VIII International Film Festival «KinoKot»

About

The 8th International KinoKot Film Festival will take place in Moscow in December 2026. The jury comprises film industry professionals from Russia, the USA, and Scotland.

The festival aims not only to recognize talented domestic and international directors but also to assist them in advancing their careers within the film industry and making new professional connections.

Awards

Categories:
• Best Screenplay
• Best Director
• Best Cinematography
• Best Sound Design
• Best Original Score
• Best Editing
• Best Color Grading
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Child Performance
• Best Live-Action Film
• Best Animated Film
• Best Documentary
• Best Film on Animal Welfare
• Grand Prix

Awards:
Winners will receive not only a certificate and a statuette but also valuable prizes to help build a career in the film industry.

Rules

Short films created from 2016 to 2026 with a maximum duration of 30 minutes are accepted.

A rental certificate is not required.

It is necessary to fill out the application via: https://payform.ru/3ocrV23/ and text us.

Premiere Requirements

No premiere requirement

Jury and Organizers

Jury Members:

• Olivia Tsargush (USA)

Actress, content creator, and developer of English language learning methods based on acting techniques; alumna of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. Member of the Actors Society (the Academy’s alumni association) and actress with the AADA Theatre Company. Credits include projects for Apple TV+ (*The Studio*), Netflix (*Monsters*), and Sony (*Michael*). Creator of a TikTok platform that grew to an audience of over 500,000 in a single year.

• Anton White (Scotland)

Classically trained film composer, orchestrator, and music producer. FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts) and University of Aberdeen alumnus. Has worked with the RSNO, the Philharmonic Orchestra, Abbey Road Studios, Universal, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime. Winner of "Best Film Score" awards at the New York International Film Awards and the Los Angeles Film Awards.

• Ekaterina Bear (Russia)

Screenwriter (winner of the Best Screenplay award at the Zilant Film Festival) and guest expert in screenwriting (Tavrida.ART, Film School Without Borders, VidMK); actress (with over 30 film and TV credits, including the series *Fitness* and *Psychologini*, the feature film *Ambivalence*, and others).

• Natalia Ashikhmina (Russia)

Film and federal TV channel producer. Expert in media communications and production management. Creative producer. Graduate of the Nikolai Kartozia School of Producing.

• Alexander Gavrilin (Russia)

Voice actor and blogger; host of the *Actors' Green Room* (*Akterskaya Kurilka*) podcast; founder of the Dubschool voice-acting school and the "Actor's Session" private community; head of the NDA dubbing studio.

• Maria Sergeenkova (Russia)

Film editor, screenwriter, creative producer, and film director; member of the Film Directors' Guild; four-time Golden Eagle Award winner for Best Film Editing; recipient of awards from the Mumbai and Venezuelan film festivals; winner of the APKiT Award.

• Ivan Pomorin (Russia)

Cinematographer, educator at the Institute of Film and Television (GITR), and board member of the Russian Guild of Cinematographers.

• Dmitry Kupovykh (Russia)

Film scholar, artistic director of the "Svobodnoye Kino" (Free Cinema) film school, producer of approximately 30 projects, creator of an independent blog, and educator.

• Vitaly Suslin (Russia)

Director and screenwriter. Graduate of the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) (workshop of Karen Shakhnazarov and Oleg Shukher). Award-winner at various film festivals (Kinotavr, Window to Europe, Moscow Premiere, Gorky Fest, etc.).

Organizer: Directorate of the KinoKot International Film Festival