Russia’s Roskino, the government-backed advocacy organization for the nation’s film and TV industry, has been barred from participating in Series Mania, the international TV showcase that will unfold in Northern France next month, Variety has confirmed.
The Russian org was expected to host a presentation of buzzed-about content at Series Mania’s industry showcase in Lille, which runs from March 18-25. The festival disinvited Roskino after the French culture ministry vetoed its presence at at the event in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The news of Series Mania’s stand against Roskino was first reported by Screen.
Roskino has in recent years ramped up its presence at key industry events, reflecting the emergence of new generation of Russian filmmakers on the international scene. Many of these events will be held in France in the coming months, notably the MipTV market, Cannes Series festival and the Marché du Film, all set to take place in Cannes in April and May, respectively. It remains to be seen whether these events will follow Series Mania’s footsteps. Unlike Series Mania, the Cannes Marché du Film, Cannes Series and MipTV are staged by private businesses that do not depend on the French government.
On Saturday, Ukraine’s film and TV groups asked for a boycott of Russian media and the severing of business ties with Russian entities. Kyiv Media Week, a film and TV market taking place in the Ukrainian capital, issued a letter to call for a ban on Russian propaganda.
Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, the country has been ousted from a number of major events. The football’s Champions League final which was supposed to take place in St. Petersburg in May has been moved to Paris, while the the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has barred Russia from taking part in upcoming Eurovision contest in May.