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: https://кинофонд.рф .

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.”