The session "Film production as a driver of economic development of the region" will open on May 18 the track "International cooperation" at KazanForum. The organizers of the track are the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. Speakers from Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, regions of Russia: Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Sakha-Yakutia. Purpose of the session: joint definition of strategies for the development of national film production and international projects in the field of cinematography for the economic development of territories.

The state cultural policy is especially important in terms of the transfer to new generations of moral, ethical, spiritual and moral guidelines for the life of society. The integration of a person into cultural activities allows us to convey this ideology to him, to lay in him respect for the history and traditions of his country. The spiritual development of citizens, their national self-determination, the unification of society and the formation of a citizen as an independently thinking, creative person whose mentality is based on the use of the full potential of national culture. In this regard, national cinema is becoming relevant, which responds to both internal ethnic and global cultural challenges. It is important to create high-quality films that will be interesting to the whole world, original, carrying a charge of national mentality and having its own cinema language.

Films shot in the regions of Russia by local producers and directors receive awards at Russian and international film festivals and lead in the local box office. Nevertheless, the processes of creating and distributing national films have a number of problems.

"The national film production is based on a value model. Today we are facing big challenges – attracting young people to the film industry, finding partners to create co-products, training personnel, and ultimately – the production of competitive, status, national cinema," commented the Minister of Culture of Tatarstan Irada Ayupova.

Speakers at the session are planned to be: Alireza Shahrokhi, distributor, producer, Iran; Rashid Malikov, director of the joint Tatarstan-Uzbek film "Sumbul", Uzbekistan; Almagul Tleukhanova, producer of the joint Tatarstan-Kazakh film "Tarlan" based on the work of G.Ibragimov "Almachuar", Kazakhstan; Gulmira Kerimova, producer, director of the international film festival "Kyrgyzstan is a country of short films", Kyrgyzstan; Elchin Guliyev, director, producer, Azerbaijan; Amer Salmen Al-Muri, Director of the Al Ain International Film Festival, founder of the CinemaVisionFilms production company, UAE; Viktor Vasiliev, Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of the Republic of Belarus, as well as representatives of Russian cinema.

The central venue of the event is the Kazan Expo IEC.

The operator for the preparation and holding of the event is the Roscongress Foundation, the executive directorate of the operator is the ANO Directorate of Sports and Social Projects.