NMG Studiо announces a First Look Deal agreement with Sergey Taramaev and Lyubov Lvova, under the terms of which they have joined the company's creative team as directors and scriptwriters. As part of the new partnership, the company will have the right to be the first to consider projects to be developed by Sergei and Lyubov. 
 
 Sergey Taramaev and Lyubov Lvova are among the most sought-after directors and screenwriters in the Russian film industry. Their projects include festival hits “Winter Road” and “Metamorphosis”, as well as such rating series as “Black Spring” and “Fisher”. At the moment, a new project of the creative duo - a crime drama about the controversial 90's “Children of Change” is being prepared for release. 
 &nbsp; 
 Dmitry Tabarchuk, CEO of NMG Studio: 
 
 “The tandem of Sergei and Lyubov is a unique duo for Russian cinema. We were fortunate enough to work with them twice on projects dear to our studio and to see firsthand that they are authors with a great future. Now there will be even more opportunities for cooperation, and we are looking forward to their new ideas”. 
 &nbsp; 
 Sergey Taramaev and Lyubov Lvova, directors, screenwriters, creative producers of NMG Studio: 
 
 “We started working with NMG Studio on the Fisher series, and we were very inspired by their courage and creative freedom. We were convinced of this again with the series Children of Change, and there are several more daring projects in the pipeline that we will realize together.” 
 &nbsp; 
 Svetlana Balanova, CEO of National Media Group: 
 
 “In 2023, NMG Studios became one of the recognized market leaders in original projects, doubling its content production. In just one year, the detective “Fisher”, the drama “Actresses”, the drama “Ballet”, the fantasy “The Librarian”, the undisputed hit “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the pavement” and other projects came out. We are very happy that NMG and NMG Studio are becoming a center of attraction for the most innovative and talented creators. I am sure that cooperation with Sergey and Lyubov will result in bright and successful projects”. 
 
 *** 
 NMG Studio was established by National Media Group in October 2018 to develop and enrich the Russian film market with world-class projects, as well as to improve processes in film production. Since 2022, NMG Studio has been the General Producer of the online cinema Wink, and is also engaged in content production for the external market. 
 Among the projects of NMG Studio are such hits as Fyodor Bondarchuk's series “Actresses”, Zhora Kryzhovnikov's project “The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt”, detective “‘Fisher” and others. On account of the company there are several national movie awards “Golden Eagle” and “Big Digit”, the main prize of the festival “New Season”, victories in Association of film and television producers, the National Award in the field of web content and other important industry achievements. 
 
 NMG Studio currently has over 30 projects in development. They are also shooting 6 new projects and 12 more are in script production. 
 
 *** 
 National Media Group is Russia's largest private media holding. NMG manages a diversified portfolio of assets in the production, distribution and monetization of high-quality information and entertainment content in all consumption media. 
 
 The holding's key assets include the leaders of the Russian media market: terrestrial TV channels - REN TV, 5TV, CTC, Domashniy, CHE!, CTC Love, CTC Kids; multimedia information center Izvestia (comprising the IZ.RU portal, Izvestia newspaper, 
 Izvestia TV channel, news services of REN TV and 5TV); newspapers - 
 Sport Express, Delovoy Peterburg. The Group owns a stake in Channel One. 
 
 The holding is the owner of the NMG Studio company. In 2019, NMG launched the online service more.tv, and in June 2023 finalized a deal to merge the video services more.tv and Wink in a joint venture with PJSC Rostelecom. In November 2022, the holding announced the creation of a movie distribution company, NMG Kinoprokat. In January 2024, NMG launched NMG DOC, a unified platform for the production and distribution of works in the non-fiction genre.

NMG Studio concludes exclusive contract with Sergey Taramaev and Lyubov Lvova

National Media Group announces that Vladimir Babkov, who previously held the position of Executive Director, will head the EVEREST Sales House from September 1.


	 Karolina Sokolova, the previous head of the Sales House, decided to continue her career outside the National Media Group.




