1990s 's crime film duology
Brother became a defining example of
cult cinema in Russia. In the 1990s there were much fewer films being made as the cinema industry was experiencing big changes and the economy was uncertain. From 300 in 1990 the number fell to 213 in 1991, 172 in 1992, 152 in 1993, to 68 in 1994, 46 in 1995 and 28 in 1996. In 1990 censorship was abolished on an official level: the state could no longer interfere in the production and distribution of films, except in cases of war propaganda, disclosure of state secrets, and pornography. As part of the abolition of all central Soviet administrative units, the Cinema Committee of the USSR was dissolved in 1991. Russian cinema of the 90s acquired new features and themes, with the
Chechen war also affecting filmmakers. Many films of that time dealt with war and Stalinism.
Kinotavr was first held in 1990 in
Podolsk, and then in 1991 in
Sochi, where it has been held ever since. The
Nika Award, which is distributed by the Russian Film Academy, was founded in 1998.
Freeze Die Come to Life is 1989
drama film directed by
Vitali Kanevsky. It was screened in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
1990 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the
Caméra d'Or. Another Kanevsky's film,
An Independent Life, win the
Jury Prize, the third most prestigious award of the event, at the
1992 Cannes Film Festival and also nominated for the
Golden Bear at the
42nd Berlin International Film Festival. Subsequent Lungin films,
Luna Park and
The Wedding, were screened at
1992 Cannes Film Festival and
2000 Cannes Film Festival in competition.
Tsar was screened at
2009 Cannes Film Festival in
Un Certain Regard section.
The Guard is a 1990
drama film directed by
Aleksandr Rogozhkin. It was entered into the
40th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the
Alfred Bauer Prize.
Satan is a 1991
thriller film directed by
Viktor Aristov. It was entered into the
41st Berlin International Film Festival where it won the
Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize.
The Assassin of the Tsar by
Karen Shakhnazarov and
Anna Karamazoff by
Rustam Khamdamov was entered into the
1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Comrade Chkalov Crosses the North Pole by
Maksim Pezhemsky was screened in the
Un Certain Regard section at the same year.
Nikita Mikhalkov won the
Golden Lion at the
48th Venice International Film Festival for
Close to Eden and
European Film Award for Best Film in 1991 and was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and a
Golden Globe for
Best Foreign Language Film.
The Inner Circle is a 1991
drama film by Russian director
Andrei Konchalovsky, telling the story of
Joseph Stalin's private
projectionist and
KGB officer
Ivan Sanchin (real name Alex Ganchin) between 1939 and 1953, the year Stalin died was nominated for awards at the
42nd Berlin International Film Festival.
The Chekist directed by
Aleksandr Rogozhkin was a drama set in the period of
Red Terror and told the story of a
Cheka leader who gradually becomes unhinged.
Happy Days directed by
Aleksei Balabanov was his feature film debut. Both film were screened in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
1992 Cannes Film Festival.
The Sentimental Policeman is a 1992 Russian-language Ukrainian (Ukrainian-French production)
comedy film written and directed by
Kira Muratova. It entered the competition at the
49th Venice International Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize at
Kinotavr.
Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov won a
Silver Lion at the
50th Venice International Film Festival for his film
Kosh ba kosh. The drama
Burnt by the Sun (1994) by
Nikita Mikhalkov is set in a small countryside community in the time when Stalinism starts to disrupt their idyllic retreat and alter their characters and fates. The film received an
Academy Award for
Best Foreign Language Film and the
Grand Prix du Jury at the
1994 Cannes Film Festival. The sequel,
Burnt by the Sun 2: Exodus was entered in the
2010 Cannes Film Festival. Another sequel,
Burnt by the Sun 3: The Citadel, released on May 5, 2011.
Assia and the Hen with the Golden Eggs by
Andrei Konchalovsky is a satirical sequel to Konchalovsky's 1966 Soviet film,
The Story of Asya Klyachina, taking the characters of the original and placing them in a post-Soviet context. This film was entered into the
1994 Cannes Film Festival.
Passions is a 1994
romantic comedy by Ukrainian director
Kira Muratova based on the novellas of Boris Dedyukhin. It was screened at the
Locarno Festival in 1994. It received two
Nika Awards, for Best Picture and Best Director (Muratova). The picture also won the Special Jury Prize of the
Kinotavr film festival.
The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin directed by
Jiří Menzel,
international co-production between Russia, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, was entered the competition at the
51st Venice International Film Festival, in which it won the President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal.
