“I already did a similar project in 2014. It was the All-Russian festival of short films “World Shorts”, where participants came from different regions. We held master classes and training for them, and at the end the guys already shot a film. That is, people who did not know each other before united into a team and had to shoot a film within five days. This year we decided to do something similar only for creative people from Bashkiria, since cinema is currently developing rapidly in the region, and we need a large number of new personnel. We need to increase the number of professionals. At the end of the training, the participants of the film campus will undergo practical training on a professional film set, which we will organize. We will shoot a short film with them based on the script of the one who wins among the students. One of the students of the “Directing” direction after the competitive selection will have the opportunity to shoot his film together with a team under the guidance of the production center “Karlugas” and the film studio “Bashkortostan”, – said Katrin Dushanbaeva.
The course participants will be selected in four areas: directing, producing, acting, and make-up. More than 300 people submitted applications. It was planned that 15 students would study in each course, but after the first casting, 19 were selected for directing. According to Katrina, the level of the selection participants was too high.
“Serious guys came: some write books, some studied at VGIK, some have already made films. On the first day, about 40 people came, of which only three had not yet tried themselves in film production, but they also have ready-made film scripts. Today we are selecting producers and in the corridor I met Ilnaz Mustafin – he already has more than five short films, and now he is entering the producing field, he understands that he needs to move on, but some knowledge is missing. It is nice that guys with interesting ideas come to us, they have prepared presentations, their level is high,” the casting director noted.
A correspondent from “RG” spied on how producers are selected. Everything is serious here: participants offer ready-made projects with an estimate to the examiners, having estimated how much money the filming will require. For example, electrician Yuri Petrov wants to make a documentary about labor dynasties for the 450th anniversary of Ufa. He estimated the costs for three days of filming at more than half a million rubles. He had to tell the selection committee what this amount was made up of. They asked really persistent questions, and the main one was: why do you need this?
“Working as an electrician is my bread and butter, and cinema is my soul,” says Yuri. Incidentally, he has already tried making documentaries, but of course, he lacks the knowledge and skills yet.
In the corridor, Ekaterina Demchenko was waiting for her turn, supported by her husband Andrey, who had already passed the casting for the director. The guys are engaged in commercial video production, they would like to improve their level.
“I am a journalist by profession, graduated from Moscow State University,” says Andrey. “I learned about the project completely by chance, came across a link from friends and decided to participate, because my wife and I dream of moving towards feature films. We are already filming a documentary. If we pass, we will have to devote 2-3 hours three times a week to studying. But we will do it with pleasure. Where else would there be an opportunity to get such an experience for free? At the end of the course, the participants must make a film – it is very interesting.”
Andrey and Ekaterina Dyachenko attend the casting together Photo: Gulnazira Ishberdina
Ekaterina supports her husband, saying that she has dreamed of working in film all her life and now she has the chance to try herself.
The course teachers are all well-known people in Bashkir cinema. One of them is Anastasia Askarova, who has been working as a producer for over 10 years. She will teach her students her knowledge in the field of screenwriting, acting, producing and directing.
“Personally, I am interested in the organizational skills of the participants, how they can draw up an estimate, a film budget. I myself have been doing this for more than 10 years, plus students come to our studio for practical training. We take 1-2 people, train them. Of course, first of all, we look for administrators, directors of films for our projects. There is a teaching methodology, we prepared, made a plan. We will focus on what I myself went through at the Nikita Mikhalkov Academy,” says Anastasia.
Director Ainur Askarov says he is ready to share everything he knows.
“Without false modesty, I consider myself one of the most advanced producers in the region, because Nastya and I know how to make films with and without money, we have a lot of life hacks. We have to try very hard to find someone who understands film production better than us. Maybe the Bashkortostan film studio. We want to grow assistants for ourselves, because making films alone is much more difficult. My goal in participating here is precisely this – to find comrades, colleagues and those who will help make films.”
Along the way, Ainur reported that in October there will be a pre-premiere screening of the film “City. Summer. Love”, filmed with a grant from the head of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The film consists of eight short stories from different directors, all of them about Ufa. There are also plans to make a film about children’s hockey.
Actor and deputy director of the Bashkortostan film studio Rustem Sultanguzin says that they need a change, so the film studio is taking an active part in the project.
“We are not eternal, we need a replacement – young, strong, tough, understanding, so I will be glad to be useful in promoting the professions of film production,” Rustem noted.
Yuri Petrov proposed to create a film about the labor dynasties of Ufa Photo: Gulnazira Ishberdina
He also spoke about the current work being done at the film studio. For example, the film “Victory Dance” is currently being shot about Ilnar Khatmullin, a dancer from the Sibay Philharmonic who died during the SVO (director Radik Kilmamatov). Films are also being shot about the people of Bashkortostan and about the aid for the SVO participants that residents and businesses are collecting.
“All our teachers are leaders in their profession, those who do projects not only on a national scale. For those who like to get to such a level, it is a great happiness,” says Katrin Dushanbaeva.
The teachers also include: film director, laureate of the Sh. Babich Literature and Art Prize, the Salavat Yulaev Republic of Bashkortostan Prize, member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, member of the Guild of Film Directors of the Russian Federation Bulat Yusupov, dean of the theater faculty, director of the G.G. Gilyazev Educational Theater, teacher of the department of directing and acting, head of the Prototyping Center “Performing Arts Center” of the Ufa State Institute of Arts named after Z. Ismagilov, film actor, director Ramzis Zaydullin, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, Bashkir ASSR, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Bashkortostan named after S. Yulaev, laureate of the STD RF Prize named after People’s Artist of the USSR M. Tsarev, professor of the department of directing and acting of the Ufa State Institute of Arts named after Z. Ismagilova Tansulpan Babicheva and others.
They all believe that the best result of the courses will be if its students come to work at the sites of Bashkir film studios.
By the way
The project is being implemented with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and the Ufa State Institute of Arts named after Z. Ismagilov.
Source: rg.ru