	 Svetlana Balanova, CEO of NMG:


	 “We thank Karolina for her contribution to the significant growth of NMG's product line and advertising revenue across all content distribution mediums and wish her the best of luck in further developing her career. I welcome Vladimir in his new role, who has been with NMG for over 7 years, has worked his way through a variety of sales positions and has extensive experience in sales organization in both TV and digital markets.




	 Under Vladimir's leadership, EVEREST will continue to work with advertising marketers to maximize opportunities to support and grow our advertisers' businesses through the many products offered by NMG in TV and digital, including transmedia projects.”


	 ***


	 Biography of Vladimir Babkov


	 Vladimir Babkov joined EVEREST in 2017 as Director of Sales Development in the regions and outside Russia. In 2022, he was appointed Executive Director.


	 Prior to joining EVEREST, Vladimir worked in classic advertising sales on the seller side for over 10 years, starting with Video International TREND.


	 Vladimir graduated from Tver State University with a degree in law.

Vladimir Babkov to head EVEREST Sales House of National Media Group

The Center for Social Research “Platform” with the support of the National Media Group presented the next annual rating of films with high social effect, consisting of films released in 2023.




 Russian movies are watched more frequently.


	 The Russian film industry has made a leap forward over the past few years, gaining the respect and attention of its audience. 94% of Russians in 2024 positively assess the quality of Russian film content (high+medium). Over the past year, this indicator has grown by 6 pp. The indicator of those who rate the quality of Russian cinema very highly has grown by 26 p.p. over the past three years.




	 Domestic film production has become more frequently favored. This has been influenced by the availability of Russian film content thanks to online cinemas, as well as the consistency of the values conveyed with the viewer's perception of the world and the diversity of themes: from light family comedies to historical films with patriotic values.




 Leading films in the social impact rating.


	 The analysis of the 33 films of 2023 with the highest social impact identified a number of trends in themes, among which teenage topics, domestic violence, search for the self and the common man heroism.




	 It is these trends that formed the basis of the stories of the rating leaders. Among them are “The Doctor”, “Russkiy Krest”, “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt”, “Vyzov” and ‘Troubled teens-5’. The top 5 are united by a significant social impact and a wide audience of viewers.




	 The rating also highlighted three leaders in terms of social impact on a narrow audience: “The Edge of the Broken Moon”, “Hello, Mom” and “Sama Vynovata?”.




	 Also included in the rating are: “Healthy Man,” ‘Yura the Wiper,’ ‘Snowbird,’ ‘To You and Me,’ ‘Centaur,’ ‘Cicadas,’ ‘Lord of the Wind,’ ‘The White List,’ ”In the Sun Along the Rows of Corn.” “Lunatics”, ‘Nuremberg’, ‘Can't Wait’, ‘Air’, ‘Kretsul’, ‘Volunteer Playlist’, ‘Rabies’, ‘Contact 2’, ‘Cool Change’, ‘Cyber Village’, ”Peace! Friendship! Chewing gum!-3”, ‘Breathing’, ‘Passion for Matvey’, Plaksa, ‘Mediator-3’, ‘1993’.




 Viewers want to see not only discussion of social problems, but also examples of their solution.


	 67% of respondents believe that cinema should purposefully change people and society, develop positive values, and provide role models of behavior. More than half of the respondents believe that cinema with a social impact has a favorable effect on changes in society.




	 The audience has expressed a request to find a “hero among us,” as stories about an ordinary person who shows heroism due to circumstances resonate with them. Films with such a plot allow the viewer to feel like a hero and give faith in the best in people.




	 It is noted that every year there is a growing interest in three themes in cinema: to value family, parents, children, friends (49%); to be patriotic, to love and be proud of one's homeland (37%); to give up bad habits that affect the quality of life and health (26%).




	 The older generation responds more to a positive agenda in movies with social impact. 51% expect such projects to give them a mental uplift. The same number of respondents prefer the feeling of sympathy and compassion from watching a movie.




