Kinotavr


Kinotavr, also known as the Sochi Open Russian Film Festival is an open film festival held in the resort city of Sochi, Russia annually in June since 1991. In 1994-2005 consisted of two parts: the Open Russian Film Festival and the International Film Festival. Now it is the largest national film festival in Russia. There is a second film festival, known as Sochi International Film Festival and Awards.
The word Kinotavr is a portmanteau of "Cinema" and "...taur".

History

The history of the festival can be traced back to the Soviet era when in 1990 :ru:Рудинштейн,_Марк_Григорьевич|Mark Rudinstein organized his “Festival of Un-bought Cinema” in Podolsk, Moscow Region. It was an attempt to support national film production and distribution in the time of social, political and economic turmoil in the USSR when film financing was reduced and national distribution network had collapsed.
In 1991 the festival got its nowadays name “Kinotavr” and was relocated to Sochi.
In 1994 it already consisted of two parts: the Open Russian Film Festival and the International Film Festival, registered with the International Federation of Associations of Film Producers.
In 2005 “Kinotavr” brand was bought by Alexander Rodnyansky, the management switched its focus onto national market and IFF part was stopped. Kinotavr now was aimed at becoming “a powerful mechanism in the development of a film industry” in Russia and then also continued to make "emphasis on international promotion of Russian product”.
That change also gave the festival permanent programmer Sitora Alieva an opportunity to "play down the rivalry between Kinotavr and the Moscow Film Festival, also held in June".

Awards

Over the history the following prizes have also been awarded:

Grand Prize