The XXXI International Film and Literature Festival will take place in Gatchina from June 17th to 21st, showcasing a diverse range of films and literary events. The festival will feature screenings at various locations, including the Pobeda cinema and concert hall, and the city House of Culture, with free admission to the screenings, although registration may be required for certain events.

The festival’s program encompasses a wide array of cinematic works, including films by both new and established directors that are based on both classic and modern literature, in addition to film biographies of celebrated poets and authors.

The competition segment will present 59 films, distributed across 19 categories, such as best film, screenplay, and music for a film. The program includes 14 feature-length films, along with animated films, documentaries, journalistic pieces, and series adaptations.

The festival will commence with Olga Belyaeva’s “Dollhouse,” a film adapted from a screenplay by Larisa Malevannaya, which is based on a personal story. The storyline follows the making of a TV adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” in Moscow during the 1980s. The closing film will be Felix Umarov’s “Prophet. The Story of Alexander Pushkin,” a reimagining of the life of the iconic Russian poet featuring Yura Borisov as Pushkin.

Other notable films to be presented include Nikolai Solodnikov’s “In Your Sleep You Wept Bitterly,” based on Yuri Kazakov’s stories; Artemy Dragunsky’s “Denis’ Stories,” inspired by the well-known children’s book penned by his grandfather; and Kirill Kuzin’s “Black Castle,” drawing inspiration from Belarusian medieval legends.

The documentary lineup will feature films focused on the lives and works of prominent figures such as Marina Tsvetaeva, Yuri Vizbor, Anatoly Lunacharsky, Mikhail Zhvanetsky, and Akira Kurosawa.

The non-competition segment includes Maxim Brius’s “Blood Type,” a film rooted in actual events from 1941–1943, recounting the tragic plight of orphans confined in a Nazi concentration camp in Vyritsa.

Additionally, the festival will offer retrospective screenings from legendary Soviet film studios, creative gatherings, literary evenings, thematic concerts, and other special events. These presentations will include appearances from the films’ creators, along with renowned artists such as Larisa Luzhina, Tatyana Vizbor, Leonid Kanevsky, Valentin Smirnitsky, and Yuri Nazarov. Details of the complete program are available on the festival’s official website and its social media platforms.