Vanished Empire!
Extra session by popular demand!
Date:	Tuesday, November 11 at 7pm
Where:	Chauvel Cinema Cnr Oatley Road & Oxford Street, Paddington, NSW

Russian Resurrection is a non-profit organisation registered with the Department of Fair Trading as an Incorporated Association. The Organisation was formed with the objective of conducting Russian Film Festivals in Australia, and expose the cinema going public to both old and new Russian Cinema. An annual festival of this nature was deemed necessary to provide a selection of rare and unique films that people otherwise might not have had an opportunity to see.

Russian Resurrection has established ties with the Agency of Cinematography of the Russian Federation and the Cultural Fund (Russia) to assist with the organisation of such festivals in Australia and in the near future in New Zealand.

Celebrating its 5th big year by showcasing up to 20 films over 18 days in 6 cities, the 2008 Russian Resurrection Film Festival proudly presented by BHP Billiton is set to be the biggest and best instalment in the resurrection of Russian cinema to date. Following its success in 2007, where the festival played to packed cinemas Australia wide with an increase of 55% in national attendance, the 2008 Russian Resurrection Film Festival continues to delight lovers of Russian films and culture nationwide.

This year brings a very exciting collection of Russian Cinema to our audiences across Australia and we welcome new films from some of the festivals favourite directors; such as Nikita Mikhalkov with his oscar nominated film 12 and Valery Todorovsky (director of My Stepbrother Frankenstein) with his new thriller Vice.

We also are running not one but two retrospectives this year. The first is by far the most complete retrospective program the Russian Film Festival has been able to secure and put together in its short history. This collection of the films of Karen Shakhnazarov (a special thanks to Mosfilm Studios) will illustrate a historical sketch of some of the more popular Soviet films made in the early and late 80’s including the black comedy Zero City, the cinematic beauty of Day Of The Full Moon, plus venture into Shakhnazarov-today with the Vanished Empire. Our second retrospective looks at fantasy in Russian cinema (a special thanks to Lenfilm Studios) starting with Amphibian Man a beautiful love story based on the novel by Alexander Beliaev about a boy who is surgically altered to survive under the sea. This film sold 65.5 million tickets at the Soviet box office when it was released in 1962 and today is a cult classic. And screening also is the highly acclaimed, multi-award winning film Letters from a Dead Man.

Ever wanted to bring your kids to the festival to see something but couldn’t find anything appropriate? Well this year is going to be different with our special screening of the animated film Alyosha Popovich. It tells the story of a hapless hero on a quest to retrieve his towns stolen gold with a talking horse, a wise granny, and a beauty named Lyubava who fears that she will become an “old maid” if she hasn’t met a husband by the time she turns sixteen.

Our selection of films again covers the grand scope of film making in Russia. The hauntingly beautiful Banishment, starring Konstantin Lavronenko who won Best Actor for his role as Alex at Cannes Film Festival 2007, is Russian cinema at it’s moody best, then there is Simple Things, which picked up so many awards we simply gave up counting. Don’t miss our two “bittersweet triumphs” that are Tulpan and, Graffiti, and for something really new, be sure to see the romantic comedy Plus One and the ultra-realistic war flick, Captive (both films having just premiered in Moscow in the last month or so).

Sydney audiences will be delighted in the special premiere screening of the masterpiece of Soviet expressionist silent cinema New Babylon (1929) accompanied by a live orchestral performance of the original Shostakovich score at City Recital Hall, Angel Place. Since its debut performance in Moscow in 1929, New Babylon has only been accompanied by a live orchestra 5 times. Russian Resurrection is extremely delighted to present the inaugural live performance screening in Australia, a unique occasion to see and hear this masterpiece of Soviet expressionist silent cinema as it was originally envisaged.

Celebrations for Opening Night in each capital city will be as wonderfully Russian as you could hope for, with the Stolichnaya Opening Night Parties again immersing audiences in real Russian delights, with the legendary Stolichnaya Genuine Russian Vodka* punch beautifully accompanied by Russian tasty treats and the inevitable high spirited Russian love of dancing and celebrating in style. 

* Russian Resurrection and Stolichnaya are committed to the responsible serving of alcohol.