“The World Champion”, a Russian drama about the legendary chess duel, will be shown in Thailand

The historical film will open the Russian Film Festival, which will take place in Bangkok between February 21-22. The festival will also include the family film “A Dog Named Palma” and the animated film “Detective Chirp & the Golden Beehive”

The Russian Film Festival opens the new season of 2023 with screenings in Thailand. February 21-22, LIDO Connect movie theaters will show three Russian films to Thai audiences free of charge. Bangkok will be hosting the Russian Film Festival for the second time: in December of last year, it was hosted for the first time and was attended by more than a thousand viewers.

The event is organized by ROSKINO with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova: “We are ecstatic to, once again, present contemporary Russian films in Thailand. Cinematography has always been and always will be an integral part of international dialogue. Today, cultural cooperation with Thailand and Asian countries is at a new level of development. Thailand spends a lot of resources on promoting creative industries and we see a huge potential for joint projects. I am certain the Russian Film Festival will not only serve as a mechanism to introduce the Thai audience to Russian cinema but will also aid in furthering partnerships between the Russian and Thai film industries.”

On February 21, the Russian Film Festival will be opened with an epic sports drama from director Alexi Sidorov, “The World Champion” (produced by Nikita Mikhalkov’s TRITE Studio, from the channel “Russia 1”, Central Partnership, and with the support of the Cinema Fund). The film tells a story of the 1978 battle for the chess crown in the Philippines, between the defending champion, Anatoly Karpov, and the contender for the title – the grandmaster Victor Korchnoi, who emigrated from the USSR. In January 2023, the film was the winner of the prestigious Russian award the “Golden Eagle”, where it won in five categories, including: “Best Film”, “Best Producer” and “Best Male Role”.

On February 22, the audience will be presented with the film “A Dog Named Palma” and the children’s animation “Detective Chirp & the Golden Beehive”

“A Dog Named Palma”, director: Alexander Domogarov Jnr. – a family adventure film from “Mars Media”, “AMEDIA Production” and “Russia 1” channel, along with Okko Studios and the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Cinema Fund. This film is based on a true story. The plot centers around a German Shepherd named Palma, who is forced to part with her owner: he leaves abroad, but the loyal dog is left behind right on the landing strip. Every day, Palma greets arriving planes in the hopes that her owner will return. Nine-year-old Kolia is also new to the airport: he lost his mom and moved in with his dad, who is a pilot. Kolia barely knows his father. The dog becomes a kindred spirit and best friend to the young boy. The film “A Dog Named Palma” has already introduced itself to international audiences in several countries: it was shown in China and in Japan, where it became the most successful Russian film in the country over the past 20 years. The rights to the movie were sold to 20 different countries.

– “Detective Chirp & the Golden Beehive”, director: Grigori Vozjakin – a Russian animation film produced by “Souzmultfilm” and “Magic Factory”, based on the animated series “ The Secrets of Honey Hills”. The project combines two popular genres – a detective story and comedy. One of the novelties here is that this is the first animated film to be created completely on a video game engine,. The film was coproduced by the online movie theater Okko, with the support of Cinema Fund. A wise owl detective, Sophie, and her eager assistant, a squirrel named Chirp, undertake the investigation of a very peculiar case. The main heroes, their friends, and the citizens of the Honey Hills will have to battle a super villain to prevent the theft and destruction of the Golden Beehive artefact. Legend tells that this artefact controls the weather in the Hills…