

VOSKHOD STATION: AN ARTISTIC IMAGE BASED ON A REAL OBJECT

Yulia Makushina noted that, as the film's production designer, her task was not to replicate one specific station, but to create a comprehensive yet compelling artistic image.

"We're creating this image from various polar stations. We want it to be convincing, but also artistic… It's something unique, a combination of everything there, so it's interesting and compelling on camera," explains Yulia Makushina.

To delve deeper into the subject, archival photographs, documentaries, and materials from the Mosfilm library were studied. The artists consulted with polar explorers who worked in Antarctica in the 1980s. However, as Yulia Makushina notes, some technical details had to be reconstructed from photographs, as even eyewitnesses no longer remember all the nuances.

CONSTRUCTION IN EXTREME CONDITIONS

The most complex and large-scale project is the station's full-scale set, which will begin construction in February next year on the site of a former airfield in the Murmansk region. The location was chosen due to its guaranteed snow cover and relative (by regional standards) protection from the strong winds typical, for example, in Teriberka.

The production designer demonstrated a model of the future set, which will consist of several buildings: service and residential quarters, a building housing diesel generators and a water purification and storage system, warehouses, and so on. The set will not be hollow—the buildings will be constructed from metal structures capable of withstanding Arctic storms. Stuntmen and pyrotechnicians will also be working within them, as one of the film's central scenes involves an extreme situation at the station.

"Of course, this is a professional challenge. Textured and painted work in -30°C temperatures and windy conditions is a serious test for the artists and prop masters who bring our vision to life," says the production designer.

Around 30 people will be involved in construction, with another seven specialists working on the set and props. After filming, the set will likely be dismantled.

In addition to the station, a fleet of unique equipment is being created for the film: · Airplane mockup (built in St. Petersburg) · All-terrain vehicle "Kharkovchanka" (also manufactured in St. Petersburg)

Interior filming will take place on Mosfilm soundstages. The station's living and working modules, including the mess hall, infirmary, and radio room, will be built there. Real Moscow locations have already been selected for other scenes: the interiors of a scientific institute, as well as exteriors and interiors at Moscow's airports.

Thus, viewers of "Survive the Ice" will see not computer graphics, but a completely tangible world, created by the hands of artists, decorators, and builders in conditions close to those in which the film's characters find themselves.

As a reminder, the film "Survival in the Ice" is set in the early 1980s. The film's central characters are the staff of a polar station in Antarctica who find themselves in an extreme situation during one of their wintering trips.

The film's director of photography is Alexander Kuznetsov (White Tiger, Anna Karenina. Vronsky's Story, Gloomy River), the production designer is Yulia Makushina (Decision on Liquidation, GDR, For Us and You), the costume designer is Vladimir Nikiforov (Khitrovka. The Sign of Four, Streltsov, Tobol), the sound engineer is Vitaly Roshchupkin (Khitrovka. The Sign of Four, Vladivostok, Decision on Liquidation), and the makeup artists are Evgeniya Malinovskaya and Mikhail Vigdorov.

The film is being produced by Gopkins Film Production, commissioned by Mosfilm. Producers are Denis Lopatkin and Alexander Perevezentsev, and executive producer is Anatoly Shelyakin.

The film's general producer is Karen Shakhnazarov, a film director and head of the Mosfilm Film Concern, and its deputy general director, Andrey Gushchin, is the producer. The film is being made without any state budget funds or sponsorship.

As a reminder, Mosfilm.ru previously reported on the completion of extensive screen tests for the project "Survive the Ice."

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 17, 2025

News editorial office

Mosfilm director Karen Shakhnazarov presented a retrospective of his films at the 23rd Chennai International Film Festival, which is taking place in the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu from December 11 to 18.

"This year, the festival program places a special emphasis on Russia. The film festival featured screenings of five films by Karen Shakhnazarov, marking the director's 50th anniversary," said Alexander Dodonov, director of the Russian House in Chennai.

The program of the 23rd Chennai International Film Festival included five films by film director and People's Artist of Russia Karen Shakhnazarov: The Courier (1986), The Tsaricide (1991), American Daughter (1995), The Vanished Empire (2008), and White Tiger (2012).

