The New Horizon Film Festival was founded in 2007 by a group of students from the Voronezh State Architecture and Building University (now part of the Voronezh State Technical University). They wanted to create a non-profit film event for talented emerging filmmakers from Voronezh and neighboring cities and towns who can’t imagine their lives without cinema. The inaugural festival screened about 50 works. The following year, the event went international.
The main organizers of the New Horizon Film Festival are the Department of Education, Science and Youth Policy of Voronezh Oblast, the Voronezh State Technical University, the Youth Government of Voronezh Oblast, the Regional Youth Center, and the Center for Youth Initiatives.
The festival hosts a film competition for young and talented filmmakers. It is open to authors of feature films, documentaries, music videos and animation films no longer than 30 minutes, aged 12 to 35. Films in languages other than Russian must have Russian subtitles. The winners are selected by a professional jury consisting of film industry professionals, education and culture professionals, and public figures.
The winners are selected in the following categories: Best Film (Grand Prix), Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Work of the Artist, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, S. N. Penzin Award, Best Documentary, Best Animation Film, Best Foreign Film, Best Children’s Film (made by children or for children), Audience Choice Award. Special categories include Best Poster, Best Music Video, Best Comedy, Best Patriotic Film, and others.
Alongside competition screenings, the festival program includes the opening and closing ceremonies, workshops, meet-the-artist events, and other film-related events and activities. The festival team also organizes year-round activities such as Cinema Club, Cinema Battle, Cinema Quest and Cinema School.
Photo: geometria.ru
