Industry program of the 10th Anniversary «Golden Raven» Arctic International Film Festival
April 09, 2026
The 10th anniversary "Golden Raven" Arctic International Film Festival, held in Anadyr from March 30 to April 5, is concluding its Industry Program. During these days, the capital of Chukotka became a hub for professional dialogue on the future of the Far Eastern film industry, regional film production development, international cooperation, distribution, film commission operations, educational projects, and the implementation of new technologies. Dozens of experts and specialists from Russia and abroad traveled to Anadyr to share their experience through masterclasses, an international film lab, and the festival’s strategic session.
The strategic session, titled "Cultural Dialogue in the Arctic: Cinema as a Driver for Creative Industries and International Cooperation" featured a distinguished panel:
"Within the 'Golden Raven' industry platform, we always aim not only to discuss the festival's own development path but also to listen to our guests. We believe they can share vital experience regarding industry growth, regional film commissions, and international cooperation potential. We are still reflecting on the journey of 'Golden Raven,' which in ten years has evolved from a small event into a significant and interesting festival for many. It is flexible, cozy, and 'boutique' in a way. It is about cinema, the audience, and dialogue," noted Philipp Abryutin.
Oksana Lakhno expanded on the festival's evolution. Starting in 2016 with only the "KinoRising" program, it established the first Chukotka film festival "Golden Raven" in 2017, and gained international status in 2018. This year, for the first time, a full-length animation section was added to the traditional feature and documentary competitions.
"Our festival actually works year-round. It is more than just the competition screenings currently held at the Polyarny Cinema. Next week, the cultural program continues for Chukotka residents with plays, concerts, and screenings. We organize a major 'Golden Raven Film Marathon' that lasts six months and spans the entire Russian Federation. Moreover, this year we expanded internationally, screening films in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, with plans for Turkey, Serbia, and Argentina. Currently, we have 79,000 offline viewers, and we are actively developing our online presence—last year’s industry program reached 2 million viewers online," emphasized Oksana Lakhno.
She also highlighted the work with youth. The festival hosts an animation lab under the supervision of Soyuzmultfilmmentors, a documentary lab, and a screenwriting lab, which resulted in the short film Atasikun. All Together, screened during this 10th edition.
Ekaterina Kuznetsova of the Chukotka Department of Culture and Tourism expressed interest in adopting the experience of film commissions from other Russian regions to develop local creative industries. "We are interested in integrating regional components into animation to create ethnographic stories that introduce our unique culture to a wide audience. We also want to develop documentary films about Chukotka's popular locations to boost event tourism, and discuss topics like rebates, logistics, and infrastructure," she noted.
Irina Belova (Krasnoyarsk Regional State Budgetary Institution of Culture "Yenisey Cinema" shared the successful experience of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where a 10-million-ruble grant for documentaries has existed since 2014, and 50 million rubles are allocated for film rebates. In 2025 alone, film production brought 186 million rubles into the region's economy. Similarly, Elena Kutsenko discussed the Crimea Film Commission's efforts, emphasizing that beyond assisting Moscow-based crews, regions must revive their own production—a sentiment echoed by Philipp Abryutin.
Qiao Liang, a Chinese filmmaker, highlighted the international appeal of Arctic locations: "Chinese directors have filmed in deserts and tropical forests, but never in the Arctic Circle. The vast landscapes of Chukotka are impossible to find in China. For a director, this is a find; for a producer, it’s an ace up the sleeve. When Hollywood films the Arctic, it's often a studio with a fan. Here in Chukotka, it is the real Arctic and real life."
He proposed three cooperation models:
"Cold weather is an advantage, not a problem, for Chinese producers," Qiao Liang concluded.
Liang Jiashan, Brand Director of the AI Film Institute (China), focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence. "AI is a lever for creativity, not a replacement for talent. It streamlines pre-production, visual effects, and sound design. Interestingly, the musical video introducing the competition films at our opening was made using AI, and it looked fantastic." She also noted AI's potential in dubbing, marketing analysis, and restoring Soviet classics.
Roman Isaev of the Association of Cinema Owners addressed distribution challenges, noting that while Hollywood’s absence created a "genre hunger" in Russia, there is a massive demand for "middle-ground" cinema—detectives and thrillers. He cited Yakutian cinema as a prime example of regional success (e.g., the film Karina grossing over 50 million rubles) and expressed confidence that Chukotka has a bright future in production if supported by administrative logistics.
The "Golden Raven" Arctic International Film Festival is organized by the "Golden Raven" Center for Development and Support of Cultural Projects and the "Youth Initiatives" Production Center, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Vladislav Kuznetsov, the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Government and Department of Culture and Tourism of Chukotka, "Okrkinovideoprokat" (Polyarny Cinema), and the Russian Filmmakers' Union.
The 10th anniversary "Golden Raven" Arctic International Film Festival, held in Anadyr from March 30 to April 5, is concluding its Industry Program. During these days, the capital of Chukotka became a hub for professional dialogue on the future of the Far Eastern film industry, regional film production development, international cooperation, distribution, film commission operations, educational projects, and the implementation of new technologies. Dozens of experts and specialists from Russia and abroad traveled to Anadyr to share their experience through masterclasses, an international film lab, and the festival’s strategic session.
