Best actress – Marina Blake (XVI Open CIS and Baltic countries Film Festival “Kinoshok”)
Best actress prize and Special jury prize for best script, best direction and best cinematography (International film festival of family films “Loyal Heart”, Russia)
Grand Prix (“Russkoye Zarubezhye”
International film festival)
SEASON OF MISTS
Script Anna Tchernakova & Evgenia Tirdatova
Seasons Of Mist received it’s UK premiere on the 20th of April at ODEON COVENT GARDEN?
Director Anna Tchernakova
Director of Photography Dmitry Ermakov
Music Gavin Bryars
Starring Marina Blake. Sergei Chonishvili,
Ifan Huw Dafydd, Dudley Sutton
Cast Yuri Nifontov, Larisa Panchenko,
Heather Chasen, Eve Pierce,
Janet Hanfrey and others
Producers Neil McCartney and Evgenia Tirdatova
Co-producers Mikhail Gagarin, Anna Tchernakova,
Pyotr Cherniaev, Olga Kennedy, Elena Badamyants
Production McCartney Media (UK) and Kinoglaz (Russia)
98 min,, color, 35 mm, Dolby SRD, 2009
SYNOPSIS
Marina, a forty-year-old Russian woman, lives in a small village in South Leicestershire. A few years ago she married Gregory, a village garage owner, a collector of Morris Minor cars and an Ipswich Town supporter. Marina met Gregory when he came to Russia to see Ipswich Town playing against Torpedo Moscow, and moved to England with her then five-year-old daughter in the hope of happiness and a secure future for her child.
A journalist and a writer in her previous life, she now works at a local hairdressers and in her spare time writes for the village Parish magazine.
Gregory loves her, and the daughter seems to flourish in a private school, but Marina doesn’t feel happy and satisfied with her life – and can’t really explain why. A chance encounter with a touring classical string quartet from Moscow throws her out of her daily routines, and unexpected love opens up all the questions, which Marina has been hiding deep inside…
It’s a story about people who are moving from place to place in search for home, and can’t find it anywhere. It’s also a story about middle age – the age when one has already (or not) achieved something in life, but when there is still time to start everything anew. And it’s a story about a standing stone on the outskirts of a small English village where, as some of the villagers believe, aliens might land one day…
Anna Tchernakova
Director, co-writer
Born in St. Petersburg. Graduated from the Directors’ Department of the VGIK (The State Film School in Moscow). Since 1993 has been working as a scriptwriter, director and producer. Her films participated in many international film festivals including Tokyo and Montreal. She made the documentary “Postcriptum to Infinitas” for the Russian TV (1992), the feature “The Cherry Orchard” (Russia, 1993, Grand Prix of the Minsk Film Festival (Belorussia), si-fi drama “Last Summer” for ???, Canada, 2000, animation “Sea and Stars” (Canada, 2002, Prize for the best animation in Flix, Canada), documentaries “Millenium Music” (2001), “Writings On Water” (2002), short film “A Unified Theory of the Universe” (2003) and others. She is the author of many scripts, stories and poems, director of theater performances. Played in “Infinitas” by Marlen Khutsiev. Emigrated from Russia in 1994, was a professor of McGill University (Montreal, Canada), Linkoln University (UK). She works as an independent film director in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada) and England. At present she is working on the feature “Telemetry”. “Season of Mists” is her second feature. In 2010 she made the feature “Death in Pince-Nez or Our Chekhov”.
Dmitry Ermakov
Director of Photography
Born August 15, 1968. Enrolled at VGIK in 1986 and was called up a year later. After he was demobbed he returned to the VGIK (Alexander Galperin’s workshop and later Alexander Knyazhinsky’s workshop). Graduated from the VGIK in 1993 and shot the short film “The Bridegroom” (“St.Anne” prize for photography). In 1998 he shot the medium-length “Crossroads” (directed by Arko Okk, Estonia). He was one of the cameramen working on the TV serial “My Frontier” together with Leonid Kazakov and Alexander Degtyaryov (director Ivan Solovov, 2003). He made commercials and clips. In 2006 he shot the feature film “The Wedding Chest” (special prize for the best camerawork at the “Golden Knight” Film Festival, Russia, and “The Golden Minbar” for the best camerawork in Kazan, Tatarstan). In 2009 – “Season of Mists”, director Anna Tchernakova) and “The Ferry” (director Dmitry Makeev). In 2010 – “Zone of Turbulence” (director Evgenia Tirdatova).