A Moslem is a 1995 Russian
drama film directed by
Vladimir Khotinenko won Special Grand Prix of the jury for "Best film of the year" at 1995
Montreal World Film Festival.
Peculiarities of the National Hunt directed by
Aleksandr Rogozhkin was screened in Window on Images sectiom at the
52nd Venice International Film Festival and nominated on Crystal Globe at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 1996
Sergey Bodrov was screened the war drama film
Prisoner of the Mountains based on the 1872
Caucasian War-era short story "
The Prisoner in the Caucasus" by the classic Russian writer
Leo Tolstoy on 1996
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won a
Crystal Globe. Latef film was nominated for an
Academy Award for
Best Foreign Language Film (Russia) and a
Golden Globe Award for
Best Foreign Language Film (Russia).
Three Stories is a 1997 Russian-Ukrainian
comedy film directed by
Kira Muratova. It was entered into the
47th Berlin International Film Festival. The picture won the Special Jury Prize at
Kinotavr. In the context of the Russian World War II history
Pavel Chukhrai filmed
The Thief (1997), a movie about a mother who becomes romantically involved with a criminal who impersonates an officer. The film was awarded with 6 national prizes
Nika, got a special prize in
54th Venice International Film Festival and was nominated on
European Film Award for Best Film,
Academy Award for
Best Foreign Language Film and
Golden Globe Award for
Best Foreign Language Film. One of the first commercially successful post-Soviet films was the crime drama
Brother directed by
Aleksei Balabanov. It was screened as part of the
Un Certain Regard section at the
1997 Cannes Film Festival. He also directed the sequel
Brother 2 in 2000.
Valery Todorovsky's
The Country of the Deaf (1998), a comedy film based on the screenplay by
Renata Litvinova parodied Russia of the 90s. It described the journey of two female friends caught in the fight of two clans – the deaf and the hearing. It was entered in the
48th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1997
Aleksandr Sokurov had his international breakthrough with the arthouse drama
Mother and Son, the first part of family relationships dilogy. It won the Special Silver St. George at the
20th Moscow International Film Festival in 1997. The second part,
Father and Son, Russian drama film that was entered into feature film competition at the
2003 Cannes Film Festival. 1998 film
Khrustalyov, My Car! directed by
Aleksei German described the last days of Stalinist Russia. It was entered in the
1998 Cannes Film Festival.
Nikita Mikhalkov's international co-production
The Barber of Siberia was screened out of competition at the
1999 Cannes Film Festival. The film featured English and Russian actors. It was the first post-Soviet big budget feature film; the film cost 35 million dollars.
Moloch, the first part of tetrology of power directed by
Alexander Sokurov portrays
Adolf Hitler living life in an unassuming manner during an abrupt journey to the
Bavarian Alps, was entered into the
1999 Cannes Film Festival and won the
Best Screenplay Award. The second part portraying
Vladimir Lenin,
Taurus, was entered into the
2001 Cannes Film Festival. The third part
The Sun depicting
Japanese Emperor Shōwa (
Hirohito) during the
final days of
World War II, was entered in the
55th Berlin International Film Festival. Internationally co-produced film
East/West (1999) starring
Sandrine Bonnaire and
Catherine Deneuve told the story of an emigre family living in Stalinist USSR. The film was nominated as
Academy Award for
Best Foreign Language Film and
Golden Globe Award for
Best Foreign Language Film,
National Board of Review, and received four nominations at the
César Awards. The satiric melodrama of
Dmitry Meskhiev, ''
Women's Property'' (1999) describes a love affair between a young student and an older actress who is incurably ill. Her death leads the protagonist to face bitter loneliness. The film starred
Yelena Safonova and featured actor
Konstantin Khabensky in an early lead role. Cult crime comedy
8 ½ $ (1999), directorial debut of Grigori Konstantinopolsky, starring
Ivan Okhlobystin and
Fyodor Bondarchuk was a satiric take on 1990s Russia. It told the story of a
television advertisement director who becomes romantically involved with a gangster's girlfriend. In 2022 the film has been banned in Russia.
2000s , a director of Kazakh origin, directed three of highest grossing Russian movies of the 2000s, including the famous
Night Watch and
Day Watch. The film ''
His Wife's Diary'' (2000) by
Aleksei Uchitel won awards at both
Kinotavr and
Nika Award. The biographical film was about the last love affair of writer
Ivan Bunin. Uchitel's 2005 film
Dreaming of Space won the Golden George at the
27th Moscow International Film Festival.
