Russian Documentary Film Festival kicks off in New York

Now in its seventh year, the annual Russian Documentary Film Festival in New York, is kicking off today in Manhattan, with around 20 documentaries receiving their American premieres over the three-day event. Exploring Russian history and contemporary society, the line-up features films made by Russian, American and Russian-speaking diaspora directors.

Organised by The New Review, a New York-based literary journal from the city’s Russian-speaking diaspora, the festival will hold a series of special programme of events spanning a range of topics, including Russian literature, the Siege of Leningrad and the Holocaust.

Among the jury will be a number of well-known 20th century Russian cultural figures, including conceptual artist Vitaly Komar and film-director Lucy Kostelanetz.

The festival will run until 12 October 2014.