Disney Launches Production of its First Movie in Russia

Disney Launches Production of its First Movie in Russia

BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walt Disney Company CIS has joined forces with some of Russia's top filmmaking talents for their first Russian produced feature, "The Book of Masters." The film started shooting in September 2008 outside Minsk. Upon completion of the first stage of shooting, production will then move on to the Mosfilm Studio stages.

Nikita Mikhalkov's Three T Studio is the production company. Three T Studio is known for movies like "12" (Golden Lion award at the 2007 Venice Film Festival; Golden Eagle award for 2008 Best Film of the Year from the National Academy of Cinematographic Sciences and Arts; and an Oscar nomination for 2008 Best Foreign Language Film), "The Councilor of State", "Barber of Siberia", "Burnt by the Sun" (Grand Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award for 1995 Best Foreign Film), "Urga" (Golden Lion award at the 1991 Venice Film Festival, and an Oscar nomination for 1992 Best Foreign Language Film).

"The Book of Masters" is being directed by Vadim Sokolovsky, who is known for such television projects as "An Occasional Fellow-traveler", "The Ticket to the Harem" and "Ambulance-2". In 2007, Sokolovsky's "The Ticket to the Harem" series was nominated for the Golden Eagle National Cinematography Award. The director also gained invaluable experience during the time he worked with major Hollywood studios when he had the opportunity to collaborate with Steven Spielberg. Presently, Sokolovsky is the local production and acquisitions director for The Walt Disney Company CIS.

"We are very happy that the first Russian Disney movie starring famous Russian actors will be adapted from Russian fairy-tales we all know from childhood," said Marina Jigalova-Ozkan, managing director of The Walt Disney Company CIS. "'The Book of Masters' is targeted to a family audience. This is a light-hearted comedy adventure told with love and self-deprecating humor, continuing the Disney spirit and traditions. We hope that both children and adults will enjoy the adventures of our characters. We're honored and thrilled to be working with Three T Studio and their talented team to create an exceptional movie in the Russian language that is culturally relevant for the avid movie-going audiences in Russia."

Jason Reed, general manager of Walt Disney Studios International Production, said, "The credit goes to our team in Russia. Because of Marina Jigalova-Ozkan's strong leadership and the hard work of her team, our first Russian language production fully delivers on the goals of our mission internationally: we are working with a legendary cast, a great director, one of the premier production companies in the world, and perhaps most importantly we have a wonderful story which will be a strong addition to the Disney tradition."

"We are glad to render production services and to be working with The Walt Disney Company CIS on the first Disney movie to be produced in Russia," said Leonid Vereshyagin, general director of the Three T Studio LLC and producer of the movie. "We are extremely encouraged that the Disney Company, known throughout the world for its film versions of immortal stories, aims to revive the feature-film fairy-tale genre in Russia."

Commenting on the announcement, Vadim Sokolovsky, director and co-author of the screenplay, said, "I have always longed to shoot a modern film adaptation of a kind-hearted fairy-tale. I am thrilled to have this opportunity in the first Disney project".

"The Book of Masters" stars several generations of well-known and much loved actors including some talented young stars. The film's cast includes: Leonid Kuravlyov, Valentin Gaft, Irina Apeksimova, Olga Arosjeva, Mikhail Efremov, Gosha Kutsenko, Artur Smolyaninov, and two large-screen debutants. The featured actors are Maria Andreyeva, a Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre actress, and Maxim Loktionov, student of the Drama Department of the L.V. Sobinov State Conservatory at Saratov.

"The Book of Masters" Russian premiere is scheduled for fall 2009.

About The Walt Disney Company CIS

The Walt Disney Company CIS LLC, subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, has been established in Russia in April 2006. Marina Jigalova-Ozkan is Managing Director for The Walt Disney Company CIS. Currently the Company's business activities in Russia and CIS comprise the following directions: films and DVDs distribution, TV content licensing, licensing Disney Consumer Products such as Toys, Home, Stationery, Food, Health & Beauty, Clothing categories, production and distribution of PC and console games as well as mobile and Internet content, publishing of books and magazines for children.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of more than $35.5 billion in its last fiscal year, and an equity market capitalization of more than $62 billion as of September 12, 2008.

About Walt Disney Studios International Production

Walt Disney Studios International Production is the production entity for The Walt Disney Studios that is responsible for creating original motion pictures in local languages for the international marketplace. Productions to date include the 2007 critically acclaimed and award-winning Chinese film, "The Magic Gourd," the animated feature, "Roadside Romeo," to be released in India and other territories, and the upcoming Russian feature film, "The Book of Masters," based on classic fairy tales from that country.

About "Three T Studio" Productions

Three T Productions was founded in 1989, soon after the start of perestroika, by the prominent Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov. The three T's in the company's name stand in Russian for Creativity, Comradeship and Labor. Since that time Three T Productions has become one of the major independent film production companies in Russia.

The company majors in the feature film production, and its films, directed and produced by Nikita Mikhalkov are extremely popular in Russia and widely acclaimed by the international audience. "Close to Eden (Urga)" (1991) was awarded the Golden Lion at 1991 Venice Film Festival and European Film Award in 1993. "Burnt By the Sun" (1994) has won the Grand Prize of the Jury at 1994 Cannes Film Festival and Academy Award in 1995 as the Best Foreign Language Film. "The Barber of Siberia" (1998) was opening the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, and still holds the all-time box office record in Russia. "12" (2007) won the Special Lion for Overall Work at 2007 Venice Film Festival and was nominated for Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film. All of these films were awarded, in respective years, the Russian State Prize in Literature and Arts.

Three T Productions produces films by other Russian directors as well. During the last years the company has started production of TV series for Russian Television, mostly for ORT, Channel 1, and is quite successful in this area.

Source: Walt Disney Studios

CONTACT: Heidi Trotta of The Walt Disney Studios, +1-818-560-7280,
heidi.trotta@disney.com

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