Roman Kachanov directed the absurdist comedies
Demobbed (2000) and
Down House (2001), which were both co-written with actor
Ivan Okhlobystin who also starred in the films. Both are considered to be cult films in Russia.
FIPRESCI awarded a special mention to the film
Demobbed at the 2000
Kinotavr.
The Romanovs: An Imperial Family is a 2000 Russian
historical drama film about the last days of
Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The film premiered at the 22nd annual
Moscow Film Festival.
Karen Shakhnazarov's 2001 film
Poisons or the World History of Poisoning was awarded the Grand Prix at the
Kinotavr film festival in
Sochi. At the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival the picture was nominated for the Crystal Globe and was screened at the
51st Berlin International Film Festival. Another Shakhnazarov films,
Vanished Empire and
Ward Number 6, released in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The Cuckoo by
Aleksandr Rogozhkin won multiple awards at the
24th Moscow International Film Festival. The WWII set film starred Finnish actor
Ville Haapasalo as a stranded Finnish sniper. 2002 comedy-drama film
In Motion was the directorial debut of
Filipp Yankovsky. Feature film debut by
Aleksei German Jr. The Last Train (2003) won the Best Picture and International Film Critics' Awards at Thessaloniki and honorable mention for Little Golden Lion award at the
60th Venice International Film Festival . His second film,
Garpastum, was screened in the competition at the
62nd Venice International Film Festival. For his film
Paper Soldier, Aleksei German Jr. received the
Silver Lion and
Golden Osella for Best Cinematography from the
65th Venice International Film Festival.
Andrey Zvyagintsev's
The Return (2003), a
Golden Lion award from the
60th Venice International Film Festival recipient and
Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film and
César Award for Best Foreign Film nominie, shows two brothers' test of life when their father suddenly returns that reaches a deep almost-mystic pitch.
Russian Ark (2003) by
Alexander Sokurov, was filmed in a single 96-minute shot in the Russian
Hermitage Museum is a dream-like narration that tells about classic Russian culture sailing in the Ark. It was screened at the
2002 Cannes Film Festival.
The Tuner is a 2004
Ukraine/
Russia mix film of art house grotesque and a sting comedy. At the heart of
Kira Muratova’s film is her characteristic and enduring love of predation—predation for its own sake. The film offers a complex assessment of the human subject, civilization, and the creative act. It premiered out of competition at the
61st Venice International Film Festival Night Watch (2004) by
Timur Bekmambetov was one of the first
blockbusters made after the collapse of the Soviet film industry. The supernatural thriller starred
Konstantin Khabensky and was based on the
eponymous book by
Sergei Lukyanenko. It was followed by the sequel
Day Watch (2006), that nominated on
Saturn Award for Best International Film. Russian actress
Renata Litvinova debuted as director in 2004 with the film
Goddess: How I fell in Love.
The Italian is a 2005 Russian
drama film directed by
Andrei Kravchuk inspired by a true story, focuses on a young boy's determined search for his Mother. The film won the Grand Prix of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk from the International Jury at the
55th Berlin International Film Festival, and a Special Mention from their Children's Jury.
First on the Moon by
Aleksei Fedorchenko is a 2005 Russian
mockumentary science fiction film about a fictional 1930s Soviet landing on the
Moon and was directorial debut of Fedorchenko. It was screened at
62nd Venice International Film Festival in Horrizons section and won Best Film Award.
The 9th Company is a 2005 Russian
war film directed by
Fedor Bondarchuk and set during the
Soviet–Afghan War. The film is loosely based on a real-life battle that took place at
Elevation 3234 in early 1988, during
Operation Magistral, the last large-scale
Soviet military operation in Afghanistan. The serialised novels by
Boris Akunin set in
pre-Revolutionary Russia evolve around fictional Erast Fandorin adventures in three popular movies:
The Azazel (2002) by
Aleksandr Adabashyan,
The Turkish Gambit (2005) by
Dzhanik Fayziev and
The State Counsellor (2005) by
Filipp Yankovsky. The film
977 by
Nikolay Khomeriki was screened in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
2006 Cannes Film Festival. Three years later his film
Tale in the Darkness competed in the same section at the
2009 Cannes Film Festival.
Euphoria is a 2006 Russian
drama romance film directed by dramatist and director
Ivan Vyrypaev. The film was nominated on
Golden Lion at
63rd Venice International Film Festival and won Little Golden Lion. Life of the Orthodox Monastery and their Christian miracles are described in the film
The Island (2006) by
Pavel Lungin. The film was screened out of the competition at the
63rd Venice International Film Festival and received the
Golden Eagle and
Nika awards.
