Disney shoots first Russian film

Book of Masters' based on local fairy tales

MOSCOW — The Russian office of Walt Disney has begun lensing its first local production, a children’s adventure based on some of Russia’s most famous fairy tales and characters.

Written and directed by Vadim Sokolovsky, the company’s head of production and acquisitions in Russia, “Kniga Masterov” (The Book of Masters) is being production in association with Moscow’s Three-T Studio, the company founded by director Nikita Mikhalkov.

Location shooting on the film — which Russia media reports suggest is being made on a budget of around $7 million — began early September outside Minsk with studio filming scheduled later at Moscow’s Mosfilm Studios.

Drawing on stories “adapted from Russian fairy tales we all know from childhood,” the movie is aimed at family audiences with a release date set for autumn 2009, Marina Zhigalov-Ozkan, Disney’s Russia head and general producer of the film said Monday.

Leonid Vereshchagin, general director of Three-T, said the studio was pleased to be working with Disney on its first film in Russia.

“We are extremely encouraged that Disney, known throughout the world for its film versions of immortal stories, aims to revive the feature-film fairy-tale genre in Russia,” Vereshchagin added.

Sokolovsky, who is known for such television projects as “An Occasional Fellow-Traveler,” “The Ticket to the Harem” and “Ambulance 2”, was last year nominated for Russia’s Golden Eagle National Cinematography Award for his TV series “The Ticket to the Harem.”

An experienced television drama director, Sokolovksy had also gained experience working with major Hollywood studios.

Jason Reed, general manager of Walt Disney Studios Intl. Production, said, “The credit goes to our team in Russia. Because of Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan’s strong leadership and the hard work of her team, our first Russian language production fully delivers on the goals of our mission internationally.

We are working with a legendary cast, a great director, one of the premier production companies in the world, and — perhaps most importantly — we have a wonderful story that will be a strong addition to the Disney tradition.”