Gavin Bryars
Composer
Born in Yorkshire in 1943. His first musical reputation was as a jazz bassist working in the early sixties with improvisers Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley. He abandoned improvisation in 1966 and worked for a time in the US with John Cage. From 1969 to 1978 he taught in departments of Fine Art in Portsmouth and Leicester, and during the time that he taught at Portsmouth College of Art he was instrumental in founding the legendary Portsmouth Sinfonia. He founded the music department at Leicester Polytechnic and was professor of music there from 1986 to 1994. His first major work as a composer was The Sinking of the Titanic (1969)and Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971), selling over a quarter of a million copies. He has composed prolifically for the theatre and dance as well as for the concert hall and has written three full-length operas. His first opera, Medea was first staged by the director Robert Wilson in Opéra de Lyon and Opéra de Paris in 1984. His second opera, Doctor Ox’s Experiment (based on a story by Jules Vernes) was staged by the Canadian film director Atom Egoyan for English National Opera in 1998. The third opera, “G”, was commissioned by Mainz Opera and was premiered in February 2002, staged by Georges Delnon, in the newly refurbished Mainz Opera House. Among Gavin Bryars’ other works are three string quartets, a series of vocal works for The Hilliard Ensemble including Glorious Hill (1988), Incipit Vita Nova (1989), Cadman Requiem (1989, revised 1998) and The First Book of Madrigals (1998-2000); works for the opening of the Tate Gallery in Liverpool (1988).Among Gavin Bryars’ numerous recordings are “Three Viennese Dancers”, “After The Requiem”, The Black River and “Vita Nova” on ECM New Series, “The Last Days” on Argo (1995), and “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet” (1993), “The Sinking of the Titanic” (1994), “Farewell to Philosophy” (1996), “A Man in a Room Gambling” (1997) and “Cadman Requiem” (1998). The Gavin Bryars Ensemble, founded in 1981, regularly tours internationally, including appearances in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Austria, Japan and Australia, as well as giving occasional concerts in London.
Evgenia Tirdatova
Producer, co-writer
Member of the European Film Academy and the “Nika” National Academy and is a president of the “Kinoglaz” Com. Born in Moscow, Russia. Graduated from the Gnesins Institute of Music and the Cinema History Department of the VGIK (State Film School) in 1985. Worked at the State TV and Radio, in the magazine “Soviet Screen”, was the chief editor of the “Kino-Glaz” and “Audio Video Business” magazines. Was the program director of the “St.Anne” competition and other festivals. Since 1995 she is a programmer at the Moscow International Film Festival. She is the author of numerous articles and books on Russian and foreign cinema. She was the co-author of the script to the documentary film “Your Leaving Object Leonid Obolensky” (Grand Prix of the IFF in Nyon, Switzerland, 1991) and the author of the scripts of the documentary film “Farewell, Cannes” (2003) and feature “Zone of Turbulence”. She is the holder of the Vera Kholodnaya award, the “White Elephant” prize of Film Critics Guild of Russia, the “Golden Hat” prize of the Russian Film Producers Association and the “Young Artists Award” (USA), “best producer” prize at the Open Russian film festival (2006). As producer she released the short films “Sanzhyra” (directed by Nurbek Egen, 2002), and “The Day Off” (directed by Alla Savina, 2008), features “The Kite” (directed by Alexei Muradov) which were awarded 12 prizes at international film festivals, “The Wedding Chest” by Nurbek Egen (Russian-Kirghiz-French-German co-production) which won 15 Russian and international prizes and was submitted for the Oscar, “Season of Mists” (dir. Anna Tchernakova), Russia-UK. As a director she made the feature ”Zone of Turbulence” (2010).
Neil McCartney
Producer
UK-born producer, journalist, consultant, and entrepreneur. He was co-founder of the British Independent Film Awards, as well as the “Financial Times” stable of newsletters on media and telecommunications and a series of other media initiatives. He is chairman of The Independent Film Trust (IFT), a UK charity which exists to advance the cause of independent filmmaking, co-chair of the Cambridge Film and Media Academy, an alumnus group for people working in film, television and new media, and UK representative of the Moscow International Film Festival. He has produced a number of short films. “Season of Mists” is his first feature.
