Russian Standard Vodka is Premiere Sponsor of Landmark Russian Film Event in U.S.

Russian Standard Vodka is Premiere Sponsor of Landmark Russian Film Event in U.S.

One-of-a-Kind Film Showcase Entitled "ENVISIONING RUSSIA: A Century of Filmmaking"

Marks 100 Years of Russian Film Making

NEW YORK, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Russian Standard Vodka, the number one premium vodka in Russia, today announced that it is the exclusive sponsor of "ENVISIONING RUSSIA: A Century of Filmmaking," the most significant and comprehensive Russian film showcase to take place in the United States. The three-week film event, running from January 25th through February 14th at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, will present a one-of-a-kind selection of Russian film masterworks, past and present.

The opening night event includes a VIP cocktail event drawing guests from Moscow including Sergey Lazaruk, Russian Minister of Cinema, Karen Shakhnazarov, prominent Russian film director and head of Mosfilm Studio-the most important film production company in Russia, and H.E. Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.

"Russian Standard is honored to sponsor the most comprehensive collection of Russian film ever exhibited in the U.S., reflecting our commitment to bringing Russian culture to people around the world," said Drew Beaver, Director of Marketing for Russian Standard Vodka.

"We are delighted to partner with such an iconic Russian brand in showcasing this very unique program of Russian film and culture," said Alla Verlotsky, President of Seagull Films, one of the film festival's presenting organizations.

ENVISIONING RUSSIA will begin the afternoon of Friday, January 25th with the New York premiere of Jolly Fellows (1934). The opening night film, entitled The New Moscow (1938), is a rarely screened Aleksandr Medvedkin film and a provocative combustion of country comedy, romance and science fiction that both visualizes and criticizes an impossible Stalinist future.

Marking the 100-year anniversary of professional Russian film production, ENVISIONING RUSSIA will explore:

-- The full range of work from Mosfilm, the largest and most influential
film studio in Russia today.

-- The nation's inestimable contributions to film history, including
screenings of several groundbreaking films by some of Russia's most
noteworthy directors, including, Sergei Eisenstein, Mikhail Kalatozov,
Andrei Konchalovsky, Akira Kurosawa, Mikhail Romm, Larisa Shepitko and
Andrei Tarkovsky.

-- A unique look at Russian cinema's expansive range of style through
historic musicals and popular "Red Westerns," action-adventure yarns
set in the untamed wilds of Central Asia.

-- Several contemporary Russian films including Aleksandr Sokurov's
Alexandra and Sokurov's 2006 film Elegy of Life.

-- Acclaimed directors Aleksei Balabanov and Vera Storozheva are also
featured in the series with special premieres of their new films.

"ENVISIONING RUSSIA: A Century of Filmmaking" is presented by Seagull Films and the film Society of Lincoln Center in cooperation with Concern Mosfilm. The series is sponsored by Russian Standard Vodka. Major support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. Filmmakers' travel is generously supported by the Trust of Mutual Understanding. Special thanks to Karen Shakhnazarov.

For a full listing of films and ticket information, please visit http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/russian08.html.

About Russian Standard Vodka:

Russian Standard Vodka is the global leader in authentic Russian premium vodka. The Russian Standard vodka portfolio dominates the premium segment in Russia with a 60 percent market share and sales of over 1.3 million cases per year in Russia and 40 export markets across Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Roustam Tariko, the founder of Russian Standard, introduced Russian Standard Original in 1998 as the first authentic Russian premium vodka. Russian Standard vodkas are made with only the finest Russian ingredients, uniquely conforming to the formula for vodka established in 1894 by famed Russian scientist Dimitri Mendeleev for Russia's Czars. Two years after launch, sales of Russian Standard Original surpassed all imported premium vodkas on the Russian market, leading to broad international expansion and the launch of Russian Standard Platinum in 2001, and Imperia Vodka, the company's luxury brand, in 2004.

http://www.russianstandard.com/

About the Film Society of Lincoln Center:

The Film Society of Lincoln Center was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international cinema, to recognize and support new directors, and to enhance the awareness, accessibility and understanding of film. Advancing this mandate today, the Film Society hosts two distinguished festivals: the New York Film Festival, which annually premieres the best films from around the world and has introduced likes of Francois Truffaut, R.W. Fassbinder, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodovar, Martin Scorsese, and Wong Kar-Wai to the United States, and New Directors/New Films, co-presented by the Museum of Modern Art, which focuses on emerging film talents. Since 1972 when the Film Society honored Charles Chaplin, the annual Gala Tribute celebrates an actor, filmmaker or industry leader who has helped distinguish cinema as an art form. Additionally, the Film Society presents a year-round calendar of programming at its Walter Reade Theater and offers insightful film writing to a worldwide audience through Film Comment magazine. http://www.filmlinc.com/

About Seagull Films:

Seagull Films is the only company in North America solely dedicated to programming, promotion and distribution of art, independent and innovative cinema from contemporary Russia and the former Soviet Union. Seagull Films' mission is to provide international audiences and film professionals with the rare opportunity to discover inspirational Russian film works presented in the most optimal viewing experiences on the big screen. http://www.seagullfilms.com/

About Mosfilm:

Established as the first state film factory, Mosfilm became the largest and most productive film studio during the Soviet era, which remains Russia's most important film institution even today. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein to the Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production Dersu Uzala and the epic, Oscar-winning War and Peace. (http://www.mosfilm.ru/).

Source: Russian Standard Vodka

CONTACT: Kate Finn, of Abernathy MacGregor, +1-212-371-5999,
kkf@abmac.com

Web site:

http://www.russianstandard.com/
http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/russian08.html
http://www.filmlinc.com/
http://www.seagullfilms.com/
http://www.mosfilm.ru/

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