Russian film industry to take center stage at the Dubai International Content Market, DICM

Twenty Russian film companies are set to present over 110 movies, TV series and animated films center stage for the media industry in the Middle East and North Africa – the Dubai International Content Market, DICM 2024, which will be held on November 12-13.

The Russian Content Worldwide stand, organized by ROSKINO with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, will be the largest presenter at the content market, whose main audience includes international distributors as well as TV channels and VOD platform representatives, not only in the MENA region, but Asia, Europe, and Latin America as well. ROSKINO has been working on expanding Russian participation in DICM since 2021, and this year marks a record in the number of Russian participants.

Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation: «As of this year, the UAE has become a BRICS member state, and thus we hope that our collaboration with DICM will increase. Important steps have already been taken this direction. For example, the summer of 2024 marked the UAE Culture Days in Moscow; Ministers of Culture from BRICS member states met during the 10th anniversary of the St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, at which we had a fruitful discussion with His Excellency Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, the UAE Minister of Culture and Youth. The presentation of Russian film and animation projects at the DICM, which is a milestone event for the film industry of the Middle East, will strengthen business ties with the region and will contribute to the growth of Russian film exports to the Middle Eastern market».

Elsa Antonova, ROSKINO CEO: «Over the course of several years, due to the Russian film industry’s participation in DICM, the Middle East has become more familiar with our contemporary content. There is a marked shift in the interest for both feature films and TV series, including formats (to create remakes), as well as for animated films. The number of Russian films in the UAE and Gulf countries has increased: based on the results of the first half of 2024, these countries are among the top 5 foreign markets in terms of box office receipts for Russian films in theatrical distribution. We are presenting a record number of companies at DICM in 2024. I am sure that the event will quite productive in terms of agreements and future deals».

Among the new feature films, foreign content buyers will be presented with: a family fantasy movie The Wizard of the Emerald City: Part 1; a drama The Poet; action film The Last Ronin (Central Partnership); a Russian-Chinese adventure-detective movie Red Silk; a comedy Vasiliy (Art Pictures Distribution); a family drama A Dog Named Palma 2 (Mars Media Entertainment); fairy tale-based movie Finist: The First Warrior (All Media (a START Company)) and The Enchanted Tinderbox (CTB Film Company); a comedy The Oligarch Driver (Pimanov and Partners); as well as others.

New TV series, which will be presented to foreign distributors at the Russian Content Worldwide booth include the Russian-Turkish melodrama series The Color of Pomegranate; a psychological detective series Inside the Criminal Mind; as well as a melodrama collection Love Stories (Russia Television and Radio); a historical detective series inspired by the actual life of Russian attorney Fyodor Plevako called Plevako (Rock Films); a drama series Living Life (All Media (a START company)); sci-fi series about the unusual case investigation with supernatural forces involved – Project “Prometheus” (Central Partnership); thriller series about the life of members of a rescue team Five Minutes of Silence. Mountains and Sea (NTV Broadcasting Company).

Russian animation is highly appreciated in the MENA region. Half of the participants at the Russian stand will show animated projects. Among them: a new full-length cartoon about the adventures of a mammoth Arctic Heroes, and the Steel Family: Brotherhood vs Gold project (Voronezh Animation Studio); a new full-length New Year cartoon Kids-e Cats. New Year film (Art Pictures Distribution); the TV series Orange Moo-Cow, The Secrets of Honey Hills, Rockoons (SMF Animation); the TV series Space Dogs: Cosmic Adventures (KinoAtis), Dragonia (YARKO Animation company), Puppies & Kittens (Digital Television Russia), Tugan Batyr (Terra Anima), Super Meow (Roy Entertainment), feature films The Truckies (Sales House) and Swords and Robots (Mars Media Entertainment). CTB Film Company will offer Moonzy: Homecoming, the highest-grossing animated project of 2024 at the Russian box office, for consideration by foreign content buyers.

Russian documentary cinema in Dubai will be represented by various projects: The Intriguing Secrets of Anna Karenina (S Sales House); Syria: History of Civilization, Space Flight: Towards the Sun (Russia Television and Radio); The unknown Kremlin (Pimanov and Partners) and others.

Planeta Inform Film Distribution will also present their projects at DICM 2024, such as: (Anna’s Feelings, Centaur), VSTRECHA STUDIO (Fog), Plus Studio (Major Grom: The Game).

DICM is traditionally attended by companies from Russia, the UAE, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, South Korea, Turkey, China, India, Malaysia, Japan, Spain, France, Germany, Colombia and other countries.