Published on: 2026-10-18
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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This year in Moscow, two support programs for film producers were relaunched — grants for creating the image of the capital in cinema and for promoting domestic films. The first one allows receiving from two to 20 million rubles. The second is aimed at promoting projects for children and youth, as well as films intended to strengthen traditional spiritual and moral values or dedicated to the events and participants of the special military operation. The subsidy allows reimbursing up to 70 percent of advertising costs.
In different storylines, Moscow can appear to viewers as modern, historical, or even fairy-tale. Among the projects that have already received a grant are the series “Casanova. On the Run,” the family film “Hag Upon Our Heads,” and the musical drama “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears. Everything Is Just Beginning.”
Summer of 1980
The creators of the series “Casanova. On the Run” transported the viewer to one of the brightest periods in the history of the capital. The action of the second season of the retro detective takes place on the eve of the 1980 Olympics. The director of the eight-episode film by “Amedia Production” was Sergey Komarov, and Anton Khabarov once again played the lead role.
“In our film ‘Casanova. On the Run’ we show Moscow on the eve of the 1980 Olympics, during a period when the city is bustling, changing, and living in anticipation of a big event. It was important for us to convey the atmosphere of that era, its energy, scale, and the special charm of the capital. Moscow in our film is shown through the eyes of a person who sincerely loves this city,” said producer Pavel Sarychev.
City support provides producers not only with additional financial resources but also with the opportunity to more frequently appeal to the image of Moscow, making it part of the film’s dramaturgy. For filmmakers, this is also a real chance to work in the capital: to shoot in Moscow, showcase both historical and modern Moscow, and tell viewers about its transformations.
At the same time, the application procedure for the film crew is quite simple. The paperwork does not take much time, and the creators gain additional resources for filming the movie.
The place where reality and fairy tales intersect
From another angle, the capital can be seen in the family film “Yaga on Our Heads.” Here, a modern city becomes a space where a fairy tale literally intrudes into everyday life.
“Moscow in our film is not just a background, but actually a separate character. It is precisely within the city that miracles become possible: a Moscow house comes to life, stands on chicken legs, and opens a portal to a fairy-tale world. The city acts as a point of intersection between reality and magic—without it, the very logic of the plot would be impossible,” said Alla Sobetski, a representative of the film company ‘Studio +1.’
The grant allowed the filmmakers to devote more attention to the on-screen image of the capital than would have been possible within a standard production budget.
The city as the scenery of life
The capital also plays a special role in the musical drama “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears. Everything Is Just Beginning.” The eight-episode project was created by the film companies “Vodorod” and “NMG Studio.” Its directors are Olga Dolmatovskaya and Zhora Kryzhovnikov. At the heart of the story are three heroines whose lives have been inextricably linked with the capital for many years, and the city itself becomes part of their biography.
The producer of “Hydrogen,” Pavel Gorin, said that Moscow became not just the setting, but a part of the heroines’ fates: here they search for themselves, find friendship and love, go through trials, and get a chance to start anew. It was important for the creators to convey a vivid sense of the city, familiar to them from their own youth, not just to show its beauty.
The streets and squares of the capital familiar to the viewer live and change together with the characters in the project, even becoming full-fledged participants in major musical scenes.
According to Pavel Gorin, the grant simultaneously serves as support for producers and additional motivation to create projects in which the capital plays a significant role. He also specifically noted the work of the Moscow Film Commission, which helps organize the filming process at city locations. With its assistance, filming in the city has become significantly easier. The team knows the capital well, understands the specifics of filming, works very attentively, and responds promptly to requests. This is incredibly valuable for film production.
Grant application intake
The grant support program for creating the image of Moscow in cinema has been operating in the capital since 2019. It is received by film producers whose projects make the city part of the screen space: recognizable places, buildings, parks, and estates, as well as sites of the Moscow film cluster, appear on screen.
Last year, 15 projects received grants. Among them were “Mastodont-2,” “Dear Willy,” “Yaga on Our Head,” “The Last Warrior. Legacy,” “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears. Everything Is Just Beginning,” “Kazachok-2,” “Son-in-Law,” “Casanova. On the Run,” and others. Admission applications The application period for receiving financial support for creating the image of the capital in cinema and for promoting domestic films will continue until November 30.
The city as a film set: where movies and TV series are shot in MoscowRemove the story: how Moscow became the film production capital of patriotic movies
The mos.ru portal features a large-scale special project, dedicated to the development of key areas in Moscow. Among them are transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction. The special project helps to understand how the capital has changed over recent years, what initiatives are currently being implemented to make city life even more comfortable, and what awaits Moscow and its residents in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, Heritage, and Leisure Industry” It is possible to learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital. Moscow is the center of the country’s cultural life and holds one of the leading positions among megacities in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. A film cluster has been created in the city, uniting the Mosfilm studio on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Gorky Film Studio, and the Mosfilm Film Park.
Get the main news promptly on the official channels of the city of Moscow in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
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