The strategic session, titled "Cultural Dialogue in the Arctic: Cinema as a Driver for Creative Industries and International Cooperation" featured a distinguished panel:
- Philipp Abryutin, Artistic Director of the "Golden Raven" Festival;
- Oksana Lakhno, Leading Producer of the "Golden Raven" Festival;
- Ekaterina Kuznetsova, representative of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug;
- Irina Belova, General Director of " Krasnoyarsk Regional State Budgetary Institution of Culture «Yenisey Cinema», (Krasnoyarsk) and jury member of the "FilmRising!" competition;
- Elena Kutsenko, film historian, representative of the Crimea Film Commission, and jury member of the "FilmRising!" competition;
- Roman Isaev, representative of the Association of Cinema Owners;
- Liang Jiashan, Producer and Brand Director of the AI Film Institute (China), jury member of the short film competition;
- Qiao Liang, Chinese director, producer, and screenwriter, jury member of the feature film competition;
- Gülten Taranç, Turkish filmmaker and participant in the feature film competition.
- The session was moderated by Maria Tokmasheva, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian portal Kino-Teatr.Ru.
"Within the 'Golden Raven' industry platform, we always aim not only to discuss the festival's own development path but also to listen to our guests. We believe they can share vital experience regarding industry growth, regional film commissions, and international cooperation potential. We are still reflecting on the journey of 'Golden Raven,' which in ten years has evolved from a small event into a significant and interesting festival for many. It is flexible, cozy, and 'boutique' in a way. It is about cinema, the audience, and dialogue," noted Philipp Abryutin.
Oksana Lakhno expanded on the festival's evolution. Starting in 2016 with only the "KinoRising" program, it established the first Chukotka film festival "Golden Raven" in 2017, and gained international status in 2018. This year, for the first time, a full-length animation section was added to the traditional feature and documentary competitions.
"Our festival actually works year-round. It is more than just the competition screenings currently held at the Polyarny Cinema. Next week, the cultural program continues for Chukotka residents with plays, concerts, and screenings. We organize a major 'Golden Raven Film Marathon' that lasts six months and spans the entire Russian Federation. Moreover, this year we expanded internationally, screening films in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, with plans for Turkey, Serbia, and Argentina. Currently, we have 79,000 offline viewers, and we are actively developing our online presence—last year’s industry program reached 2 million viewers online," emphasized Oksana Lakhno.
She also highlighted the work with youth. The festival hosts an animation lab under the supervision of Soyuzmultfilmmentors, a documentary lab, and a screenwriting lab, which resulted in the short film Atasikun. All Together, screened during this 10th edition.
Ekaterina Kuznetsova of the Chukotka Department of Culture and Tourism expressed interest in adopting the experience of film commissions from other Russian regions to develop local creative industries. "We are interested in integrating regional components into animation to create ethnographic stories that introduce our unique culture to a wide audience. We also want to develop documentary films about Chukotka's popular locations to boost event tourism, and discuss topics like rebates, logistics, and infrastructure," she noted.
Irina Belova (Krasnoyarsk Regional State Budgetary Institution of Culture "Yenisey Cinema" shared the successful experience of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where a 10-million-ruble grant for documentaries has existed since 2014, and 50 million rubles are allocated for film rebates. In 2025 alone, film production brought 186 million rubles into the region's economy. Similarly, Elena Kutsenko discussed the Crimea Film Commission's efforts, emphasizing that beyond assisting Moscow-based crews, regions must revive their own production—a sentiment echoed by Philipp Abryutin.
Qiao Liang, a Chinese filmmaker, highlighted the international appeal of Arctic locations: "Chinese directors have filmed in deserts and tropical forests, but never in the Arctic Circle. The vast landscapes of Chukotka are impossible to find in China. For a director, this is a find; for a producer, it’s an ace up the sleeve. When Hollywood films the Arctic, it's often a studio with a fan. Here in Chukotka, it is the real Arctic and real life."
He proposed three cooperation models:
- Chinese funding and talent using Chukotka's locations and consulting.
- "Polar Report" format: Documentaries about Arctic indigenous peoples for the Chinese market.
- Mythology and Lifestyle: Using local legends for feature films and fantasy.
"Cold weather is an advantage, not a problem, for Chinese producers," Qiao Liang concluded.
Liang Jiashan, Brand Director of the AI Film Institute (China), focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence. "AI is a lever for creativity, not a replacement for talent. It streamlines pre-production, visual effects, and sound design. Interestingly, the musical video introducing the competition films at our opening was made using AI, and it looked fantastic." She also noted AI's potential in dubbing, marketing analysis, and restoring Soviet classics.
Roman Isaev of the Association of Cinema Owners addressed distribution challenges, noting that while Hollywood’s absence created a "genre hunger" in Russia, there is a massive demand for "middle-ground" cinema—detectives and thrillers. He cited Yakutian cinema as a prime example of regional success (e.g., the film Karina grossing over 50 million rubles) and expressed confidence that Chukotka has a bright future in production if supported by administrative logistics.
The "Golden Raven" Arctic International Film Festival is organized by the "Golden Raven" Center for Development and Support of Cultural Projects and the "Youth Initiatives" Production Center, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Vladislav Kuznetsov, the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Government and Department of Culture and Tourism of Chukotka, "Okrkinovideoprokat" (Polyarny Cinema), and the Russian Filmmakers' Union.