Konstantin Lopushansky directed the science-fiction film
The Ugly Swans in 2006, based on the 1967
novel by
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The film received the Best Score award at
Kinotavr. Psychological drama
The Banishment by
Andrey Zvyagintsev and war drama
Alexandra by
Alexander Sokurov was selected in competition section at the
2007 Cannes Film Festival where
The Banishment won the
Best Actor Award.
12 is a Russian-language remake of
12 Angry Men directed by
Nikita Mikhalkov, was screened in the competition at the
64th Venice International Film Festival there won the Special Lion for Mikhalkov and received an
Academy Award nomination for
Best Foreign Language Film. Kazakh-Russian co-production epic film
Mongol directed by
Sergey Bodrov also received an
Academy Award nomination for
Best Foreign Language Film.
Cargo 200 is a Russian
neo-noir thriller directed by
Aleksei Balabanov won Best Director Award on
Gijón International Film Festival. One of Russia's all-time biggest box-office hits was
Timur Bekmambetov's romantic-comedy
The Irony of Fate 2, directed in 2007 as a sequel to
the 1976 film. 2008 musical film
Hipsters, directed by Valery Todorovsky about the youth lifestyle in the 1950s Soviet Union was a success at the box office. It received the
Golden Eagle and
Nika awards for best picture.
Valeriya Gai Germanika received the "Special Mention" of the jury of the Camera d'Or competition at the
2008 Cannes Film Festival for her feature debut
Everybody Dies but Me. In 2008 was released
Admiral,
biopic about
Alexander Kolchak, a
vice admiral in the
Imperial Russian Navy and leader of the
anti-communist White movement during the
Russian Civil War directed by
Andrei Kravchuk. Later Kravchuk directed two another films based on the historic events:
Viking and
Union of Salvation, released in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Sci-fi picture
Dark Planet (2008–2009) based on the book by
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, directed by
Fyodor Bondarchuk, was one of the most expensive Russian films of the 2000s, with its budget of $36.6 million.
Room and a Half is a 2009 Russian biographical film directed by
Andrei Khrzhanovsky about life of Russian poet
Joseph Brodsky. This film received the Best Film award in the East of the West section at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2009
Tambourine, Drum by Aleksey Mizgirev won
Special Jury Prize,
Best Direction Prize and the special prize from the youth jury at 2009
Locarno Film Festival.
2010s hosts the
Moscow International Film Festival. 's
art house dramas received many awards, including an
Academy Award nominations in 2015 and 2018. In 2014 censorship of cinematic works was officially introduced with a new and stricter revision of the "screening certificate" () act, without which public film screenings are not allowed and are punishable by law. Curse words in films were banned. The concept of a "screening certificate" first appeared in Russian laws in 1993, when
Viktor Chernomyrdin signed the decree "On the registration of films and videos", the main purpose of which was to combat the spread of pirated content. For a decade and a half, the document was more or less a formality. In 2010 the comedy anthology film
Yolki produced by
Timur Bekmambetov was released. It spawned seven sequels, one prequel and one spin-off.
How I Ended This Summer by
Alexei Popogrebski, a film shot in remote
Chukotka, won
Silver Bear for Best Actor in
60th Berlin International Film Festival. The same year arthouse film
Silent Souls by
Aleksey Fedorchenko won the
Golden Osella for Best Cinematography and a
FIPRESCI Award at the
67th Venice Film Festival. In 2010
Jolly Fellows directed by Felix Mikhailov was screened at the
60th Berlin International Film Festival, and also was the first Russian picture to be chosen as the opening film of the Panorama section at the festival.
Fortress of War is a 2010 Russian-Belarusian war film directed by
Alexander Kott recounting the June 1941
defense of Brest Fortress against invading
Wehrmacht forces in the opening stages of
Operation Barbarossa,
Nazi Germany's invasion of the
Soviet Union during
World War II. The film received universal acclaim from Russian critics and auditory.
The Edge by
Alexei Uchitel was nominated for the 2010
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Yury Bykov debuted as a director with the film
To Live in 2010. His film
The Major screened at the
2013 Cannes Film Festival. His film
The Fool won the
Best Actor Award at the 2014
Locarno Film Festival. His film
The Factory screened at the
2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Drama films
Elena by
Andrey Zvyagintsev and
The Hunter by Baku Bakuradze was selected in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival, where
Elena won the Special Jury Prize.
