Panel discussion
Forging documentaries path from festivals to cinema halls
august 26 / 16:00 – 17:10
Eisenstein Hall
In the age of information overload and fake news, viewers are searching for and finding useful and honest content that can be trusted—content that addresses "thorny" questions without embellishing reality or avoiding uncomfortable angles and topics in documentary films. Documentaries are no longer a niche product; they are gaining the interest of a new target audience—millennials and zoomers—primarily by being available on streaming services and appealing to mosaic thinking.

In this session, directors and producers from Russia, Croatia, Greece, and Nicaragua will discuss the retrospective and future of the documentary genre, the topics and stories that attract mass audiences to cinemas, the features of distributing documentary films, and the role of OTT platforms in making docuseries popular.
Moderator:
  • Mr Dmitry Grachev
    chief producer, "Moscow 24" TV Channel
    Born on September 2, 1981. In 2003, he graduated from the Department of Design and Directing in Advertising at the Faculty of Advertising, Moscow Humanitarian and Social Academy.
    He has been working in television since 2000 and is the author of numerous video and film projects. From 2004 to 2007, he directed 55 documentary films for Channel One and Russia Channel. From 2011 to 2013, he was the Chief Director and one of the founders of the "Moscow 24" TV channel. Since 2015, he has served as Chief Director of the Russia Channel, and in July 2019, he was appointed Chief Producer of the "Moscow Media" holding.
    In 2022, he was awarded the President of the Russian Federation's Commendation for his contributions to the development of mass media and his many years of dedicated work.
Speakers:
  • Mr Yorgos Goussis
    Director, comic book artist (Greece)
    Born in Athens in 1986, Yorgos Goussis is best known for his graphic novel adaptation of Erotokritos by Vincenzo Kornaros, as well as the graphic novels Bandits and Festival, an anniversary comic celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. From 2017 to 2019, he served as editor-in-chief of the comic magazine Blue Comet. Since 2019, he has transitioned to directing, having directed one short film and two feature films to date.
  • Mr Adrián Carrasco Zanini Molina
    Co-director, National Cinemateca of Nicaragua (Nicaragua)
  • Ms Ekaterina Vechkanova
    Editor-in-chief, TV channel "Unknown Russia," director of the network department, NTV Television Company
    Ekaterina has been working in television since 2004. Over the years, she has risen from a department manager to the Editor-in-Chief of the documentary TV channel "Unknown Russia." In 2023, she participated in organising and conducting the First All-Russian Documentary Film Festival "Unknown Russia," which received over 260 submissions from across the country. The festival's final took place in Pavilion 75 at the "Russia" exhibition-forum.
    In 2023, she was awarded the President of the Russian Federation's Commendation for her contributions to the development of mass media.
  • Ella Tukhareli
    Chief producer, Regional Cinema Support Foundation
  • Yuliana Slashcheva
    CEO, Gorky Film Studio
    Yuliana Slashcheva is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at the Soyuzmultfilm studio (since 2017), Chairwoman of the Animation Film Association, and CEO of the M. Gorky Film Studio (since 2019). She is a media manager and communications expert, having previously led major Russian communications and media companies, including Mikhailov & Partners and CTC Media. In 2021, she was awarded the Ministry of Culture of Russia's badge of honour "For Contribution to Russian Culture."
    In 2023, she received the honorary medal "185 Years of State Property Management in Russia" for effective management of state property. In November 2023, she joined the Russian chapter of the BRICS Women's Business Alliance.