Yakutia's bold debut at FILMART opens doors to global cinema markets
YAKUTIA.INFO. Yakutia's film industry has made its debut at FILMART, Asia's largest film market, held in Hong Kong from March 17–20. A delegation from the republic presented 20 film projects to international buyers and producers, as announced at a press conference today.
According to Petr Gogolev, director of creative industries at the Yakutia Development Corporation, entering the Asian market marks a new chapter in the history of Yakut cinema.
"Take 2025, for example—Yakut films earned 280 million rubles that year, more than the combined total for 2023 and 2024. The statistics show growth in audience numbers, the quantity of films produced, and their quality," Gogolev noted.
Given these trends, local filmmakers believe that with the domestic market limited, they must expand beyond the republic and Russia—starting with the Asian market.
Alexei Yegorov, CEO of Sakhafilm, called the trip a "historic step in the development of our republic's cinema."
"If we look at the directives from our leadership up to 2030, there are specific targets we must meet. To achieve them, we must undoubtedly go beyond our republic—and beyond our country. This first experience has already yielded results: every member of our team has secured preliminary agreements with foreign companies. If this becomes systematic, our films will soon break through internationally," Yegorov said.
He described the current state of Yakut cinema as having "reached a peak within our internal republican ecosystem."
"But this doesn't mean we should ease up on our work inside the republic. On the contrary, what happens here is our foundation, our backbone," he added.
Nikolai Savvin, deputy director of Yakutia's Export Support Center, emphasized the need to adapt Yakut films to global standards, including linguistic requirements.
Addressing whether contracts had been signed, he explained: "Ideally, that's the goal, but after participating in international exhibitions, media markets, and business missions, we conduct thorough follow-up work to support and promote projects. The center offers services like adapting products to foreign market demands—such as dubbing films into other languages. We can provide that kind of support," Savvin said.
When discussing specific agreements, director and producer Stepan Burnashev announced a deal with Sayan Pictures, a company interested in distributing Yakut films in Australia and worldwide. Cinematographer and director Semen Amanatogov has reached a preliminary agreement with a Chinese telecommunications firm to distribute his upcoming documentary Cold across China. There are also tentative deals in place with companies from Japan, South Korea, and Kazakhstan.
Contacts are extensive, and all of them are being actively pursued. And this isn't just about distribution. I won't reveal details yet, but you'll soon hear in the news who has signed what with whom. One announcement will likely come in mid-May, Burnashev reported.
Journalist Yegor Karpov reasonably asked whether Yakut film scripts should be adapted from the outset for international release.
When it comes to scripts and local stories, the key is that the story itself must be compelling and engaging. There's no need to chase global trends or market demands, Burnashev believes.
Thus, today's press conference was meant to demonstrate that republican authorities are not wasting taxpayer money on the region's film industry. The message is clear: Yakut cinema has reached a certain level, and further investment is justified.
That said, for all our respect for local filmmakers, a mass breakthrough into Asian markets in the near future seems unlikely. The realistic goal should be, at the very least, to recoup the substantial taxpayer funds poured into the industry—through corporations, export centers, grants, and soon, tax incentives.