He is a regular contributor on media and telecommunications to newspapers and radio and television programmes, including BBC TV’s News and Newsnight, BBC World Television, BBC News 24, Sky Television, CNN and Radio 4’s Today and The World at One.
Neil was founder chairman of the “Financial Times” Global Telecom Awards, a member of the juries for the Mobile Entertainment Awards in 2004 and 2006, and a member of the judging panel for the annual GSM Association Awards that were awarded at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes in February 2005. He was also a member of the jury for the Faithful Heart festival in Moscow in October 2008.
Marina Blake
As Marina
Graduated from VGIK in 1995 (Anatoly Romashin’s workshop). Played in features “The Man For the Young Woman” (Russia, dir. M.Ibragimbekov), “Kodak” (dir. M. Popov), “Black Coffee” (Finland), “The Police Drama” for BBC and others. Worked in “The Theater of Luna” (Moscow) in different theaters of London (played Irina in “Three Sisters” by A.Tchekhov, Margarita in “Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov) and others. At present lives in London.
Sergei Chonishvili
As Sasha
Born in 1965 in Tula city (Russia) in the family of actors. ???????????1 ?????? ??????. In 1986 graduated from the Theater school by the name of Schukin and started to work at the Lenkom Theater. In 1993 he participated in the first performance of The Independent Theater project “Playing Zhmuriki”. Worked in The Oleg Tabakov’s Theater (“Psyco”, “The Old Quarter”). Played the role of the prince Shadursky-Jr. in the popular TV series “Mysteries of St.Petersburg”. Was the voice in many commercials. His writer’s debut was “Not Significant Changes” (2000). In 2003 he published his second book “The Train Man”. Awarded “Seagull” prize (Nosdrev in “The Mistification”, I.Smoktunovsky prize. Played in features and TV series: “Family Mysteries”, “Azazel”, “The Theater Blues”, “Farewell Doctor Freid”, “I Love You”, “The Rope From the Sand”, “The Man of No Return” and others.
Ifan Huw Dafydd
As Gregory
Works in various theatres in Wales and England. Played in films: “Leaving Lenin” (1993), «The Proposal» (1997), “House!” (2000) and others, in series “Golden Hearts”, “The Last Detective” etc.
Dudley Sutton
As Darby
Born in 1933. He is one of the most famous actors of the British television. Played in “Devils” (1971), «Madam Sin» (1972), «Casanova» by Fellini (1976), «The Pink Panther Strikes Again» (1976), «Deep Dream» (1978), «Chain Reaction» (1986), «?rlando» (1992), «Up to the Villa» (2000), «The Song for the Raggy Boy» (2001), «The Football Factory» (2003), in TV series «Great Expectations», «Hemingway», «David Copperfield», «Victoria and Albert» and others.
Eve Pierce
As Liz
Actress of cinema, theatre and TV. Played in Mike Leigh’s “Tupsey-Turvey” (1998), in Richard Loncraine’s “Wimbledon” (2003). She playrd on stage Masha in “Uncle Vanya”, Old Lady in “The Summer Day (1999), participated in many BBC plays.
Heather Chasen
As Jane
Actress of cinema, theatre and TV. She played Tosca (“The Kiss of Tosca, 2000), Gran (“The Box for Toys”, 2003), on television – Margaret Thatcher (“Who Bombed Birmingham?”, 1990) on stage – Miss Marple (“The Announced Murder”, 1994) and others.
Janet Hanfrey
As Mary
Actress of cinema, theatre and TV. Played in films “Missis Dalloway” by Morlin Gorris (Miss Pym, 1996), «???????????» by Bille August” (Madam Gilo, 1997), “The Cook, Thief, His Wife and Her Lover” by Peter Greenaway”, “Nine Lives by Thomas Katz”, “Omen” (2006). He played on stage in “The House by Bernarda Alba”, “Separate Tables” etc. Played in TV series “Oliver Twist”, “Alice in the Wonderland” and others.