Faust, the last part of tetralogy by
Aleksandr Sokurov, won the
Golden Lion at the
68th Venice International Film Festival . His follow-up film
Francofonia received the Mimmo Rotella Award at the
72nd Venice International Film Festival . 2011 romantic comedy
Lucky Trouble directed by
Levan Gabriadze and produced by
Timur Bekmambetov, starred Hollywood actress
Milla Jovovich who played the female lead opposite
Konstantin Khabensky.
Generation P (2011) by
Victor Ginzburg was an independently produced satiric comedy about advertisement business set in the 1990s. The film was based on
Victor Pelevin's 1999
novel of the same name. The film won Special Jury Mention at the 2011
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Betrayal by
Kirill Serebrennikov was selected in competition on
69th Venice International Film Festival.
White Tiger is a 2012 Russian
war film, directed by
Karen Shakhnazarov and co-written with
Aleksandr Borodyansky based on the novel
Tankist, ili "Belyy tigr" (
The Tankman, or
The White Tiger) by Russian novelist Ilya Boyashov. The film is about a badly wounded Soviet tank commander on the
Eastern Front of
World War II who becomes obsessed with tracking down and destroying a mysterious, invincible Nazi tank, which the Soviet troops call the "White Tiger". The Soviets design a new, more powerful
T-34 tank and assign the tank commander the job of destroying the White Tiger. Aleksey Adrianov directed the high-budget
Boris Akunin adaptation
Spy in 2012. A Russian filmmaker who continued to make a name for himself in
Hollywood was
Timur Bekmambetov, a producer and director of
blockbuster films. In the United States he directed
Wanted (2008),
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) and
Ben-Hur (2016). Starting from 2003 Russia's animation industry began to manufacture films which are profitable domestically and abroad. Some of the pictures included
Voronezh Animation Studio projects:
The Snow Queen 1,
2,
3,
4,
Sheep and Wolves 1,
2,
Secret Magic Control Agency;
Melnitsa Animation Studio projects:
Little Longnose,
The Three Bogatyrs series (including
Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych and
Horse Julius and Big Horse Racing),
Luntik,
The Tale of Soldier Fedot, The Daring Fellow,
Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf 1,
2,
3,
Fantastic Journey to OZ; projects of other studios:
Prince Vladimir,
Kikoriki,
Space Dogs and
Space Dogs: Return to Earth,
Masha and the Bear, ''
A Warrior's Tail, Hoffmaniada''. War epic
Stalingrad directed by
Fyodor Bondarchuk in 2013 set new box-office records in Russia and abroad. After ''Stalingrad's
success at the box-office, increasingly more films started to be made in Russia about WWII. Other WWII films that were made in Russia included The Dawns Here Are Quiet (2015), Battle for Sevastopol (2015) Panfilov's 28 Men (2016), Sobibor (2018), Tankers (2018), T-34 (2019), Saving Leningrad (2019), The Last Frontier (2020), AK-47 (2020), A Siege Diary (2020), V2. Escape from Hell (2021), The Pilot. A Battle for Survival (2021), The Red Ghost (2021) and First Oscar'' (2022). 2013 comedy
Kiss Them All! by
Zhora Kryzhovnikov, produced by
Timur Bekmambetov, is the most profitable domestic film in the history of Russian box office, having managed to earn more than 27.3 million dollars on a comparatively modest budget of $1.5 million. The film was followed by
Kiss Them All! 2, which became the most profitable film of 2014 in Russia.
Hard to Be a God is a 2013 Russian
epic medieval science fiction film directed by
Aleksei German who co-wrote the screenplay with Svetlana Karmalita. It was his last film and it is based on the 1964 novel
of the same name by
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.
Chagall — Malevich is a 2014 Russian
biographical drama film directed by
Alexander Mitta about the
Vitebsk period in the life of the artist
Marc Chagall and his relationship with fellow artist
Kazimir Malevich. It also showed at the 2014
Busan International Film Festival. Film by
Alexander Veledinsky,
The Geographer Drank His Globe Away, based on the novel of the same name by
Alexei Ivanov, was awarded the main prize at
Kinotavr 2013. and was nominated on four
European Film Awards, including Best Film,
BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the
87th Academy Awards. It won the
Golden Globe for
Best Foreign Language Film. After the film got leaked online and was downloaded by 1.5 million users, domestic distributors decided to make a wide release of the controversial film which was negatively viewed by the Russian authorities due to its gloomy and critical view of Russia.
