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The transformative power of cinema is such that a sunny SoCal summer day can suddenly become an afternoon on the Russian Siberian tundra, thanks to the wholly unique and transporting “White Moss,” directed by Vladimir Tumaev. The La Film Fest World Fiction jury awarded a special mention to this immersion into the culture of the Nenets reindeer herders, an exploration of this tribe that is far from just an ethnography or travelogue. A high stakes romantic drama set against the intersection of ancient and modern culture, “White Moss” illustrates how some experiences and emotions are universal. An opening sequence illustrates how the Nenets are connected to the rest of the world—every year, a helicopter picks up children to send them off to school in the village or city. A small but hardy group remain in the temporary nomadic camp to keep the reindeer tradition alive, migrating with the herd.

Japan was the big winner at this year’s Moscow International Film Festival which ended on Saturday evening with the Golden St. George trophy for best film going to Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s My Man (Watashi-No Otoko) [pictured].The film, which also received the Silver St. George best actor honours for Tadanobu Asano, had its international premiere in Moscow and was the first Japanese film to win the grand prix since Kaneto Shindo’s Will To Live received the honour

Japan was the big winner at this year’s Moscow International Film Festival which ended on Saturday evening with the Golden St. George trophy for best film going to Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s My Man (Watashi-No Otoko) [pictured].

The film, which also received the Silver St. George best actor honours for Tadanobu Asano, had its international premiere in Moscow and was the first Japanese film to win the grand prix since Kaneto Shindo’s Will To Live received the honour in 1999.

Kumakiri...

35th edition of the festival runs June 19-28.

The Us documentary Red Army about the Soviet Red Army hockey team will open the 36th edition of the Moscow International Film Festival (Miff), which runs from June 19-28.

Directed by Gabe Polsky, the film was first shown at last month’s Cannes Film Festival and will be released in the Us by Sony Pictures.

Speaking at this week’s press conference, programme director Kirill Razlogov exxplained that documentaries have always played “a special role” at the festival - “documentaries are practically in all of the programmes” - and said that it was “symbolic” to open with a documentary.

The festival will be rounded off on June 28 at the Pushkinsky Cinema with a screening of Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Veteran Russian actor-director Gleb Panfilov (Vassa) will head the international jury for the main competition and will be joined by the German actress Franziska Petri, Georgian...