Open competition of feature film synopses «Arctic Cinema»

About

We invite Russian screenwriters and authors — both emerging and established — to participate in the open competition of feature film synopses*, «Arctic Cinema» (hereinafter referred to as the Competition) and to develop thematic film concepts that offer a unique and personal perspective on:

• the historical, cultural, and natural heritage of the Arctic;
• the development of the Northern Sea Route;
• the achievements of Russia’s Arctic regions.

The Competition is part of the international cultural and educational project «The Great Northern Campaign. The Arctic as Art» (hereinafter referred to as the Project), organized by the ANO «Arctic Initiatives Center» and dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the beginning of Russian exploration of the Northern Sea Route.

*A synopsis is a brief, linear outline of a film's concept, plot, and central dramatic conflict, presented in an engaging form.

Competition Themes:

1. «The Northern Sea Route: People, Events, Mysteries»
(Historical milestones and key figures from the past and present involved in the development of the Northern Sea Route)

2. «The Past, Present, and Future: Bridging Generations»
(The preservation of Northern traditions, turning points in Arctic history and their impact on today)

3. «Northern Soul: Everyday Life and Culture»
(The unique way of life of Northern residents and the culture of Indigenous peoples)

4. «My Life in the North»
(Personal and family stories, everyday realities and work of people living in the North)

5. «The Arctic and Far East of the Future»
(Futuristic projects, visions, and ideas for developing a town or region within the Arctic or Far Eastern zone of Russia)

6. «Northern Romance»
(Film ideas inspired by favorite works of art)

7. «The Peaceful Atom and the Arctic»
(The role of Russia’s nuclear industry in Arctic and national developmentt)

Awards

• Shortlisted authors will have the opportunity to present their projects to representatives of film production companies (either in person or online).
• Winners of the pitching round will receive financial grants to further develop a screenplay based on their submitted synopsis (grant amounts to be specified separately).

Rules

Submission Guidelines:

• There is no limit to the number of works submitted by one participant.
• Accepted genres include historical drama, melodrama, comedy, romantic comedy, detective, science fiction, drama, and others.

Participation Requirements:

• Submissions must comply with the laws of the Russian Federation.
• Participants must be subscribed to the Project’s Telegram channel.
• Participants must also be subscribed to the "Arctic in Focus" cinema direction Telegram channel.

Rights:

By entering the Competition, participants grant the Organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the submitted materials with proper author attribution for non-commercial purposes from the date of submission until October 1, 2026:

• To display works or excerpts at Project events;
• To feature works or excerpts in promotional or informational materials about the Project, including online publications.

Submission Format:

1. Document
2. Link
3. Text (between 1 and 65,535 characters, including spaces)

Submission Requirements:

• Logline — up to 30 words summarizing the plot
• Synopsis — up to 15,000 characters including spaces; must specify the selected theme
• Scene — up to 5 pages from the future film, including dialogues
• Author Bio — up to 2 pages outlining the author’s creative background

Restrictions:

• Submissions must not violate any Russian laws.
• Entries must be the participant’s sole original work and must comply with copyright laws.
• Entries must not infringe the rights of any co-authors (if applicable).

Premiere Requirements

World premiere required.

Jury and Organizers

Organizer ANO «Arctic Initiatives Center»