Sunstroke is a 2014 Russian
drama film directed, produced and written by
Nikita Mikhalkov, starring Martinsh Kalita and Viktoriya Solovyova. It is set after the collapse of the
Russian Empire during the
Red Terror in 1920, with flashbacks to 1907, and is loosely based on the story "Sunstroke" and the book
Cursed Days by
Nobel Prize-winning Russian writer Ivan Bunin.
Two Women is a 2014 Russian drama film directed by
Vera Glagoleva, starring
Ralph Fiennes and
Sylvie Testud. It is based on
Ivan Turgenev's 1872 play
A Month in the Country (originally written as
Two Women in 1855). The film won the Best Feature Film award at the
3rd Hanoi International Film Festival.
Under the Sun is a 2015 Russian
documentary film directed by
Vitaly Mansky won Best Director Award at the
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The film follows a year in the life of a family in
Pyongyang, North Korea as their daughter Zin-mi prepares to join the
Korean Children's Union on the
Day of the Shining Star (
Kim Jong-il's birthday). North Korea permitted only Mansky, cinematographer Alexandra Ivanova, and a sound assistant to visit the country. North Korean authorities objected to the film's screening after discovering that the film crew had smuggled unapproved footage.
Under Electric Clouds by
Aleksei German won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography at the
65th Berlin International Film Festival. His follow-up film
Dovlatov (2018) about writer
Sergei Dovlatov, was awarded a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for costume and production design
68th Berlin International Film Festival .
Battalion is a 2015 Russian war film directed by
Dmitry Meskhiev that relates the story of the
First Battalion of Death, a women-only Russian combat unit that fought in the First World War. Actress
Mariya Aronova plays the role of real-life heroine
Maria Bochkareva.
Battalion was the biggest winner at the 2015
Golden Eagle Awards, winning four awards out of nine nominations. In 2015
Ilya Naishuller debuted with the film
Hardcore Henry which was screened at the Toronto Film Festival. He later directed
Nobody (2021) in Hollywood.
Andrei Konchalovsky received the
Silver Lion at the
73rd Venice International Film Festival for his
black and white Holocaust drama
Paradise in 2016. He previously received the
Silver Lion for ''
The Postman's White Nights'' at the
71st Venice International Film Festival. 2016 one-man thriller film
Collector by Aleksei Krasovsky starring Konstantin Khabensky won an award at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2016
The Duelist directed by Aleksey Mizgirev was screened at the
2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Disaster film
Flight Crew, directed by
Nikolai Lebedev with actor
Danila Kozlovsky was a success at the box-office in 2016.
The Student by
Kirill Serebrennikov won the
François Chalais Prize at the
2016 Cannes Film Festival .
Leto, Russian
musical film also directed by
Kirill Serebrennikov that depicts the Leningrad underground rock scene of the early 1980s, was selected to compete for the
Palme d'Or at the
2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the
Cannes Soundtrack Award. 2016 film
Zoology by
Ivan I. Tverdovsky won the Special Jury Award at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2017,
Andrey Zvyagintsev's
Loveless was entered in the
2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it won
Jury Prize and nominated on
BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language,
Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the
90th Academy Awards, and five nominations,including Best Film, and won two
European Film Awards, including
Best Cinematographer for Krichman, as well as the
César Award for Best Foreign Film. 2017
science fiction action film Attraction directed and produced by
Fyodor Bondarchuk became a box office hit, grossing more than 1 billion rubles and becoming the highest-grossing
Russian sci-fi movie. A
sequel,
Invasion, premiered on New Year's Day 2020, grossed less than predecessor. The 2017 sports drama
Going Vertical by Anton Megerdichev is the highest grossing domestic film of the 2010s. It also became the highest-grossing Russian film in China, where it grossed () which brought the film's worldwide gross to $66.3 million.
Walt Disney produced Slavic fantasy film
Last Knight directed by
Dmitry Dyachenko was a success at the box-office in 2017, earning $30 million. The film was followed by two sequels in 2021;
The Last Warrior: Root of Evil and
The Last Warrior: A Messenger of Darkness.
Arrhythmia by director
Boris Khlebnikov received the
Best Actor Award at the 2017
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Matilda by
Aleksei Uchitel about the relationship between ballerina
Matilda Kshesinskaya and
Nicholas II caused controversy amongst monarchist and Orthodox authorities and public in 2017.
