Many people came to the festival to “show off”. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
“I’m sorry, but you have a butterfly on your sleeve.”… – a boy in a snow-white shirt with a white collar, an earring in his ear and the hairdo of a Japanese cartoon hero touched my shoulder. And, it seemed, nothing else could make him turn to an unfamiliar adult. Of course, I saved the butterfly. But both the boy and his company of very funny (but stylishly) dressed teenagers had already lost interest in it and continued to chirp something in their own elvish language.
The “In the Family Circle” festival is perhaps the most amazing film forum. Every year, on the opening day, movie stars, bloggers, children of movie stars and bloggers, child bloggers, priests, representatives of folklore groups gather at the entrance to the red carpet…
The festival’s president, Alexander Kovtunets, had the pleasure of introducing the children bloggers. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
Two aquariums
In addition to a very serious competitive film program (20 feature films and 50 short films), the forum also awards prizes to millionaire bloggers who promote family values. And two worlds – film and TikTok – suddenly meet, communicate and stop considering each other as something alien. The “old men” of the film industry turn out to be far from boring, and it turns out that social media stars are not always empty and arrogant. I personally saw how the presenter of a popular youth channel crossed herself when passing by one of the many churches in Yaroslavl. It really is useful for different worlds to communicate. Although these meetings sometimes seem rather strange. Here, a man in a cap and a hero in chain mail, talking enthusiastically, almost bump into three divas in floor-length red dresses who are discussing something expensive. Here is a young man taking photos of strawberries on a plate with his phone, and behind him pass in turn Nonna Grishaeva, Fyodor Dobronravov and even Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk…
Yes, at first it seems that the inhabitants of the two aquariums are looking at each other. But suddenly it turns out that we only have one body of water.
The main star of the forum was Fyodor Dobronravov. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
“We’re talking about love!”
Of course, the main star of the forum is actor Fyodor Dobronravov. He comes to Yaroslavl every year and his smile alone makes people literally melt with joy. When he walked on the red carpet, the roar was incredible. Yes, indeed, the series “Matchmakers” is an example of family cinema.
“I couldn’t even imagine in my wildest dreams that I would become an artist,” thought Fyodor Viktorovich, looking at the journalists as if he were looking at his agitated grandchildren. – But it worked. How? Well, you have to ask God for it, not me.”
The beautiful Nonna Grishaeva brought to the festival a good film about the relationship between mother and daughter. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
Actress Nonna Grishaeva brought to the festival the film “About My Mother and About Me” based on the play by Elena Isaeva. The play, by the way, has been staged for many years at the Moscow Youth Theatre, whose artistic director is the star of “The Big Difference” and the films “Radio Day” and “Election Day”.
Alla Surikova has made many wonderful family films. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
“You turn on some federal channel and in the movies a mother takes her daughter away from her lover, or a daughter hates her mother, or something like that. But here, on the contrary, our film is about love and mutual help,” Nonna Grishaeva told reporters.
By the way, the actress had another important mission at the festival. She took part in the fashion show of the collection “The Russians Are Coming” and acted as a model.
Nikolai Bandurin held creative meetings at the forum. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
Without rose-colored glasses
Actor Vladimir Sychev did not come empty-handed either. The film starring him “In the Stream of Three Elements” will be released on big screens on July 25, but Yaroslavl spectators already had the opportunity to see it at the festival.
Vladimir Sychev brought a lot of joy to the audience. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
“My youngest daughter Masha acted in this film,” the actor said. – Last year, the eldest Anya appeared in the cinema, now the youngest. But no cronyism! She passed all the tests honestly. I only helped to record self-introductions. And she already understood that cinema is hard work, because she saw how the eldest came home from the shooting and fell exhausted into bed. If before they had rose-colored glasses when looking at the acting profession, now, of course, it is no longer like that.”
Denis Nikiforov appeared on the site as a guest of the festival. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
The film can be called a sports drama because it deals with a sport as complex as diving. However, sport is sport and the plot was fascinating.
“We need to remind people how important family communication is,” said Alexander Kovtunets, chairman of the national program “In the Family Circle.”
Alexander Samoilenko took an active part in the events of the forum. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
And it seems to have worked. Families of Yaroslavl residents ran along the embankment and collected garbage as part of the environmental protection campaign, families went to the cinema, took part in master classes in hand-to-hand combat and sang songs from their favourite films at karaoke. Families rescued animators dressed as bears (symbols of the festival) from overly playful children. For a few days, teenagers, at least for a short time, broke away from gadgets. It’s nice to visit “With the family” – I recommend it to everyone!
Actors of the Popovich Compound theatre-museum arrived on the red carpet with weapons. Photo: Gennady Avramenko