	 10% mention injustice, 9% surprise and 8% shame. For the most part, it is young people who expect such emotions from movies with social impact. However, the deep drama in movies with social impact tends to have less impact.




	 However, both generations are brought together by the demand for real stories and ease of storytelling. It is important not just to highlight a problem, but also to demonstrate a solution. These factors increase the emotional permeability of the story, and this, in turn, increases the social impact of the movie.




	 Svetlana Balanova, CEO of National Media Group:


	 “NMG conducts an annual study of socially transformative cinema to better understand the demand of its audience. We see that there is a very clear request for it. We try to convey such important themes as family values, friendship, love and respect for our country in clear and emotional language through talented stories. It is very important for us not only to respond to the current demand of our viewers, but also to anticipate the topics that will concern them tomorrow, which will allow us to continue to develop socially transformative content on the Russian market”.




	 The research was conducted in February-April 2024. The survey involved 1,400 respondents over the age of 18 and 50 experts in film production. The survey included 10 in-depth interviews with experts and 2 focus groups with viewers to rank the top 33 Russian films with a socially transformative effect. Each respondent assessed the impact of the film on the viewer - from emotional involvement to an incentive to change behavior. Ranking was formed based on the respondents' answers, consisting of the average rating of the work on online platforms, which means wide reach, and the film's impact index.

NMG and Platform release third study of socially transformative content

On 7 June, Maer Group LLC and MIC Izvestia LLC entered into an agreement on information cooperation within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.


	 In other words, the organisations plan to develop a completely new format of out-of-home media environment, which will enable viewers to learn about the most important socio-political, economic and socio-cultural events of the country right on the streets of the city.


	 “Izvestia TV channel, which is part of our holding, is one of the two most popular news channels in Russia. Its distinctive broadcasting format enables viewers to access news from anywhere in the world, regardless of their communication preferences. When creating the channel, we worked to ensure that information could be easily received in noisy public places, which means that the presentation had to be concise, with concise and clear infographics. And this format turned out to be in high demand, and in the first few months we outperformed our main competitors. Now we are visible in airports, railway stations, municipal institutions, offices and hotels. Konstantin Valeryevich's suggestion about more active use of outdoor advertising, which he expressed at the RSPP (The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs) congress in April this year, was in line with our vision of further development. We would like to express our gratitude to MAER Media Holding for providing us with the opportunity to realise this ambitious project. I am confident that our joint media product will gain recognition and prove beneficial for the country,” said Vladimir Tyulin, General Director of Multimedia Information Centre Izvestia LLC.


	 In accordance with the terms of the agreement, Izvestia will provide exclusive access to tailored information content, based on video materials enhanced with infographics and text.


	 “MAER Media Holding, as a new media, has gone beyond the usual advertising media facades. Our street screens provide Russians with a convenient source of information on current affairs at the national and international levels. This is a big step towards the entire media sphere. Viewers follow socially significant events on television, in social networks, and now also on high-tech media screens. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Izvestia on the development of a new broadcasting format. Furthermore, our inaugural experience in this field was a resounding success. The joint broadcast of the Moscow Victory Parade on Red Square was seen over 50 million times by residents of Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Tyumen, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd and Sochi,” said Konstantin Mayor, owner and CEO of MAER Media Holding.


	 In addition, both parties plan to innovate in various areas of joint activities to develop the new format.

Izvestia and Maer Group signed an agreement on the creation and development of a new media environment

National Media Group announces the creation on the basis of STS Media of a new creative association “WHAT TO DO”, a studio for producing animation projects for family and adult audiences, as well as producing cross-media special projects. It was headed by media manager Denis Vsesvyatsky.


	 In his new role, Denis will be responsible for the production and implementation of animation projects aimed at family audiences, with a particular focus on content for adults. He will also oversee the production of special projects.


