RUSSIANS HOPE TO GIVE FILIPINOS A glimpse of their culture via the first-ever Russian Film Festival to be held in August, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) announced last week.

The festival will showcase six classic Russian films and six new movies on two weekends?Aug. 14-16, and 21-23. Another screening, from Aug. 28-30, will be held in Cebu City, FDCP chair Rolando S. Atienza told Inquirer on Tuesday.

This was discussed during a meeting between Russian Ambassador Vitaly Y. Vorobiev and FDCP officials last week. Vorobiev also discussed the possibility of Russian filmmakers coming to Manila for a roundtable discussion with their local counterparts.

?Filipino audiences should be exposed to as wide a variety of viewpoints as possible,? said Digna Santiago, executive director of FDCP?s Philippine Film Export Services Office.

The meeting was held April 1 at the Russian ambassador?s residence in Manila. Also present were FDCP?s Marinella Suzara; Armi Lopez Garcia, Honorary Consul of Russian Federation in Cebu; Baby Buñag of the Russian-Philippine Friendship Society; Tatiana Kalashnikova of the Russian Embassy; Dmitry V. Larionov, Protocol Assistant to the Ambassador; Imee Marcos, president of Creative Media and Film Society of the Philippines.