Russia Opens Applications For International Film Session

The Diamond Butterfly award brings together young filmmakers from around the world who focus on traditional values and cultural heritage

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The Russian Cultural Foundation has opened applications for an international film session for young filmmakers from countries which share Eurasian values.

The session, titled ‘Creativity Unites’ and held as part of Russia’s Diamond Butterfly award, will take place from October 19 to November 13 at Nikita Mikhalkov’s Academy of Cinematographic and Theatre Arts. It is open to filmmakers from Eurasian Film Academy member states and other countries and aims to support movies that reflect the spiritual and moral traditions, history, customs and cultures of participating nations.

Six masterclasses led by Russian filmmakers will help participants create three-minute projects and present them to the public. Ten participants will be chosen by an expert council from applications received until September 5. On September 15, the final list will be revealed.

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Russian Cultural Foundation Director General Elena Golovnina has described the session as an opportunity for a new generation of filmmakers to work with established professionals. She said organizers were looking for “sincere, humane stories” capable of “uniting people regardless of borders and languages.”

Director Nikita Mikhalkov, known for ‘Burt by the Sun’ and other movies, spearheaded the creation of the Eurasian Film Academy and the Diamond Butterfly award with support from Russia’s Culture Ministry and Foreign Ministry. Organizers say the initiative aims to foster cultural exchange and promote films reflecting both “national” and “universal spiritual and moral values.”

The Diamond Butterfly was launched in 2025 as an international alternative to major Western film awards. The inaugural ceremony was held in Moscow last November, with Chinese director Xu Zheng’s Upstream winning the top prize. The competition featured 34 films from 17 countries, including Russia, China, Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, South Africa, Venezuela and Cuba. The first ‘Creativity Unites’ session also brought together participants from multiple countries including Russia, China, India, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.