MOSCOW, April 20 Many foreign directors did not take part in the Moscow International Film Festival due to fear and difficulties with logistics, said the program director of the festival Ivan Kudryavtsev .
“The international political context in which the MIFF works is inevitable. It leaves its mark, many directors write that they would like to come, but they are afraid, they can’t, they don’t know how they will react to it in their homeland,” — said the source of the agency.
According to Kudryavtsev, it is also difficult for some directors to come because of difficulties with logistics. «World logistics has not yet recovered from the pandemic, plus the sanctions that Russia is now facing are leaving their mark on routes,» Kudryavtsev said.
The program director emphasized that in terms of geographical representation and the number of guests, the film festival still «maintains its level and remains one of the most popular and significant film forums in the world.»
MIFF is one of the oldest festivals in the world, it was first held in 1935, the chairman of the jury was director Sergei Eisenstein. The festival has been held regularly since 1959.