Maryus Vaysberg is a film director mainly working in the comedy genre. He is one of the most commercially successful directors of Russia. His 2017 film
Naughty Grandma was a box office success and the most successful Russian film in 2017. Many of his films starred future president of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ''
Anna's War'' by
Aleksey Fedorchenko premiered at the
Rotterdam Film Festival in 2018. The film won the
Golden Eagle Award in the Best Film category. Fedorchenko won the award for Best Director.
Jumpman is a 2018
drama film directed and written by
Ivan I. Tverdovskiy won the Special Jury Mention at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2018
The Man Who Surprised Everyone directed by Aleksey Chupov and
Natasha Merkulova won Best Actress Award the Horizons (Orizzonti) section of the
75th Venice International Film Festival.
Ice is a 2018 Russian
musical romantic drama sports film directed by Oleg Trofim and produced by
Fyodor Bondarchuk, is the most profitable domestic film in 2018 and one of the most profitable domestic film in the history of Russian box office, having managed to earn more than 26.4 million dollars on a comparatively modest budget of $2 million. A sequel,
Ice 2, directed by
Zhora Kryzhovnikov, like its predecessor, became a blockbuster, grossed 193.7 million
rubles on opening day, making it the highest-grossing Russian film on opening Day and grossed over 1.4 billion
rubles in total and was nominated on
Golden Rooster Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2019
Acid, directed by
Alexander Gorchilin was screened in Panorama section at the
69th Berlin International Film Festival.
Drama film Beanpole by
Kantemir Balagov and
drama film Once in Trubchevsk by Larissa Sadilova selected in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
2019 Cannes Film Festival where
Beanpole won the Best Director Award and
FIPRESCI Prize. The previous Balagov's film
Closeness also selected to compete in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
2017 Cannes Film Festival and won the
FIPRESCI Prize.
Sin is a Russian-Italian biographical drama film about the life of the famous sculptor and painter of the Renaissance,
Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence, in the early 16th century, written and directed by
Andrei Konchalovsky, released in October 2019. ''
Why Don't You Just Die!'' is a 2018 Russian
dark comedy thriller film directed by Kirill Sokolov and starring
Aleksandr Kuznetsov, Vitaly Khaev,
Evgeniya Kregzhde and
Yelena Shevchenko. 2019 comedy film
Serf directed by
Klim Shipenko and starring
Miloš Biković set new domestic box-office records. It grossed $42.4 million against a budget of $2.6 million. The same year Shipenko directed the psychological thriller
Text starring
Alexander Petrov, which was also a success at the box-office and received a
Nika and multiple
Golden Eagle awards. In the following years many Russian films have gotten wide releases in China, and there has been an increased number of planned Russo-Chinese co-productions. A few of the films produced by Russia and China are
Viy,
Viy 2: Journey to China starring
Jackie Chan and
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
The Snow Queen 3: Fire and Ice and
Quackerz.
2020s Dau, the first film of the controversial
DAU project by director
Ilya Khrzhanovsky, which was initially conceived as a biopic of Soviet scientist
Lev Landau, premiered in 2019 in Paris.
DAU. Natasha and
DAU.Degeneration premiered at the
70th Berlin International Film Festival there first won the Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography. The rest of the films were released on VOD through the official DAU website in 2020. War drama
Persian Lessons by
Vadim Perelman premiered at the
70th Berlin International Film Festival . In 2020
Conference directed by
Ivan Tverdovskiy and
The Whaler Boy directed by
Philipp Yuryev was screened at the
Giornate degli Autori section at the
77th Venice International Film Festival, where last won Best Film Award of this section. At the
77th Venice International Film Festival,
Dear Comrades! directed by
Andrei Konchalovsky telling the story of the
Novocherkassk massacre, won the
Special Jury Prize. The film also received a nomination for
BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
Sputnik is a 2020 Russian
science-fiction horror film directed by Egor Abramenko in his feature
directorial debut. It stars
Oksana Akinshina as a young doctor who is recruited by the Soviet military to assess a
cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and returned to Earth with a dangerous organism living inside him. Historic romance film
The Silver Skates, by
Michael Lockshin in his directorial debut, was chosen as the opening film of the 42nd
Moscow International Film Festival, where it premiered on October 1, 2020. The rights to the film were acquired by
Netflix on June 16, 2021.
The Silver Skates is the first Russian film to be released on the platform in the Netflix Originals category.
