The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation has revised its expert councils overseeing feature films, documentaries, and animated works, alongside committees for children and youth cinema. The grant process for motion picture projects is managed by the film organizations that administer government funding, a shift noted by industry observers. In line with the ministry’s new orders, the leadership chains within video services boards have been streamlined, resulting in fewer senior managers occupying those seats and a broader distribution of responsibilities across the panels.
Several longtime board members were removed from the councils, including prominent directors, producers, and industry figures. The changes affected well-known names such as Alexei Fedorchenko, Alexei Uchitel, Vladimir Khotinenko, and producers Anton Zlatopolsky and Petr Anurov, among others. The reshuffle signals a broader recalibration of influence and a push to diversify the perspectives represented in the decision-making process for state-backed cinema projects.
Simultaneously, the composition of the councils has expanded in other directions. The council overseeing films for children and youth now includes a deputy from the State Duma, actor Dmitry Pevtsov, and two representatives from the Russian Orthodox Church. This expansion aligns with a broader trend toward incorporating varied social voices into the evaluation and selection processes for youth-oriented cinema, aiming to reflect a wide range of cultural and public interests within the state-supported film sector.
In a related development, producer Sergei Selyanov, who previously collaborated with director Alexei Balabanov, spoke candidly in a recent interview about public perception. He noted that many Russians still value the creative autonomy reflected in the works of influential authors and directors from earlier decades, suggesting that the enduring trust in the authorial viewpoint remains a potent force in shaping contemporary cinema. The conversation underscored ongoing debates about artistic independence, audience trust, and the role of state policy in guiding creative output while preserving artistic integrity and national cultural identity.