	 Alexander Akopov, Deputy General Director for Entertainment Broadcasting, NMG:


	 “We expect that Denis's expertise will contribute to the growth of the STS animation sector, and that his creative ideas will be in demand across all viewing environments, providing a new impetus to the digital development of STS animation projects. We are confident that his extensive expertise and creative potential will be a valuable asset to NMG, and that he will be able to contribute to our projects in a variety of ways”.


	 &nbsp;


	 Denis Vsesvyatsky, Director of Creative association ‘WHAT TO DO’


	 “Animation today is a platform for communication for people of all ages. Something that can unite adults and children, create a common context and culture. The creative association “WHAT TO DO” will focus on the fact that new animation projects speak the same - modern - language with the audience and set the bar high for imagination. WHAT TO DO is open to collaborate and new ideas with all talented and promising players in the media market and beyond”.


	 Earlier NMG created “ECA”, a laboratory for debutants and students to develop projects for the entertainment and information segments of the holding company's broadcasting, online platforms, as well as feature films for cinema distribution.

Denis Vsesvyatsky has assumed the role of CEO at “WHAT TO DO”

The results of the V National Web Content Awards were announced at a ceremony held on 15 April. A total of 21 nominations were awarded Gagarin prizes this year, across the PROcontent and PROmovement categories.


	 PROmovement category


	 Best poster of a TV series “Ballet” (Wink)




	 PROcontent category


	 Online entertainment show. Travelling


	 Online version of “100 Places to Eat” (STS)




	 Best actor in an online series


	 Nikita Efremov, TV series “The Librarian” (Wink)


	 Ivan Yankovsky, TV series “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” (Wink)




	 Best director of an Internet series


	 Zhora Kryzhovnikov, TV series “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” (Wink)




	 Best producer of the online projects


	 Fyodor Bondarchuk




	 Best online series (episode time more than 24 min.)


	 “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” (Wink)



 The full list is available at <a href="https://premia-w.ru/winnes2024">https://premia-w.ru/winnes2024</a> .

NMG projects won in 7 nominations at the V National Web Content Awards

The Media Telecom Company, a joint venture of National Media Group and Rostelecom, announces the expansion of the company's range of paid thematic channels.


	 Starting from 1 April, a cooking-themed TV channel “Appetitny” became available in Media Telecom's portfolio.


	 “Appetitny” is a thematic entertainment and educational channel that provides viewers with a variety of cooking-related content in different formats: from cooking at home to unusual ways of cooking outdoors. The channel's distinctive approach is to feature recipes shared by popular food bloggers, rather than professional chefs. The content is organised into various thematic categories, including “Cooking at Home”, “Cooking in Nature”, “Cooking in the Air”, “Culinary Lifehacks” and “Unusual Food”. Every day the channel airs a new 4-hour block with original blogger content, as well as in-house produced programmes created exclusively for “Appetitny”.


	 The TV channel “Appetitny” is family-oriented, with a core audience of women aged 35-44.


	 The channel was registered with Roskomnadzor in January 2024. Media Telecom oversees the production, broadcasting and distribution of the channel. Phoenix Film is responsible for the content component, while Synterra Media provides Play out service and ensures the delivery of TV signals to partners across Russia and CIS countries.


	 Alexander Kosarim, CEO of Media Telecom:


	 “It is not forbidden to live with taste. Our new TV channel “Appetitny” will become a reliable assistant in preparing delicious dishes not only in the kitchen, but also outdoors. The foundation of our new entertainment TV channel is the content created by food bloggers, who represent a significant online presence with millions of subscribers. Concurrently, there is a substantial audience that prefers to access contemporary and in-demand culinary content in the conventional TV format. Today MediaTelecom distributes 18 TV channels, covering a range of topics. We are delighted to welcome “Appetitny” as a valuable addition to our current portfolio.”


	 Ilona Zaletova, Deputy General Director of Phoenix Film:


	 “The launch of the “Appetitny” TV channel marks a significant expansion of our production capabilities, extending our long-standing expertise in creating quality content across a diverse range of genres. In addition to our expertise in the production and distribution of TV series, we also have our own TV channels on various subjects, including Phoenix Plus Cinema, which is based on TV series, including those produced by us. In addition to the programmes of popular bloggers, the new TV channel “Appetitny” will broadcast programmes and programme cycles created by our company, with the objective of meeting the needs of modern audiences.”