Before the screening of the war film "White Tiger," Karen Shakhnazarov met with his Tamil colleagues, National Film Award winners Vasanth Sai, Seemu Ramasamy, Sharavana Subbiah, and Jayapraksh Radhakrishnan. The participants exchanged creative experiences and discussed the specifics of national cinematic traditions. Karen Shakhnazarov's films are frequently featured at various Indian festivals and film festivals. The director has repeatedly noted that cinema plays a significant role in bringing the peoples of the two countries closer together.

Addressing the audience, Karen Georgievich noted that he had always dreamed of showing his films in India. "Indian cinema is one of the largest and greatest in the world. I am sincerely grateful to the film festival for the opportunity to present my work in Chennai. Russia and India are two great friends, and culture greatly contributes to strengthening our relations. Cinema is a classic example of this," the director emphasized.

An interesting fact: the mystical war drama "White Tiger," one of the director's most popular films among international audiences, was watched by more than 3.5 million viewers with English subtitles on official Mosfilm websites!

The Chennai International Film Festival has been held annually in December since 2003 and is one of the most significant cultural events in Indian cinema. In 2025, the festival will take place from December 11 to 18.

As a reminder, the Russian House in Trivandrum, with the support of Mosfilm, also regularly hosts film festivals and screenings of Russian and Soviet films. In December 2024, it hosted a film festival celebrating the centenary of Mosfilm Studios, with Karen Shakhnazarov's adventure film "Khitrovka: The Sign of Four" (2023) serving as the opening film.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 16, 2025

News editorial office

Today, People's Artist of the Russian Federation Svetlana Druzhinina celebrates her 90th birthday. Actress, director, screenwriter, and producer, Svetlana Sergeyevna has distinguished herself in a wide range of film roles during her long and successful career. Her filmography includes over 20 outstanding projects! Mosfilm.ru recalls the key creative milestones of Svetlana Druzhinina, whose career is closely linked to the legendary film studio.

Svetlana Sergeyevna Druzhinina was born on December 16, 1935, in Moscow. Her childhood coincided with the war years: Svetlana's father died at the front, and Svetlana and her mother were forced to evacuate twice. After the war, they returned to Moscow. Druzhinina dreamed of becoming a performer from childhood and, at the age of 12, entered circus school. A year later, she transferred to the choreography school at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Musical Theater, and later to the choreography school of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater. Her classmates included Maris Liepa and Natalia Kasatkina. Her teachers noted Svetlana Sergeyevna's talent for dance, but a serious arm injury forced her to abandon her ballet career.

In search of a new creative outlet, Svetlana Druzhinina tried her hand at presenting. Mosfilm director Samson Samsonov saw one of her concerts. He tracked her down and offered her a role in his film, Behind the Department Store Window (1955). Fascinated by cinema, Svetlana enrolled in the acting department of VGIK (Olga Pyzhova and Boris Bibikov's workshop), where her classmates included Leonid Kuravlyov and Sofiko Chiaureli. For the next ten years, Druzhinina devoted herself to acting, appearing in films such as It Happened in Penkovo (1957) and Girls (1961). Druzhinina retired from acting in 1965, having appeared in films such as There Is a Son Somewhere (1962) and What Is the Sea Like? (1964), "Green Light" (1965) and "Beloved" (1965).

In the 1950s and 1960s, audiences could appreciate the brilliant acting talent of Svetlana Druzhinina.

In the mid-1960s, the already well-known and beloved actress decided to change her role – she re-enrolled at VGIK, this time in the directing department (Igor Talankin's workshop). In 1969, after graduating, Svetlana Sergeyevna began working at Mosfilm Studios as a director. Her feature-length directorial debut was the film "Wish Fulfillment" (1973), based on the novel of the same name by Veniamin Kaverin. The film starred Yevgeny Lebedev, Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Natalya Bondarchuk, and Nikolai Eremenko. In the late 1970s, Svetlana Druzhinina discovered a new direction – musical films. This is how her films “Sun, Sun Again” (1976), “The Hussar’s Courtship” (1979), “Dulcinea del Toboso” (1980) and “The Circus Princess” (1982) appeared.

