Johannesburg – ROSKINO, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, is organising the participation of Russian national films in the festival.
“This event is very significant for both states as, in 2025, we’re celebrating the 65th anniversary of reestablishing diplomatic relationships between Russia and Cuba,” ROSKINO explained in a statement made available to The Bulrushes.
The International Festival of New Latin American Cinema (MECLA – Open Island) has been held since 1979 under the guidance of the Cuban Institute of Cinematic Art and Industry (ICAIC) and is considered the most important film festival of the Spanish-speaking world.
This year, the festival will be held for the 46th time.
The Cuban audience can see the following Russian films:
Blood Type (2025, directed by M. Brius) real-events-based war drama about the heroism of young concentration camp inmates.
Light (2023, directed by A. Kolomeets) — a film that tells a story of female friendship that emerged and was broken back in the school years.
The film festival also includes the cinema market, where ROSKINO, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, has organised a national stand with the catalogue of Russian content.
“Russian film screenings traditionally receive a warm response from the audience in Cuba,” said Olga Lyubimova, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation.
“This demonstrates the strength of our cultural ties.
“The festival in Havana is not just a presentation of films, but a meeting of creative friends, communication on the language of art, and we intend to continue the film dialogue between our countries,”
Elza Antonova, the CEO of ROSKINO, said: “Our mission at such international platforms as Havana is to consecutively show the Russian cinema industry’s diversity and competitiveness.
“We’re bringing films to showcase various genres and production trends and prove that Russian cinema is a dynamic player in the global media market, ready for professional dialogue and new formats of cooperation.”
Russia and Cuba are united by profound traditions of cinematographic partnership.
“In recent years, our countries have regularly held alternating festivals. In particular, this spring Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod hosted the Cuban Film Festival, and in the summer, the Russian Film Festival was held in Cuba,” the statement said.
The events were organised by ROSKINO with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Moreover, in 2024, the bilateral cooperation agreement was signed between the State Film Fund of Russia and the Cuban Institute of Cinematic Art and Industry (ICAIC).
More details: www.roskino.org
