Superhero Will Smith: Sony's bid to penetrate Russia's self-centric movie scene

Jun 20, 2008, 16:38 GMT

(L-R) US actor Will Smith, South African-born actress Charlize Theron, US director Peter Berg and US producer Akiva Goldsman pose for pictures as they arrive for the opening ceremony of the 30th Moscow Film festival in \'Pushkinsky\' concert hall, Russia, 19 June 2008. They are in Moscow for promote there latest film \'Hancock\'. Moscow International Film Festival (abbreviated as MIFF) is the second oldest festival in the world, after the Venice Film Festival. It was first held in Moscow in 1935. EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY

Moscow - Superstar come superhero Will Smith relaxed before the cameras in Moscow on Thursday, sure his glossy image would dominate headlines on the city's international film festival.

Smith and co-star Charlize Theron were in town to premier Sony's comic strip action flick 'Hancock' - the first time a Hollywood blockbuster has opened the festival since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

But as Moscow's International Film Festival enters its 30th year, the celebration was all about the explosive revival of Russia's film industry.

Most was left untranslated as Smith and Theron joked demonstratively with each other meeting the Russian press.

'Oh my God! oh my God, oh my ... ' Theron erupted in a giggle hands in covering her mouth when Smith apparently 'passed gas' and next when she spilled her coffee.

'See, that's what happens when you have vodka with your eggs for breakfast,' Smith said, gesturing to his translator to make an effort.

But a journalist interrupted the banter asking, 'Do you understand where you are? And why your here?' In answer, Hancock's producer Akiva Goldsman got right to the point.

'American films are slowly, slowly finding their way onto the Russian market,' he said interrupted by a few boos, '...so we thought we'd help that process along.'

Russia is in full-swing of a box-office boom that is only set to grow with the surging consumer-hot economy. The country now hosts over 1,500 state-of-the-art cinemas where it had only one 10 years ago.

'Warner Brother's is the only big US studio that has not opened offices here.' Dmitry Litvinov, who heads an industry-support body the Russian Film Network, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

But after a torrid slump in the 90s, the country's film industry is in the throng of a creative, and distinctly patriotic, revival.

Some 200 productions were released last year, half of which got state support, and about 100 million dollars have been allocated for films this year, according to the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography.

All box-office breakers in Russia are Russian since Night Watch became the country's highest-grossing film ever at 16.3 million dollars, edging out the Lord of the Rings sequel in 2004.

Using Hollywood's heavy promotion tactics to beat it at its own game, subsequent big-screen hits have featured popular Soviet remakes with the popular Irony of Fate sequel grossing a record-breaking 50 million dollars in its first month over the New Year's holiday.

The Russian government predicts production companies will double their profits to 900 million in 2011.

Whether Hancock will claim a piece of that, Russian journalists Thursday were star-struck, unanimously clapping a rhythm as Smith, Charlize and director Peter Berg rapped spontaneously into their microphones.

And the Moscow film festival is glad of the extra Hollywood glamour.

That the action-film does not fit the festival programme doesn't matter, said festival jury chairman Liv Ullmann, the muse of legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. The film will not feature in the competition, she said.

Mega-Hollywood Smith and Hancock's presence at the festival rather is a proof of confidence from the US film industry, said Andrei Plakhov head of the festival's selection committee.

It shows Western film makers take Moscow seriously, he added.