Svetlana Druzhinina's crowning achievement as a director is considered to be the multi-part film "Midshipmen, Forward!" (1987), based on Nina Sorotokina's novel "Three from the Navigation School." The film achieved nationwide success! The leading roles were played by Sergei Zhigunov, Dmitry Kharatyan, and Vladimir Shevelkov. The film also starred Mikhail Boyarsky, Yevgeny Yevstigneyev, Aleksandr Abdulov, Innokenty Smoktunovsky, and other actors. Filming lasted over a year and a half. Svetlana Druzhinina subsequently directed four sequels to "Midshipmen." From 1995 to 2011, she worked on another large-scale historical project—the film series "Secrets of Palace Revolutions" about the lives of Russian empresses.

Film director and People's Artist of the Russian Federation Svetlana Druzhinina on the set of her films

Svetlana Druzhinina's cinema is not documentary historical reconstructions, but rather vibrant worlds where moral contrasts are clear, good triumphs, and evil is vivid. Her historical costume dramas are, above all, fairy tales, where the essence lies in the truth of feelings: friendship, love, patriotism. Svetlana Druzhinina's films are almost always a cascade of charming characters (the legendary "midshipmen"), sparkling dialogue, memorable songs, and impeccably handsome actors. She created not just characters, but archetypes. During the perestroika era, her cinema gave viewers something scarce: unconditional joy, hope, and confidence in the justice of the world order.

Over the course of her long career, Svetlana Druzhinina has received numerous awards and prizes. In 2001, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation for her significant contributions to the arts. She is also a recipient of the Order of Honor, the Order of Friendship, and the Order "For Merit in Culture and Art." Over the years, Druzhinina has won the Golden Eagle Film Award, the Moscow International Film Festival Prize, the Vivat Cinema of Russia! Film Festival Prize, and others.

The Mosfilm team heartily congratulates Svetlana Druzhinina on her anniversary and wishes her good health and new creative achievements!

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 11, 2025

News editorial office

The music for the film "Saving the Immortal" (previously titled "The Return of Mendysh") has been recorded at Mosfilm's Music Studio 1, and the final soundtrack is already being mixed at Dolby Studio 6. Mosfilm.ru spoke with composer Aizhamal Samatova and sound engineer Lola Bukaeva about the process of creating the film's soundscape.

The Opensound Orchestra symphony orchestra, conducted by Stanislav Malyshev, performed a score created by young composer Aizhamal Samatova. The music was developed in close collaboration with the film's director, Pavel Ignatov, and sound engineer, Lola Bukaeva. For Aizhamal Samatova, a graduate of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, this project marked her film debut.

"It was crucial for me that the music convey not the characters' national differences, but rather the feelings they share—love, the pain of loss, joy," shared Aizhamal Samatova. "Even if the film features a song in Kyrgyz, it doesn't require translation: the characters' emotions are clear without words. That's the main idea."

The composer noted the unique creative atmosphere at Mosfilm and thanked her mentor, renowned film composer Yuri Potenko, for his assistance with the orchestration. The recording, supervised by experienced sound engineer Gennady Papin, was smooth and precise, achieving the desired depth and emotionality of the sound.

The film is currently being re-recorded (final mixing – ed.) at Dolby Studio 6. Previously, the film's editors completed editing (editing director: Olga Proshkina) and voice-over work. The team has 20 work shifts ahead. According to the film's creators, everything is aimed at finding the final creative and technical solution for the film's sound design, a balance between sound and image that aligns with the director's vision and the perceptions of the young audience for whom this film is being made.

The film's sound director, Lola Bukaeva, along with her colleague Daler Khasanov, who has worked with this team on other projects, are perfectionists in their field, meticulously working on the film's sound design.

"Of course, the final say always rests with director Pavel Ignatov. Our task is to realize the director's vision, which, I believe, we understood from the very beginning of work on this very unusual and beloved film," shared sound engineer Lola Bukaeva.

Sound engineers particularly note the high-tech nature of Mosfilm's dubbing studio as one of the most advanced production facilities in Russia for this stage of film production. They estimate that the Mosfilm dubbing studio's equipment meets the most modern standards.

