Belarusian film among winner of International Sports Film Festival in Moscow

The film’s director Dmitry Soroka admitted that the award came as a surprise to the entire team. The sports drama was released on 27 November 2025 and became a debut work not only for him but also for many members of the film crew. “We put an enormous amount of effort into this film and are very happy that it has received recognition,” he emphasized.

For the team, it is important that the project attracted the attention of a foreign audience. “The film is first and foremost about Belarus, and it was made exclusively by a Belarusian team: both the film crew and the actors. That is why it is especially gratifying that we captured our native landscapes. The filming took place in Minsk and the film resonated with the Moscow audience. I was sent a video from the screening, and I saw that everyone at the festival greeted the film very warmly. The jury also highly praised our work. I am happy the jury liked it,” Dmitry Soroka said.

Dmitry Semyonov, Director General of the Belarusfilm film studio, added that this victory is a significant achievement for the studio. “Last year The Turning Point was the opening film of the 31st Minsk International Film Festival Listapad and received Cinema Without Borders, the special prize of the CIS Executive Committee. Now we are marking a new success in Moscow. These awards are a well-deserved recognition for the entire creative team, which did a great job,” he noted.

The protagonist of The Turning Point Artyom Savichev is a young rowing champion whose career goes off the rails after a fateful boat breakdown and a humiliating failure in front of the whole school. A leg injury, the mockery of former friends, and his girlfriend’s betrayal are only the beginning of his downfall. At this difficult moment in life, he met the taciturn strongman Styopa, the joker Yarik, and the “nerd” Nikita. Under the guidance of old coach Ivan Alekseyevich and his sharp-tongued but sensitive granddaughter Nastya, he begins his path to overcoming himself.