Eight films selected for the non-competition program of 25 Baikal international film festival «People and Environvent»

The 25 Baikal International Film Festival «People and Environment» named after V. G. Rasputin will take place in Irkutsk from September 14 to 22. The selection committee reviewed more than 300 submissions, 27 of which were selected for the competition program: eight documentaries, five popular science films, four fiction films, and ten animated films. A separate jury will also evaluate fulldome films. The competition program in this category is still being finalized.

According to the festival’s program director, Elena Utrobina, eight non-competition films will also be screened at the festival.

“The festival’s non-competition program will feature works by filmmakers from Russia and Kazakhstan. Among these works are films by four documentary filmmakers from Irkutsk: Margarita Stelmashonok, Anastasia Priymachok, Polina Dorofeeva, and Maria Filicheva. The films differ greatly in their subject matter, but what unites them is their creators’ desire not merely to capture the audience’s interest, but to encourage viewers to reflect on the important social issues they raise,” said Elena Utrobina.

The following films have been selected for the non-competition program of the 25th Baikal International Film Festival “People and Environment” named after V. G. Rasputin:

1. GENGHIS KHAN: THE PHENOMENON OF THE CULT (16+), Russia, 2026, directed by Evgeny Bezborodov. The filmmaker aims to explore what the name of Genghis Khan means to modern Mongolians and how it shapes their lives.

2. VITALY MELNIKOV: DIRECTOR’S FATE (12+), Russia, 2026, directed by Natalia Gugueva. The film explores the life and creative path of film director Vitaly Melnikov, who made such famous films as “Chief of Chukotka”, “Mama Got Married”, “The Elder Son”, “Vacation in September”, “To Marry a Captain”, and “Poor, Poor Pavel”.

3. JEWELRY PUNKS (12+), Russia, 2025, directed by Margarita Stelmashonok. The film follows a creative duo from Irkutsk, Dmitry Temnikov and Valeria Shafirova, who create jewelry, paintings, and art objects from recycled materials. Their central idea is to protect nature and protest against excessive consumption.

4. WE ARE THE ZAGRUSH (6+), Russia, 2025, directed by Anastasia Priymachok. The hardworking family of Anatoly and Elena Zagrush from the village of Solzan, who are raising 14 children, challenges stereotypes about poverty among large families. In 2024, “We Are the Zagrush” won the Baikal Film Project Pitching competition.

5. TIME OF CATS (6+), Russia, 2025, directed by Polina Dorofeeva. The film is notable for footage shot with action cameras attached to cats, allowing viewers to see life at the shelter through the eyes of its furry residents.

6. THE MAN FROM KAULALY ISLAND (12+), Kazakhstan, 2025, directed by Almas Satkenov. The film’s protagonist, Pyotr Ivanovich Lupenkov, is the head of a hydrometeorological station located on one of the most remote and inaccessible islands in the Caspian Sea.

7. DARKHAN (12+), Russia, 2025, directed by Vladimir Ponomarev, Alexey Lagerev and Daniil Balushkin. The film tells the story of the Khamnigan Evenks, a small ethnic group with a centuries-old history living in the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, and Dondok Daraev, a talented artist from the community.

8. THE ETCHINGS OF FOOLS (12+), Russia, 2025, directed by Maria Filicheva. The film tells the story of father and son Egor and Fyodor Vlasov, who, through the “Baikal Power” non-profit organization, are carrying out a project unique in Russia: using lasers to remove vandal inscriptions from natural monuments.

The shortlist of films selected for the competition program of the 25th Baikal International Film Festival “People and Environment” named after V. G. Rasputin can be viewed here: competition program.

As usual, the festival program will include the Baikal Film Project Pitching competition, a series of master classes, roundtable discussions, and talks.

The “People and Environment” Film Festival was founded in 1999 by the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation and the Irkutsk branch of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia. Today, it is one of the country’s longest-running environmental film festivals. Over the years, nearly 800 films from more than 100 countries have taken part in its competition program.

The Baikal International Film Festival “People and Environment” named after V. G. Rasputin is organized by the Irkutsk Regional Film Fund, “Irkutskkino” LLC, and the “Kinoforum” non-profit organization.

The 25th Baikal International Film Festival “People and Environment” named after V. G. Rasputin is held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Irkutsk Region, and the Ministry of Culture of the Irkutsk Region. The festival’s presenting sponsor is the Irkutsk Oil Company.