Let us remember that the editing and post-production stage of the film "Saving the Immortal" (previous working title "The Return of Mendysh") is carried out entirely at the Mosfilm production and technical base – this includes voice-over, sound recording, background recording, music recording, re-recording (final mixing of the film's soundtrack – ed.), etc.

Filming took place in wintry Belarus and the scorching Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The plot is based on the life and tragic fate of Kyrgyzstani Mendysh Omuraliev, who died in the Battle of Rzhev in 1942. His remains were found by a search party and returned to his birthplace, the Talas region of Kyrgyzstan, where he was buried with full military honors.

"Extreme blogger Sasha Ustinov (played by popular blogger Gufee Medalina), living in a reality of streaming and hype, finds himself drawn into the events of the Great Patriotic War through a mystical connection to the past. The discovery of the remains of an unknown soldier in the present day by his grandfather, a searcher, becomes a turning point, launching a fantastic journey through time," the film's synopsis states.

The film was written by Alexander Shevtsov and directed by Pavel Ignatov. Lola Bukaeva served as the film's sound engineer, and Aizhamal Samatova composed the music. The role of Mendysh Omuraliev was given to Kyrgyz actor Kymbatbek Alimzhanov. The modern-day hero, Sasha Ustinov, was played by Mikhail Medalin, a popular Russian rapper and blogger with a multi-million audience, also known by his stage name Gufee Medalin. This young adult fantasy film (12) is presented by Reversiya Film Company and the Memory of Victories Foundation.

According to the film's creators, the main goal of "Saving the Immortal" is to awaken in the younger generation a genetic memory of the exploits of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. The film is primarily aimed at the younger generation. The film's wide release is scheduled for Defender of the Fatherland Day, February 26, 2026.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 15, 2025

News editorial office

The winners of the annual "Guiding Star" tourism and hospitality awards have been announced. The ceremony took place at the Zaryadye Concert Hall. The best tourism industry professionals were announced and awarded in 23 categories. Mosfilm is among the winners!

For 26 years, the Moscow Government has been recognizing industry representatives who make the capital more attractive and comfortable. This year, the competition has 44 winners implementing significant projects for Moscow in the following categories: "People and Personnel," "Gastronomy and Shopping," "Culture and Entertainment," "Public Spaces and Urban Environment," "Hotels," "Media," and others. The jury also awarded the best tour guides, bloggers, restaurateurs, and others.

"We are honored to receive this high recognition from the Moscow Government. Today, the Cinema Center is truly one of the most sought-after cultural venues in the capital. It's important to emphasize that it's more than just a movie theater. Our venue's technical and organizational capabilities allow us to implement dozens of diverse projects—hosting events of any scale, complexity, and original format. We value this award and are thrilled to be able to provide Muscovites and visitors with joy and quality entertainment," noted Karen Shakhnazarov, General Director of the Mosfilm Film Concern.

The Mosfilm Cinema Center (Cinema Park Mosfilm), which opened in 2023, is one of the most iconic and sought-after venues and one of the most popular cultural destinations in Moscow. It offers special screenings, meetings with directors and actors, discussions with critics and experts, and screenings not available in many cinemas—from retrospectives to new festival films—as well as live broadcasts of cultural and sporting events, lectures, shows, and performances. The Mosfilm Cinema Center's facilities allow it to host events of varying scale and complexity, all with unique formats.

On Yandex Maps, the Cinema Center has a perfect score of 5.0 based on hundreds of ratings! This multifunctional complex boasts the best technical equipment in the country, including a Barco 4K laser projector, a massive 227-square-meter screen, a Dolby System 136 acoustic system for uniform sound distribution, and specialized stage equipment suitable for concerts and shows on the large stage. The other cinemas—one with 108 seats and two mini-cinemas with a capacity of 50 each—are also equipped with Barco 4K digital projectors and a Dolby Atmos audio system. Another advantage of the Mosfilm Cinema Center is its ample parking.

As a reminder, in 2024, the Mosfilm Cinema Center won the Active Citizen project's popular vote by a landslide in the category of "Country's Main Premiere Venue." Construction of this large-scale cinema complex was completed without state budget funding, as part of an investment project.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.