The press service of Russia’s Ministry of Culture declined to accept an application for a distribution certificate for the television feature titled Bar One Call, a project featuring Danila Kozlovsky. TASS reported the development.
The ministry clarified that there was no submitted request for a distribution certificate for Bar One Call, which organizers plan to screen as part of the New Season festival program.
Kozlovsky’s brother and press spokesman, Yegor Kozlovsky, stated that he had no information about any such application being filed.
On September 11, the New Season press service indicated that Bar One Call did not receive a rental certificate and, as a result, was dropped from the festival lineup.
The series follows investigator Andrei, portrayed by Alexander Ilyin, as he pursues Vitya, the young son of his comatose wife. The boy’s last known location is the Tek Call bar, a venue that appears in different settings each time it is depicted, complicating the search.
The bar scene is led by a local bartender played by Kozlovsky, who invites patrons to explore other realms and to pay by risking their lives in a game of Russian roulette, creating a perilous atmosphere for the narrative.
The cast also includes Maxim Vitorgan, Oksana Akinshina, Polina Aug, Egor Ship, Kai Getz, Serafima Goshchanskaya, Marina Vorozhishcheva, Oleg Ryazantsev, Artem Osipov, and additional performers.
The New Season festival is scheduled to run from September 7 to 12 in the resort town of Rosa Khutor near Sochi. During the event, major streaming and distribution platforms in Russia, including Start, Kion, Okko, Kinopoisk, Premier, Ivi, and Wink, will showcase premier content for the 2023-2024 season.
Earlier, a separate entertainment affair involving comedian Azamat Musagaliev saw requests to cancel concerts held in Kazakhstan, reflecting broader regional considerations around cultural programming at the time.