	 The new TV channel has adopted the slogan “Appetitive is the best cook”. This is entirely in keeping with the style in which the channel was created. The channel offers light, safe educational content, ideal for background viewing and providing benefits to the viewer.

Media Telecom presents a new TV channel “Appetitny”

National Media Group (NMG) and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) have agreed to invest in the creation of a joint Commercial Fund for the development of film and animation.


	 The Fund's primary objective is to provide systematic financing for the production of feature films for commercial distribution. The planned investment in the Fund is up to 8 billion rubles, with NMG contributing more than half of the funds.


	 NMG will provide preliminary guidance for the selection of projects, while the final decision on the Fund's financing will be made by the Fund's content committee, which will include representatives of NMG and RDIF. The Fund's content committee will be headed by Fyodor Bondarchuk, General Producer of NMG Studios, Director and Producer.


	 Thanks to the efforts of the Fund's team, the time to find investors will be significantly reduced, and the film market will be enriched with new spectacular films that will be of interest not only to Russian audiences, but also abroad, with the potential for distribution in friendly countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Furthermore, attracting investment from the Fund will enable film producers to undertake more technologically sophisticated projects, tailored to the most prevalent formats. To achieve this, the Fund is prepared to explore potential partnerships with other market players in Russia.


	 The applications may be submitted to the Fund via the following link: <a href="https://xn--d1ahfnafa1c.xn--p1ai/">https://кинофонд.рф</a> .


	 Svetlana Balanova, CEO of NMG:


	 “National Media Group initiated the creation of the Fund thinking about the future of our media industry, which is currently undergoing significant transformation. The key challenge for the industry is the rapid growth in the production of high-quality media content in all viewing environments in a short period of time. We are confident that our Fund will provide a new source of inspiration for the production of quality media products in Russia, thereby enhancing the industry's competitiveness. We are delighted that our idea to create the Fund was supported by RDIF, which has the highest expertise in investing in leading and promising companies. It is anticipated that the Fund will generate substantial returns for investors, including through the portfolio investment principle.”


	 Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF):


	 “Russian film and animation productions are highly popular with audiences and demonstrate high box office receipts. The film production market is growing in Russia, and the demand for quality content in various formats. This presents additional opportunities for talented Russian screenwriters, directors, and producers. The joint Fund with NMG, one of the leading media holdings, will select and assist in the realization of projects with the highest potential, which will increase the share of Russian film productions in the domestic market and, in the long term, in friendly countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, including the BRICS countries.”

NMG and RDIF create the Commercial Fund for the development of film and animation in Russia

The online cinema Wink.ru, National Media Group, NMG Studio, Studio Videoprokat, and the Solnechny Gorod charitable foundation launched the project <a href="https://xn--b1afech8akph4h.xn--p1ai/" target="_blank">трезвожить.рф</a>, highlighting the problem of alcohol addiction. On the project's website you can take an addiction test, get advice from a psychologist and contacts of supporting organisations in your city, and find out what to do if a loved one suffers from alcohol addiction.


	 On 13 March, a presentation of the project and a public talk on the issue of alcohol addiction were held at the Wink lecture hall at the Russia International Exhibition and Forum. The event was attended by representatives of non-profit organisations involved in supporting families affected by addiction, psychologists, the producers of the series, and the creators of the social project.


	 The authors were inspired by the TV series “Nevernye”, in which the life of the main character, a successful lawyer and happy mother, is destroyed by alcohol. The first episodes are already available in the Wink.ru, the online cinema offering original content from Wink Originals.


