Not since the early 2010s has the Russian industry had a dedicated co-production market, says Gudkova, pointing to past initiatives like the Moscow Business Square section of the Moscow Intl. Film Festival and the Russian Cinema Fund-backed Red Square Screenings. “There was a huge gap, and we tried to fill this gap as much as we could,” she says.Gudkova says a relatively small number of Russian production companies have developed a history of international partnership.
In doing so, she said she was guided by her own experiences as a producer trying to navigate the world of international film finance. “For me, the most important thing was to find the right people, and to be guided through this international jungle, and I want to do the same for all the people who come from abroad for the Key Buyers Event.”