Russian-British Gala Movie Awards, London, 19 March 2020

A STAR-STUDDED movie awards Gala night is brought from the glamorous Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to The City of London on 19 March 2020, to mark the 4th annual Sochi International Film Festival and Awards (SIFFA) in the UK.

The Gala Awards, at the HQ of global law firm Pinsent Masons, are the highlight of SIFFA UK’s 10 days of Russian screenings, master classes, a children’s film, and animated shorts, in London, Cambridge, and Sochi’s UK twin town, Cheltenham, from 17 – 27 March.

The SIFFA UK Gala night features an exclusive UK Première of the astonishing Best Foreign Film Russian entry for an Oscar this year, Beanpole, which was shortlisted into the final Top Ten by the Oscar-awarding American Motion Picture Academy’s judges (AMPAS).

Beanpole also scooped Best Film and Best Director prizes at the 2019 Cannes film festival.

These amazing honours have been heaped on a 28-year-old Russian movie prodigy - director Kantemir Balagov, from the same Caucasus region as Sochi – for this, his second feature-length film. His début movie, Closeness, also scooped an award at Cannes 2017.

Beanpole’s two lead actresses, Viktoria Miroshnichenko and Vasilisa Perelygina, fly in specially from Moscow for the Gala bash. They will be greeted by two great British stars of screen and stage and honoured guests Brenda Blethyn and Frances Barber.

Film industry movers and shakers will take their places at the SIFFA UK Gala, including leaders of BAFTA, Russia’s Ministry of Culture and movie moguls such as veteran Hollywood film-maker, Mohy Quandour, the brains behind global blockbuster TV series Bonanza and Mannix.

Live music includes the Royal College of Music-graduated Kandour Quartet, and pop star Katya Semenova, making her British début with her hit song, Talisman, SIFFA’s anthem.

Another first this year will be the arrival on British soil of the SIFFA Irida statuette - named after the ancient Goddess of rainbows - borne to London by its sculptress, Irina Lagoshina.

SIFFA is a Russian-British open international movie festival founded in 2016 by its President, acclaimed poetess and film-maker, Luba Balagova, from Circassia in the Caucasus, now naturalised British. “As always, it’s been tough, but, as they say – the show must go on, and SIFFA is making good progress. It’ll be a great night,” Luba promised.