Made in Russia program of the international festival of short film, shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival

The international festival of short films shnit was launched in 2003 in the Swiss city of Bern, and over the past fifteen years has grown into an event that takes place in seven cities on four continents, including Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Cairo, Cape Town, Moscow, and San Jose. The festival has now reached an audience of 40,000 people. This year’s winners of the international contest will be announced at a ceremony in New York on October 29, 2017.

Russia’s debut at schnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival took place in 2014, and in the same year, the national contest Made in Russia was launched for Russian films only. Over the past three years, the national jury has included film critics Anton Dolin and Anton Sazonov, directors Zhora Kryzhovnikov and Oksana Bychkova, actor Artur Smolyaninov, Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival pitching supervisor Anna Gudkova, producer Elena Glikman, Russian Television Academy TEFI President Alexander Akopov, and others.

19:30–21:30  Garage Auditorium

Made in Russia #2

19:30 Made in Russia #1 screenings begin
21:00 Q&A with production crews 

Seen

An embarrassing split-up scene in a restaurant in the evening. A sudden incident, however, completely changes the mood of the story.

Director Nadezhda Shmeleva. Russia, 2017
7 minutes

Steps

Rita lives in the Russian city of Kaliningrad but dreams of Italy. Her brother Max doesn’t wish to leave his motherland. He loves his city, and his girlfriend Natasha.

Director Ilya Sherstobitov. Russia, 2017
15 minutes

Milk

Just like a cheesy advertisement, an ideal family unit (dad, mom, son and grandpa) one day find a strange creature in their kitchen. How did it happen to get into their flat on the fourteenth floor?

Director Darya Vlasova. Russia, 2017
15 minutes

Suffer the Little Children

Based loosely on the Stephen King short story Suffer the Little Children, the film sees an elderly female teacher treating her pupils very strictly. One day, she notices there’s something odd going on with the kids…

Director Alexander Domogarov Jr. Russia, 2017
30 minutes

The Impasse

The relationship between Vadim and Sasha is in a prolonged crisis—dissatisfaction, spite, and irritation are all that’s left of it. The never-ending arguments between them aren’t even disrupted by a common tragedy. Their son Grisha runs away from their summer house after hearing about his mom and dad's impending divorce from his grandparents. The search for the boy brings the unhappy couple into the woods.

Director Anton Sazonov. Russia, 2017
13 minutes

Halves

Evgeny is being stalked by an unknown woman. Meanwhile, in three days he is going to marry…

Director Baibulat Batullin. Russia, 2016
18 minutes

The Exam

A young seminary student is taking an exam: he has to exorcise the demon from a possessed man.

Directors Alina Suarez Aguilera, Alena Baklanova. Russia, 2017
9 minutes

Q&A with the directors

Moderator:

Denis Ruzayev is a film critic, author of Lentee.ru. He has worked at Variety Russia and Time Out, published in Colta.ru and Openspace.ru, as well as the magazines Forbes, Russian Reporter, Interview, and the newspaper RBC Daily.

16:30–18:30  Garage Auditorium

Made in Russia #3

16:30 Made in Russia #2 screenings begin
18:00 Q&A with production crews

Geevarghese’s Fall in Love 

In an unnamed Arab country a worker is washing a glass roof on a skyscraper, while peeping at cute young women below him in the process.

Director Ruslan Bekshenov. Russia, 2016
6 minutes

Drawing Lessons for Adults 

Lyuba, 40, attends a drawing class for adults, where she meets 25-year-old Vera—a spontaneous acquaintance that conceals something very important.  

Director Lika Yatkovskaya. Russia, 2016
23 minutes

I Have a Brother 

Oleg has to constantly look after his younger mischievous brother Dima. But once Dima makes a terrible mistake, Oleg has to choose between love and hate towards his brother.

Director Maksim Kuznetsov. Russia, 2016
29 minutes

Football and Angels 

A boy who loves football asks God to make a girl named Lisa notice him. A girl works as an angel in a strip-club. One nasty evening they meet each other—to learn together, if miracles exist.

Director Aksinya Gog. Russia, 2016
15 minutes

Akado 

An equipment adjuster visits a rich Moscow couple in their home. A funny story full of music from the life of serial killers.

Director Kim Belov. Russia, 2017
7 minutes

The Sign 

The protagonists have lived comfortably in civil marriage for several years. However, their seemingly calm relationship hides unexpected secrets and anxieties.

Director Svetlana Samoshina. Russia, 2017
25 minutes

Q&A with the directors

Moderator:

Alisa Taezhnaya is a film critic, curator of film programs, author of texts in such publications as The Village, Wonderzine, Interview Russia, GQ, and Afisha. Lectures on contemporary cinema in the framework of educational programs at various venues in Moscow.