17th Baikal International Film Festival «People and Environment» named after V. G. Rasputin has been opened.

Opening Ceremony of the 17^th Baikal International Film Festival  «People and Environment» named after V. G. Rasputin was held in Zvezdniy cinematheatre on the 21^st of September. The Governor of Irkutsk region Sergey Levchenko, Minister of culture and archives Olga Stasyulevich, President of the Festival Sergey Miroshnichenko and General Director of the Festival and Head of Irkutsk Regional Film Foundation Andrey Salnikov took part in it.

Everyone can watch the screenings of contest and non-contest programs of the Festival in Irkutsk Regional Film Foundation, Zvezdniy cinematheatre, Irkutsk Planetarium, Irkutsk Regional State Universal Scientific Library n.a. I.I. Molchanov-Sibirskiy and in the cafes «White Crow» and «Castro Cafe». All screenings are free, except for the full-dome films in Irkutsk Planetarium.

Meetings and master-classes will be conducted within the framework of the Film School. IV Baikal Pitching of the best film projects of Irkutsk region, Buryat Republic, Trans-Baikal krai, Krasnoyarskiy krai, Khakass Republic and other regions of Russia will be held.

The Festival jury will choose the winners in the following nominations: «Documentary film», «Popular-science film», «Feature film», «Full-dome film» and «Social-ecological video».

A feature film «Sea-buckthorn Summer» was the opening film of the Festival, telling about the last years of life of an outstanding playwright, our fellow Aleksander Vampilov. The crew consisting of director Victor Alferov, second director Elena Alferova, scriptwriter Olga Pogodina-Kuzmina and the main character of the film Andrey Merzlikin came to Irkutsk to participate in the Festival. Irkutsk viewers who were one of the first to watch «Sea-buckthorn Summer» took the film of Viktor Alferov with delight –ovation sounded during the final credits and didn’t stop when the film ended.

— It’s difficult for me to formulate my impressions as I was very surprised, the audience was great! — told the director Victor Alferov. The reaction of the audience was so sensitive. Though the whole script is based on the documentary facts: Vampilov’s correspondence with wife, with the head of literature department and on Vampilov’s personal words, but first of all it’s a feature film, not a documentary. And people perceived it positively.

— The way Irkutsk audience has welcomed the film is a great pleasure for me. I knew that this is the most strict viewer, — said Andrey Merzlikin. - Gentle and important words said today give me hope that, if in a place where the responsibility is the highest the audience takes the film so warm, then it has good chances to be accepted in all regions of our immense motherland!

 More details at: http://baikalkinofest.ru