The Presidential Library to co-organize the Tikhvin International Film Festival

The II International Film Festival "Under the Protection of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God" will be held from October 5 to 14, 2021.

The founders of the film festival are the Tikhvin Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and the Northern Palmira Congress and Exhibition Foundation. The Presidential Library is the co-organizer. The event is supported by the Committee for Culture and Tourism of Leningrad Region.

In 2021, the Film Festival marks the 800th anniversary of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. This year's themes are: God dwells not in strength, but in truth and From the East to the West.

The contest engages both young and experienced film directors whose works highlight the history, spiritual traditions, sacred places and culture of their native land. It also involves young filmmakers, who take part in special nominations The Best Animated Film and the Smartphone Cinema.

The geography of the film festival is the whole world, but it starts in Leningrad Region.

The contest features short films of various genres (documentaries, fiction, animation) related to the theme of the film festival.

The works will be judged by a professional jury of filmmakers, screenwriters, film critics, sociologists, writers, journalists, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, and public figures. The Presidential Library's deputy in the jury is Elena Zhabko, Director for Information Resources, a leading specialist in the field of creating electronic libraries, author of over 80 scientific publications, PhD in Pedagogy, member of the Russian Library Association Board and constant chairman of the section Electronic Resources and Information and Library Services.

The program of the film festival includes preliminary film screenings. They will be held on October 5-10 in the districts of Leningrad Region located on the canonical territory of the Tikhvin Eparchy, including the towns of Tikhvin, Lodeynoye Pole, Boksitogorsk, Podporozhye, Volkhov, Kirishsi and Kirovsk. Besides, there will be Internet broadcastings.

On October 7, the Presidential Library on 3 Senate Square will hold a meeting of the cinema club. It will present documentaries by the participants of the II International Film Festival "Under the Protection of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God". In particular, it will provide the following films: We Get Experience from the Heaven about the traditional theological contest for children from Sunday schools on the topic of the Church sacraments; Aunt Katya about Yekaterina Grachyova, an outstanding person, the founder of the first hospice in Russia for children with multiple disabilities; The Temple of Savior on Sennaya Square about the Church of the Assumption of Mother of God, which stood on Sennaya Square in St. Petersburg.

The grand opening of the festival will take place on October 12. The program of the next day includes meetings with film directors and a master class. The festival is free (by prior registration).

The official ceremony of awarding the winners and the presentation of the special prize of Mstislav, Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynoye Pole, the President and Chairman of the Organizing Committee, will be held on October 14, 2021.

Detailed information on the program of the film festival is available at the following link: http://congresscity.ru/tikhvin-fest/.