18 countries take part in Spirit of Fire debut festival

The international film festival was attended by filmmakers and film industry personalities from various countries including India, Iran, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Senegal and others. TV BRICS is the international media partner of the festival.

This year's competition programmes featured more than 40 films by emerging directors from Russia and countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The theme of the event was "The Special Language of National Cinematography".

Natalia Komarova, Governor of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, noted that the festival is a relevant platform for international cooperation in the film industry.

"The business agenda of our film festival is gaining momentum every year. Last year's guest country was India. And now we are dealing with a realised Russian-Indian joint project. This year, it's Iran. Iran's ambassador to Russia emphasised the importance of the country's participation in the event"

Natalia Komarova Governor of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Ugra

The first awards were given to the winners of the open microfilm competition, the theme of which this year was "Family Values".

The special prize was awarded to the project "Like Father and Son", directed by Bai Zhiqiang (China). The winner of the "Your Cinema" programme was the Indonesian film "Tegar" by Anggi Frisky.

Secretary General of the Franco-Chinese Association of New Cinema, Professor of the Academy of International Studies in New Delhi, Li Ge, noted that such events contribute to cooperation between the BRICS countries in the field of culture and cinema.

“The Spirit of Fire" film festival is another platform for dialogue between representatives of the film and television industry of the BRICS countries. <…> I hope that in the future, various film festivals in the BRICS region can have more opportunities for exchange and cooperation”

Li Ge Secretary General of the Franco-Chinese Association of New Cinema

The film "Abduction" by Karan Tejpal (India) was given special mention by the jury.

At the plenary session, Mrs Srishti, Second Secretary of the Embassy of India, spoke about the possible prospects for cooperation between Russia and India in the field of cinema.

"The festival grounds are very welcoming for young talent in the film industry. The unique national traditions of our countries are a great foundation for the development of ethnic cinema," Ms Srishti added.

The "Bronze Taiga" international competition prize for a debut film was awarded to Daniel Bandeira's "Property" (Brazil).

"The Spirit of Fire" film festival is Russia's largest international platform for the film debuts of emerging directors. The festival is held annually with the support of the government and personally the Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra Natalia Komarova. "The Spirit of Fire" is included in the programme of Russia's presidency in the BRICS association in 2024.