Roskino introduces Versus
«VERSUS»
ACTION DRAMA WITH ALEXEY CHADOV AND OXANA AKINSHINA
OPENS THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET
Status: work-in-progres
Screening date: November 8, 2015
Time: 1p.m.
Directed by: Nurbek Egen
Cast:
Alexey Chadov as Victor Stroev
Oxana Akinshina as Vera
Anton Shagin as Shark
Sergey Chirkov as Alik
Igor Sklyar as Borisych
Nikita Panfilov as Soldier
Manuel Rivera – Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef – a former It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion in kickboxing and the Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion in MMA.
Russia, 2016
Original sound, 110 minutes.
OST: Elizaveta
Production: Russian World Studios aka RWS.
Sales in Russia, Ukraine and CIS: Central Partnership
Trailer: https://youtu.be/WZvdIk3QDW4
On November 8th, VERSUS feature film directed by Nurbek Egen will be presented to the industry professionals and guests of the American Film Market in sunny Santa Monica, California from November 4th to November 11th.
This action feature starring Alexey Chadov, Oxana Akinshina and Anton Shagin will be released in Russia next fall.
VERSUS touches lots of themes: sport, people’s strengths and weaknesses, honor and backstabbing. But first and foremost it tells a love story.
Victor Stroev aka Russian Hammer is a youth Mix Fight champion willing to win the main fight of his career – the World Champion title. Hammer is right up there as a chance encounter turning into a fight with a sports mobster Shark ends up to be a tragedy for Victor.
Victor gets into a terrible car crash that makes it doubtful that he will ever be able to go on with his career in sports, any blow can kill him. Vera whom Shark is trying to get, chooses Victor which makes Shark even more furious. Now Shark will do anything to make Russian Hammer get on the ring and make this fight the last one for him. Victor is not used to give up and ready to risk – he has to defend the honor of his country and the woman he loves. Vera realizes she has to betray Victor in order to save him.
Nurbek Egen – an award winner of a few international festivals including Young Artists Awards in Los Angeles (USA), CAMERAIMAGE (Poland), Cinecinecort in Aix-en-Provance, (France), FICMA in Barcelona (Spain) and Moscow Film Festival Saint Anna.
Wedding Chest got an Oscar nomination as the Foreign Language Film in 2005. A short film Sanzhyra (2001) was nominated for the Oscars as the best student’s movie.
Oleg Malovichko, scriptwriter: «It’s not jus some wet work as an experienced cinemagoer may think. This is a story about a victory, which starts inside, in one man’s soul. But this is not as important as love is. Love overcomes everything. There’s nothing stronger than love. It makes evil powers crumble to dust».
Nurbek Egen, director: «This is an action drama about a talented athlete who will do anything for the woman he loves. The movie does have lots of fights and action but it is still a love story. Taking the opponent down is a big deal but not the main focus. The protagonist is fighting his way through to overcome his own fears and win not only in the ring but in life too, and this fight will be rewarded with the most precious prize – love».
Maxim Osadchiy, DoP: «When we started working on the movie I was expecting that it’s going to be another story about a hero who overcomes obstacles and defeats his enemies. But as we were moving forward I realized there was a punch line, which put this story on to a totally different level of a high drama. Our hero has to get rid off his weaknesses and defeat not only his enemies but his own self first and foremost».
Sergey Machilsky, DoP: «I haven’t had such a large-scale project in my career. Yes, I shot some fights and car chases but they were all scaled-down. This movie was a totally different thing. It has a lot of CG and action. I enjoyed working with such a great team, a great director who is a real professional and got an incredible experience».
Yuri Sapronov, producer: «Five years ago I met with Vasily Shestakov – the president of the International sambo federation, we had a long conversation and during that conversation an idea came out – to make a movie about an ordinary man who was doing sambo, who thanks to his efforts and the will to win becomes a legend. We invited Oleg (Malovichko), discussed this idea with him and Oleg agreed to write the script. It took us long enough to polish the story and finally we made a movie about love. You gotta love your woman, your family and your country to achieve something. Victor Stroev has to suffer a lot, make tough decisions to finally get it – you must risk to find love and never give up».
Vadim Vereshchagin, distribution director, Central Partnership: «When Yuri Sapronov showed us the teaser we immediately understood we should get the movie, we believed in it».
Director: Nurbek Egen
Featured filmography – A Wedding Chest.
DoP: Maxim Osadchiy
Featured filmography – The Ninth Company, Kitty, Cococo, Stalingrad.
DoP: Sergey Machilsky
Featured filmography – Heavenly Trial, Mirrors, Shagal – Malevich.
Scriptwriter: Oleg Malovichko
Featured filmography – Ladoga, Vasilisa, Ghost, Method.