	 “The title “Nevernye” was born out of divorce cases. But most importantly, the story about infidels is about being unfaithful to ourselves. We often betray our ideas, thoughts, opinions, just like the main character of the film. This can lead to a range of issues, including addiction and alcoholism. As producers and authors, we are continuously seeking to identify the individuals who embody the values and characteristics of our era. Olga Shilkovskaya (Akinshina) is an exemplary heroine of our time. She is a strong, fierce, free, daring and charming woman who fights for survival and the future of her child, while suffering from addiction, which was the result of severe childhood traumas,” share Anna Kolchina, Author of the idea, and Anastasia Koretskay, Showrunner of the project.


	 The social project трезвожить.рф is an initiative to collect all the information about alcohol addiction, its underlying causes, and effective self- and family-support strategies. Through the story of Olga, the protagonist of the TV series “Nevernye”, the authors of the project tell not only about how addiction gradually destroys all spheres of life, but also about how to notice the first signs, where to turn for help, how to behave around such people. Furthermore, the website offers the option of scheduling a complimentary online consultation with a specialist.


	 “According to recent research, over 40% of Russians report that they know someone struggling with alcohol addiction. However, there is a significant gap in knowledge regarding effective support strategies for loved ones and reliable resources for self-help. The topic of helping addicts is often taboo, and addicts are often rejected not only by society but also by their loved ones,” says Maria Zalunina, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at NMG Holding. – “It is our objective to present content on the most complex social topics in a way that not only highlights the problem, but also provides the viewer with the tools to solve it. We are confident that this project will assist thousands of families in finding answers to challenging questions and solutions.”


	 “We always say that people are not born that way. Addiction is always a consequence of deeper problems, sometimes from childhood itself. And most importantly, alcoholism is a disease that can be treated. Трезвожить.рф is important not only because it contains a lot of information, but also because it is as open and honest as possible. We do not shame or judge anyone and we hope that thanks to this more people will feel comfortable asking for help,” said Marina Aksenova, Director of the Solnechny Gorod Charity Foundation.


	 After the end of the series, the website will continue to work as a full-fledged helping tool in the hands of the staff of the Solnechny Gorod Foundation, which will provide systematic assistance to all those who apply.

Not only in the cinema: the creators of the series “Nevernye” from Wink launches a social project about the problem of alcohol addiction

The premiere of “Sidorovy”, the first Russian sitcom scripted by artificial intelligence, was held on the <a href="https://vk.com/wall-18496184_3165019">VK Video</a> platform. The neural network was developed by students of Skillbox who used the popular STS series as a basis. The project, which is participating in the Pilot Festival, will present the story of the Sidorovs, whose head discovers that he is a character in the TV series.


	 According to the plot the Sidorovs (Georgy Dronov, Alina Alekseeva, Tatiana Orlova, Sergei Styopin, Alexander Novikov) live like typical sitcom heroes: they argue, joke, solve household problems, make friends with a silly neighbour (Maxim Sushko). But at some point, the head of the family notices that all events are like Groundhog Day, and the voiceover laughter haunts them. Then he realises that the family is living in a sitcom and decides to get out of it.


	 The Sidorovs are played by actors who have previously appeared in “The Voronins”, “Daddy's Daughters” and other STS series. The role of the silly neighbour and jock played by Maxim Sushko. He was selected through a casting process conducted on the VK Clips platform. The script which was not edited after neuronet the actors saw only on the set.


	 “Neural network is still in its early stages of development and the difference was perceptible, – Georgi Dronov shared. – But what we have done, of course, a bold experiment.” “I didn't notice any oddities. The text was written in a clear and coherent manner, I understood absolutely everything,” Tatiana Orlova recalls.


	 The A.I. TV Script Generator neural network was developed by students of the Data Scientist profession at the Skillbox educational platform. To train the artificial intelligence, the developers uploaded popular STS TV series, including “Rodcom”, “The Voronins”, “Dyldy”, “The Eighties” and “The Oligarch’s Wife”. Thousands of pages of text allowed to set algorithms that closely resemble the processes involved in writing a film script. The neural network learnt to independently generate its basic structural elements: time and place of action, characters' names, lines, remarks and other components.