From September 25 to 29, Irkutsk will host the 13th Baikal International Festival of documentary and popular science films Man and Nature, devoted to environmental themes and the relationship between humans and nature.

In the city of Irkutsk, the XIII Baikal International Festival of Documentary and Popular Science Films will take place from September 25 to 29, 2014.
During the film festival, residents and guests of Irkutsk will be able to fully appreciate film works on environmental themes by both Russian and foreign directors. The festival itself is conceived as a film platform that encourages reflection on the complex relationship between humans and nature. The goal of the festival is to foster environmental awareness through cinema. Truthful films on environmental topics, talented ideas from directors, warm meetings with interesting and well-known people from around the world — this is what has always made the documentary and popular science film festival “Man and Nature” memorable.
Over more than a decade of the festival’s existence, more than 500 films from 40 countries have taken part in the competition program “Man and Nature.” Its holding has long since become the brightest cultural event in the life of Irkutsk and the region. This year, the competition program of the “Man and Nature” film festival includes 14 films from 8 countries, including Switzerland, the USA, Slovakia, Russia, Hungary, and many others. In total, more than 100 applications were submitted to the festival this year. The non-competition program of the festival will include 25 films this time.
The ceremonial opening of the XIII Baikal International Film Festival “Man and Nature” will traditionally take place at the Irkutsk Academic Drama Theater named after N.P. Okhlopkov on September 25, where the long-awaited film by renowned director Godfrey Reggio, “Visitors,” will also be screened. This film was awaited for 12 years — since director Godfrey Reggio released “Naqoyqatsi,” the third part of his famous “Qatsi” (“Katsi”) trilogy. At that time it seemed that no new films from him would follow, but “Visitors” has already managed to conquer the USA and many other Western countries. In Russia, the film was presented at MIFF 2014. Admission will be by invitation tickets only, which can be purchased at the Irkutsk Regional Film Fund. An invitation ticket to the opening of the film festival will serve as a free admission ticket to all screenings and events held as part of the festival. Screenings of films from the competition and non-competition programs will take place at four venues in the city: in the halls of the Irkutsk Regional State Universal Scientific Library named after I.I. Molchanov-Sibirsky, in the cinemas of the “House of Cinema,” in the cultural and leisure center “Khudozhestvenny,” as well as in the festival’s cinema café — the “White Crow” coffee shop. For everyone who wishes to join the world of documentary and popular science cinema, master classes in film art, creative meetings, and round tables will also be held.
On September 26 at 12:00 at the “House of Cinema,” 2a Mukhina St., Irkutsk, there will be a lecture by Alexey Pishchulin, director, screenwriter, and member of the jury of the “Man and Nature” film festival, titled “Documentary Cinema in Search of Its Audience.” On September 27, a creative meeting with director and festival jury member Gunilla Breski will be held at the I.I. Molchanov-Sibirsky Library, with a special screening of the films “I Stop Time” and “Night Witches.” On September 29, director Gunilla Breski will conduct a master class, “Developing an Idea for Documentary Cinema,” at the Irkutsk “House of Cinema.”
Also as part of the film festival, a photo exhibition by Igor Shpilenok titled “One Hundred Protected Years” will open. Igor Shpilenok is a world-renowned wildlife photographer and naturalist who films wildlife and wild animals. He is the winner in the “Urban and Garden Wildlife” category of the BBC “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” contest, and a laureate of the “Golden Turtle” photo contest in the “Harmony of Life” category. Igor is the author of several photo albums and a participant in the project “Natural Wonders of Europe.” From September 25 until the end of October, the “House of Cinema” will feature photographs he took during his journey across Russia in 2013. The photographer’s exhibition will be timed to coincide with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the protected-area system in Russia, which will take place in 2016.
Work is already actively underway to organize interesting and varied festival events so that from September 25 to 29 the XIII Baikal International Festival of Documentary and Popular Science Films “Man and Nature” will once again amaze, delight, and warmly welcome its guests.
Since 2011, the current President of the “Man and Nature” film festival has been Sergey Miroshnichenko, a renowned Russian documentary filmmaker, member of the Russian Television Academy, laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation, and Honored Artist of Russia. He is the author of 18 films and the recipient of TEFI awards, two Nika prizes, and the grand prix of the American television academy Emmy. Sergey’s best-known works include “Unknown Putin. Peace and War,” “Born in the USSR,” and “The Murder of the Emperor. Versions.”
The competition program of the “Man and Nature” 2014 film festival will include the following films:
1. Breath of the Tundra (Russia, 2012, 26 minutes. Dir. Mikhail Gorobchuk)
2. Sea Giants (Hungary, 2013, 26 min., dir. Zsolt Sásdi)
3. Small Zhitny Island (Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, 2013, 52 minutes, director Szabolcs Mosonyi)
4. Legends of Baikal (Russia, 2013, 52 min., dir. Yulia Bysheva)
5. Polar Man (Slovakia, 55 minutes, dir. Pavol Barabas)
6. Birds and People / Ballad of the Forest Knights (Russia, 2013, 56 min., dir. Svetlana Bychenko)
7. On the Eve (Belarus, 2013, 40 minutes, dir. Ekaterina Makhova)
8. Gold at the Bottom of the Bottle (Russia, 2014, 26 minutes, dir. Elena Shumilina)
9. Songs of the Taiga Soul, or the Bear’s Roar About the Motherland (Russia, 77 minutes, 2014, dir. Nikolai Evstifeev)
10. 11 Images of a Man (Finland, 2012, 76 minutes, director Anastasia Lapsui)
11. “My Name Is Salt” (Switzerland, India, 2013, 92 min., dir. Farida Pacha)
12. “Hunters” (Russia, 2014, 30 min., Dir. Maksim Arbugaev)
13. “Revolution” (Canada, USA, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, 2012, 85 min. Director: Rob Stewart).
14. “Wolfhound” (Russia, 2013, 42 min. Director: Sergey Yastrzhembsky).
The jury of the “Man and Nature” film festival will include distinguished directors and specialists in the art of cinema from Austria, Poland, and Russia.
The categories in which the winners will be determined are: “Best Documentary Film,” “Grand Prix of the ‘Man and Nature’ Film Festival” (prize of 100,000 rubles), “Best Popular Science Film,” and “Audience Vote Prize”; nominations from the media jury, youth jury, and the festival sponsors are also planned. In addition, there will be a special prize: the “Baikal” Prize — for the urgency of the issue raised (for a film about the most pressing environmental problems).
The organizers of the “Man and Nature” Film Festival will be the Union of
Cinematographers of Russia and the Irkutsk Regional Branch of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia; the festival will be held as part of the Year of Culture with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Irkutsk Region, and the Ministry of Culture and Archives of the Irkutsk Region.
Invitation orders from September 10, 2014.
Information is available by phone: +7(3952)41-98-61,
+7(3952)42-20-77, +7 9086622041
Email: baikal.festival@gmail.com
Based on materials from the press service of the Government of the Irkutsk Region.