Svetlana Khodchenkova / Paulina Andreeva
The American edition of Variety has compiled a list of 12 of the most promising Russian filmmakers who can conquer an international audience. The list includes both the stars of domestic cinema Svetlana Khodchenkova, Paulina Andreeva, Yulia Snigir and others, as well as names less known to the general public, for example, Lyubov Mulmenko and Ella Manzheeva. Let's talk about the list in more detail.
The publication of Variety is connected with the fact that the international film market Key Buyers Event has started today, which can help Russian artists to make themselves known outside their homeland. According to Evgenia Markina, General Director of Roskino, this year the market will pay special attention to Russian young talents and their prospects on the world stage. The event, which will take place online from June 8-10, will be attended by international casting director Frank Moisell, actor and Key Buyers Event ambassador Yuri Kolokolnikov, as well as aspiring actress Sofia Lebedeva and producer Goodnyu Hummelvoll.
Svetlana Hodchenkova
Since Svetlana Khodchenkova got the lead role in Stanislav Govorukhin's Bless the Woman in 2003, she has become one of the most sought-after actresses in Russia. There are already several dozen films on her account. In 2011, Khodchenkova appeared in a cameo role in Thomas Alfredson's "Spy, Get Out" along with Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy. In 2013, another international project with the participation of the actress was released - the blockbuster "Wolverine: Immortal", where Khodchenkova played one of the main opponents of the hero Hugh Jackman.
Now the 38-year-old actress is preparing for a very important role for herself, which could become a turning point in her career - she will play Anna Karenina in the series "Anna K". The project will be the first original Russian TV series for Netflix.
Paulina Andreeva
After Paulina Andreeva established herself as a theater and film actress, she tried herself as a director and screenwriter. Last year, she made a big career leap, acting as a screenwriter for the series "Crazy": the project starred Konstantin Bogomolov, Elena Lyadova, Alexander Gorchilin, Oleg Menshikov and other stars, and Paulina's husband Fyodor Bondarchuk became the director.
Andreeva, 32, says she wants to combine the work of an actress and a screenwriter, and notes that she has many plans for the future.
Yulia Snigir
Yulia Snigir came to the cinema by chance. She originally worked as an English teacher. But, having successfully passed the audition, she began to appear in TV shows and films and soon became one of the most sought-after domestic actresses.
The actress was also noticed in the West: in 2013, she starred in the action movie "Die Hard: A Good Day to Die" with Bruce Willis, and a few years later the Italian director Paolo Sorrentino invited her to the TV series "New Pope". Here Jude Law has already become the actress's partner.
The series was highly praised by critics around the world, including praise for the work of Snigir. In Russia, the actress was awarded the Nika Prize for this role. Snigir, 38, says the role is her biggest career achievement to date.
Yura Borisov
28-year-old Yura Borisov admitted that all his life he dreamed of becoming an actor. But between the chance to make money or to succeed as an actor, he chooses the latter, since he wants to develop in his profession, and not only receive material benefits from it. Over the past few years, the actor has had several high-profile projects and bright roles, among them - "Kalashnikov", "Silver Skates", "Bull".
Pictures "Petrovs in the Flu" by Kirill Serebrennikov and Finnish director Juho Kousmanen's film "Coupe Number Six", in which Borisov took part, will be presented this year at the Cannes Film Festival.
Yuri Kolokolnikov
40-year-old Yuri Kolokolnikov, known in Russia since the days of "The State Councilor", gained worldwide fame after filming the TV series "Game of Thrones", where he played a representative of the wildlings Steer. He also appeared in other Western projects such as "Argument" and "The Hitman's Bodyguard".
Aleksandr Kuznetsov
28-year-old Alexander Kuznetsov starred in such famous films as "Summer" by Kirill Serebrennikov, "Acid" by Alexander Gorchilin, as well as in the TV series "The Kept Women" by Konstantin Bogomolov. He also got a role in the Hollywood movie "Fantastic Beasts".
The actor declares that he will do everything possible and impossible to erase the boundaries between Russian actors and the rest of the world. He wants all actors to be able to qualify for the lead role in any film.
Lyubov Mulmenko
Lyubov Mulmenko knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer. In 2014, she made her debut as a screenwriter for the films "Nadezhda Combine", "Another Year" and "What's My Name", which were shown at international film festivals. Now 35-year-old Mulmenko is working on her directorial debut - the film "Danube", which due out later this year.
Ella Manzheeva
As an experienced violinist, Manzheeva always thought that she would connect her life with music. But after she first got on the set, everything changed. Her 2015 film The Seagulls has been shown in over 30 countries and premiered at the Berlinale. Another film by 39-year-old Manzheeva, "White Road!", Will be presented at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Evgeny Sangadzhiev
34-year-old Yevgeny Sangadzhiev began his career as an actor, but it was in the director's chair that he saw his calling. Starting with short films, he has continued to work on larger projects and recently directed the series Happy End. At the same time, Evgeny continues to work at the Gogol Center, where he is involved in several performances.
Mikhail Lokshin
Having tried different professions, only by the age of 20 did Mikhail Lokshin realize that he was attracted by directing. It took him many years to shoot his first feature-length film, Silver Skates, which was the first Russian project acquired by the streaming service Netflix. Now 40-year-old Lokshin is filming the series "Woland".
Philip Yuriev
In 2020, director Philip Yuriev was awarded an award at the Venice Film Festival for the film "The Whaleman". Yuryev, 31, was also honored at the Kinotavr Film Festival and received the Nika Award in the Discovery of the Year nomination this year.
Ivan I. Tverdovsky
The son of a famous documentary filmmaker, Tverdovsky knew that he would follow in his father's footsteps. He started with documentary projects and then began making feature films. In 2014, his painting "Correction Class" won the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Other films by the 32-year-old Tverdovsky have been screened at many international festivals, including the Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals, and his latest feature, The Conference, was shown last year at the Venice Film Festival.