From newcomers to legends: Inside Listapad film festival lineup

The 32rd Minsk International Film Festival Listapad will be held from 30 October to November 6 under the slogan Watch, Live, Appreciate. More than 130 films from 55 countries will take part in the competition. Screenings will be held at five key venues in Minsk: Moskva, Pobeda, Tsentralny, Belarus, and Pioner cinemas. 

Feature Films

“We are showing 17 films at the Tsentralny Cinema. The program includes films that will resonate with viewers of different ages. In one of them, you can follow the path of growing up from a teenager to a young woman who knows how to overcome difficulties; in another, you can see how couples interact with each other at different periods of time. Some of the films are not so much about hearing lots of dialogue as they are about watching people

and simply enjoying beautiful nature and the vastness of different countries, seeing how cinema from states and continents unites people and shows stories that are similar for people regardless of religion or faith,” Yanika Prestinskaya emphasized. 

Documentaries

The non-fiction film program includes 18 documentary films. According to program director Marina Belookaya, the main themes are ecology, ethnic diversity, transforming your life around through your own efforts, and art. “The main value of documentary cinema is the human being. You will be able to see many beautiful, wonderful, extraordinary people - seemingly ordinary at first glance, but accomplishing absolutely incredible fantasies,” she added. 

National Competition 

The program director of the National Competition, Aleksandr Petrovich, emphasized that this year saw significantly more applications compared to last year. Along with professional directors, young filmmakers also submitted entries. The filmmakers chose themes that concern every Belarusian: courage, kindness, and the remarkable character of Belarusians, their resilience and love for their homeland, and care for loved ones. The theme of Chernobyl was not avoided either. It was present as a recurring thread throughout the summited films. 

Program for Children and Youth 

Traditionally, from 31 October to 4 November, the competition of films for children and youth audiences, Listapadzik will be held at the Pioner Cinema. “We have selected ten films, including two full-length animated features and eight feature films. The geography is very diverse: from Mexico and Finland to Türkiye and Kazakhstan. There are many debutants in the competition lineup. The opening will be spectacular. We always attract children’s and family audiences and hope to pleasantly surprise them again this year,” Listapadzik program director Ekaterina Tamkovich-Latuto said. 

Animated Films for Different Ages 

"The animated Film Competition will be held at the Belarus Cinema from 31 October to 3 November,” said Konstantin Andryushechkin, the program director of the animated film competition. “Viewers will see outstanding examples of world animated art. The competition program includes 50 auteur animated films ranging from 5 to 29 minutes in length from 23 countries. Of these, 14 are intended for children’s audiences and 36 for adults. The program includes five compilation screenings. Most of the films are from Russia, with many from France and Iran, which are leading countries in the field of animated cinema.”

Cinema of the Young 

Program director of Cinema of the Young Polina Artyukovskaya noted that a huge number of submissions were processed this year, and 11 films from Germany, Argentina, Portugal, China, Myanmar, India, and Russia made it into the program. Most of the films have already participated in international festivals and even received prestigious awards. While processing the submissions, the organizers noticed that directors from different countries, unfamiliar with one another, addressed the same issues, such as the search for one’s path in life. Each did so in their own way, but all the films resonate with the festival’s slogan. 

Short Films 

A screening of 10 films is planned at the Moskva Cinema. In a single session, viewers will be able to watch two films, immerse themselves in a story, and discover something new and interesting. As noted by program director of the competition Olga Kotova, this year, in addition to traditional films from China, Iran, and India, viewers will be able to see cinema from Canada, Vietnam, Thailand, and Estonia. 

Out-of-Competition Program 

Traditionally, the festival will see the Days of Cinematography of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, India, and China. This year they will be dedicated to women. Workshops and meet-and-greets will be held at Belarusian State Academy of Arts, Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, the Moscow House, and the National Film Studio Belarusfilm. Belarusfilm Director General Dmitry Semenov, added that they will also organize tours at their studio but the number of spots will be limited and available by advance registration. A social and humanitarian campaign Cinema Without Borders organized together with Rossotrudnichestvo will be held as part of the out-of-competition program. 

Tickets 

Vladimir Karachevsky, Director General of the Kinovideoprokat film distribution company of the Minsk City Executive Committee, emphasized that ticket sales for competition and out-of-competition films will begin next week. According to him, fares will be affordable: the most expensive ticket for evening feature film screenings is Br12 and the cheapest for short films is Br5. Last year's experience shows that it is better to buy tickets in advance. 

“Tickets are quite affordable. The most expensive is Br12 and the cheapest is Br5. There's quite a buzz around some of the films, so it's best to buy your tickets ahead of time,” Vladimir Karachevsky added.