By Tatiana Pastukhova
18th International Listapad-2011 Film Festival shall take place from 5th-12th November and the preparatory work is underway. Representatives of the Festival’s organising committee have visited leading European film events to gain experience and to help them decide how best to promote this major Belarusian film forum and how to select films. Among them was the 2nd Film Festival of Young European Cinema — 3D VOICES (held in Russian Vologda), the 2nd International Film Forum (St. Petersburg), the 8th annual Golden Apricot International Film Festival (Armenia, Yerevan), the 61st Berlin International Berlinale Film Festival and international film events in Lithuania and Sweden.
The 64th Cannes Film Festival recently featured the first ever Belarusian national pavilion and Belarusian films are to be shown at the 19th International Actors’ Festival Sozvezdie (Constellation) held at Russian Kostroma, at the 14th Berdyansk International Film Festival in Ukraine and at the 20th Open Film Festival of CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — Kinoshock (Anapa, Russia).
Belarus’ Culture Ministry has formed a Listapad directorate to ensure preparations go smoothly, while fulfilling obligatory conditions for accreditation by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations — FIAPF (the present accreditation is valid for a two year period).
The FIAPF has already accredited 52 festivals and Listapad’s new status will enable it (after a two year trial) to join the most prestigious international film forums, such as those in Berlin, Cannes, Venice and San Sebastian.
