Russian Culture Ministry to subsidise screening of local films in small towns

The Russian Ministry of Culture has announced plans to subsidise the screening of domestic films in small towns across the country.

The Ministry currently subsidises the work of local filmmaking organisations, financing or reimbursing costs associated with the production, distribution and screening of films. The implementation of the new rules will see changes to the selection criteria for such organisations.

“[...] the rules contain new provisions, including subsidies for the creation of favourable conditions for the display of national films in settlements with a population smaller than 100,000 people,” read a report published on Saturday on the Russian government’s website.

The Ministry will also allocate money for audio description and subtitles for domestic films, if support for these features already forms part of the production or screening plans for a film.

2016 has been named “The Year of Cinema” in Russia, with extra financing to be allocated to the film sector from the state budget.

Source: Lenta and RIA Novosti (in Russian)