Русский
Russia’s Minister of Culture, Olga Lyubimova has stated (March 13) that numerous Asian countries are interested in developing cinematography together with Russia and conducting joint film production, and that this will be fully supported by the government.
Lyubimova said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 that “We have joint production, and have formalized the possibility of joint production with many countries. We already cooperate with the CIS members, and now alongside Asian countries. Thailand, China and India are enthusiastic. In general, SCO and BRICS members are very active in developing cultural ties in film.”
Representatives of these countries actively participate in film festivals and present their projects, including at the Moscow International Film Festival, she said.
“This kind of communication and the possibility of joint production are extremely valuable, and we will fully support it. It is a task of the Russian state to give an additional incentive, additional opportunities to any joint project, to support it on both sides, to make a joint product, and to enjoy its results together,” Lyubimova said. Measures will be discussed to support joint production projects with other countries, she said, adding “We will support such films both financially and with resources, offering an opportunity to film and use particular locations.”
In terms of global revenues, in 2021, China reported the highest box office income worldwide, at approximately US$7.3 billion This is more than the revenues of the United States, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom combined. Russia placed sixth globally with revenues of US$600 million while India was seventh at US$500 million.
In terms of attendees, India placed first in 2022 with 981 million movie tickets sold, surpassing the combined ticket sales of China, the United States, Mexico, and Japan.
In 2023, Russia embarked on the first action movie to be filmed in space, with Actress Yulia Peresild, and the film director Klim Shipenko, both travelling to the International Space Station to film the movie “The Challenge”. The film was organised by the Russian space corporation Roscosmos and the public broadcaster Channel One, with an approximate budget of around ₽ 1.155 billion (US$12.5 million). Filming in orbit took place for nearly two weeks, with the film theatrically released on 20 April 2023. It collected more than ₽1 billion in the first two weeks and holds the record for the highest-grossing Russian film on its opening day.
