First Arctic Open International Film Festival to take place in Arkhangelsk

The first Arctic Open International Film Festival will take place in three Pomorye cities on December 7-9: Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk and Novodvinsk will screen 52 movies chosen from 250 entries from Russia, Canada, Finland, Norway, the US and other countries. The main selection criteria were the artistic value and relevance of a movie and its portrayal of current issues that people care about, according to the festival's management.

Arctic Open will present works shot both by masters — winners of Russian and foreign festivals — and novice directors to the audience and the jury. More than 40 directors, producers and actors from all over the world are going to visit Arkhangelsk. The festival will open with "River is Nothing," a movie shot in Arkhangelsk about a talented girl living in a Pomorye village.

Chinese moviemakers will take part in the non-competition program, together with movies "WWI," "How Victor the Garlic Took Alexey the Stud to a Nursing Home" and "Furious." The festival will close with a movie shot by Norwegian documentary makers, "Karenina and I."

The full program, trailers and movie notes as well as news about the first Arctic Open International Film Festival are available on the website of the festival's organizer, the Bereginya Pomorye Cultural Foundation.