Yakut language drama
Scarecrow by Dmitry Davydov won the main prize at the 2020
Kinotavr film festival . Yakut films, also nicknamed "Sakhawood", have been steadily gaining popularity in Russia.
Comedy drama House Arrest by
Aleksey German Jr. and
Ossetian language drama
Unclenching the Fists by
Kira Kovalenko was selected to compete in the
Un Certain Regard section at the
2021 Cannes Film Festival there
Unclenching the Fists won
Un Certain Regard Award.
The Last Darling Bulgaria by
Aleksey Fedorchenko premiered at the 2021
Moscow International Film Festival. Historical war drama film
Ivan Denisovich by veteran director
Gleb Panfilov premiered at the
2021 Locarno Film Festival . The film based on
the novel by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn starred
Filipp Yankovsky in the main role. In 2021 WWII action film
The Red Ghost by Andrei Bogatyrev was released in Russian cinemas. 2021 film
Gerda about a young striptease dancer by director Natalya Kudryashova premiered at the
74th Locarno Film Festival where it received the
Best Actress Award and the special prize from the youth jury of the festival.
Natalya Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov's film
Captain Volkonogov Escaped (2021), set during the
Great Purge, was screened at the
78th Venice International Film Festival. ''
Mama, I'm Home'' directed by
Vladimir Bitokov was included into the Orizzonti Extra program at the same Festival. Surrealistic satire ''
Petrov's Flu by Kirill Serebrennikov were screened at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, there won Vulcan Award for cinematography. Finnish-Russian co-production Compartment No. 6'' by
Juho Kuosmanen was also part of the program and it won the
Grand Prix of the festival. Apocalyptic drama
Quarantine directed by
Diana Ringo and starring
Anatoliy Beliy, co-produced by Finland and Russia, was an official non-English language
Golden Globes 2022 entry.
The Execution is a 2021 Russian
mystery thriller film and directorial debut by
Lado Kvataniya. It premiered at the 2021
Fantastic Fest and theatrically released in Russia on April 21, 2022. ''
Tchaikovsky's Wife'' by
Kirill Serebrennikov was included in the competition program of
2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Convenience Store by Mikhail Borodin, about Uzbeki immigrants working illegally in Moscow, premiered at the
72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
Fairytale is a 2022
experimental adult animated fantasy film directed by
Alexander Sokurov premiered at the
75th Locarno Film Festival.
The Cage is Looking for a Bird directed by Malika Musaeva was screened on Encountes section at the
73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Live-action/animated children's film
Cheburashka set the record as the highest-grossing Russian film of all time in 2023. The film grossed $94.5 million at the box-office. In 2023 the first movie shot in space was released,
The Challenge directed by
Klim Shipenko, starring
Yulia Peresild. The film was a box-office success, grossing $21.5 million at the Russian box-office. In November 2023 the sci-fi film
1984 by
Diana Ringo was released. It is the first Russian-language adaptation of
George Orwell's novel of the same name. It is dedicated to the writer's 120th birth anniversary. American film
Anora starring Russian actors won the
Palme d'Or at the
77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. Internationally produced Russian-language drama
Two Prosecutors directed by
Sergei Loznitsa, starring
Aleksandr Kuznetsov and
Anatoliy Beliy, premiered at the
78th Cannes Film Festival in 2025 in competition.
2022 boycott The
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has impacted Russian cinema. The
Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Berlinale, Cannes, Venice, and the
Toronto Film Festival banned official Russian delegations. The
European Film Awards and
Emmys banned Russian films outright.
FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films, translated as the International Federation of Film Producers Associations) paused the accreditation of the
Moscow International Film Festival and
Message to Man until further notice.
MIPTV in France won't allow "any Russian film and TV outfits" in 2022, and Russia has also been banned from the
Banff World Media Festival and
NATPE. Several major international film distributors, including
The Walt Disney Company,
Sony Pictures,
Paramount, and
Warner Bros stopped screening films in Russia; prior to the invasion, movies produced in the United States made up 70% of the Russian film market. Ukrainian film director
Sergei Loznitsa spoke out against banning Russian films. He said: "Among Russian filmmakers, there are people who have condemned the war, who oppose the regime and openly expressed their condemnation. And in a way they're victims of this whole conflict like the rest of us." And: "We must not judge people based on their passports. We can judge them on their acts." Dissident Russian film director
Kirill Serebrennikov also spoke out against the boycott. == Russian film production ==