Enterprising residents of the Moscow region city of Kolomna are planning to give the Russian film industry a boost by opening a film center meant to resemble Hollywood, media reports said Tuesday.
The project, called "Kollywood," is set to open in 2013 and will cost upward of 100 million rubles ($3 million), Anton Gubankov, the Moscow region's top official for culture, told Izvestia.
In part, costs will go toward turning a 3.5-hectare former silk factory into film sets, offices and warehouses suitable for storing props.
Project organizers are targeting federal investment programs and noncommercial funds to raise money to purchase the necessary photographic equipment and buy costumes. Organizers hope to break even within a year of the project's start date, Izvestia reported.
Kollywood's opening coincides with the 2013 launch of the International Summer School for Young Cinematographers, also in the Moscow region, and organizers hope to attract young cinematographers to work full-time at the new film studio that same year.
According to Viktor Matizen, a cinema critic, Kollywood can become a successful center of Russian cinema, but only "if government officials and prejudiced cinematographers don't start poking their noses [into the project]."
Matizen told Izvestia that such interference is the reason why many Russian films don't grab viewers' attention.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.