Composer: Paul Mills
Featured filmography – Against The Sun, War Room, Woodlawn.
Production designer: Yevgeny Kachanov
Editor: Sean Albertson
Featured filmography: Rocky Balboa, Rambo IV, Warrior, Vampire Diaries, Killing Season, Expendables 3, Against The Sun.
Producer: Yuri Sapronov
Produced by: Russian World Studios/RWS 2015.
Cast: Alexey Chadov (Victor Stroev), Oxana Akinshina (Vera), Anton Shagin (Shark), Sergey Chirkov (Alik), Igor Sklyar (Borisych), Nikita Panfilov (Soldier), Melvin Manhoef (Manuel Rivera).
Creative Group Filmography
Oleg Malovichko – scriptwriter.
Filmography:
Waiting – short film, 2004
Phillip’s Bay - miniseries, 2005
Private Order - series, 2007
Real Dad, 2007
Vice, 2007
Plan B – series, 2007
House Spirit, 2008
Crazy Love - series, 2008
About Love – short film, 2008
Pick-up: without any rules, 2009
For Kids Under 16, 2010
Fir trees – movie almanac, 2010
Monkey Business, 2010
The Roadside House, 2010
Jungles, 2012
Without A Trace - series, 2012
Ladoga – miniseries, 2013
Vasilisa, 2013
Last Summer, 2013
Joyful Fellas, 2014
Fir Trees 1914, 2014
Locust, 2014
Ghost, 2015
Method - series, 2015
Nurbek Egen – director. Nurbek Egen was born on December 3, 1975 in Kirgizia. Egen’s parents wanted their son to become a scientist and made him attend a math school but Nurbek chose his own path and after school entered the actor’s department of the Institute of Art in Bishkek. Two years later Nurbek realized that the acting career was not his ultimate dream, moved to Moscow and successfully entered the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography. After graduation in 2001 Nurbek shot a movie Sanzhyra which was nominated by the Academy Awards as the Best Student’s Film. In 2005 yet another Nurbek’s feature film The Ancestors’ Chest was nominated as the Best Foreign Language Film by the Academy Awards and received the Best International Drama award at the Young Artists Awards Festival in Los Angeles. Apart from feature films Nurbek also directs television projects, his 12 episode drama Moving On was a hit in Ukraine and will soon air on Channel One Russia.
Filmography:
Sanzhyra – short film, 2001
The Invisible Sign - series, 2001
The Willis - miniseries, 2002
«Late Dinner with… - series, 2002
Wedding Chest, 2005
Netwrok - series, 2008
Fighters Don’t Feel Pain, 2010
Kolatchi, 2011
Empty House, 2012
Moving On - series, 2013
The Mine, 2013
Maxim Osadchy – DoP. Maxim graduated from the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography. He started shooting commercials and music videos and them moved on to movies.
Filmography:
President and His Granddaughter, 1999
Triumph, 2000
The Ninth Company, 2005
Money Day, 2006
Heat, 2006
Pussy Cat, 2009
Not so desert island, 2009
Mo men, 2010
Two Days, 2011
Cococo, 2012
Sex, coffee, cigarettes, 2013
Stalingrad, 2013
Sergey Machilsky – DoP. In 1983 Sergey graduated from the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography. In 1993 together with the Russian DoPs Yuri Lyubshin, Yuri Raiskiy and Yuri Shaigardnov Sergey founded the Association of the Russian DoPs.
Filmography:
The Man Who Knew Everything, 2009
The Man Near Window, 2009
Pussy Cat, 2009
Obsessed, 2009
Classmates, 2010
Heavenly Court, 2011
The White Guard, 2012
Mirrors, 2013
Shagal – Malevich, 2013
Everybody’s gone, 2013
Adventurers, 2014
Heavenly Court. Season 2, 2014
Hunting crocodiles, 2014
Contribution, 2015
Tikhonov the Investigator, 2015
Paul Mills – an American composer. Paul’s filmography has more than 20 features and documentaries.
Sean Albertson – an American editor who worked on: Rocky Balboa, Rambo IV, Warrior, Killing Season, Expendables 3 and many others.
Russian World Studios/RWS – one of the largest private film companies in Russia. Its main focus is on film and TV series production and production services. RWS works with leading Russian networks such as Channel One, Russia, Channel 5 and REN TV). RWS’s library has more than 1500 hours of films and TV shows, lots of shows are the prize winners and have been aired not only in Russia but abroad too.
Central Partnership – one of the major film distributors in Russia. The company’s library ranges from the best examples of the local films as well as European and American movies. In February 2014 Central Partnership has become the part of the Gazprom Media Holding.
