Alexander Akopov

On April 25, 2024 the first graduates of the HSE Film Institute Master’s Programme ‘Film Production’ made their presentations at Gorky Film Studio. The academic supervisor of the programme, Polina Ilyina, proposed a speed dating format for the event. This allowed each student to present their script ideas to significant figures in the film industry, which will form the basis of future projects.

On April 19, the HSE Film Institute held a press conference on the topic of ‘Achievements and New Goals’ at the HSE University building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. In addition, students of the Actor educational programme presented the results of their first year of studying.

On March 12, the HSE University Pokrovka building hosted an Open Day. Applicants and their parents learned about the rules of admission in 2023, the university’s campuses in four cities, educational programmes, opportunities for extracurricular activities, and more. At the entrance, volunteers handed out maps of the campus with event locations, so that everyone could plan their own route through the stands, workshops, and other activities.

On November 17, the official launch of the educational project ‘Impact Content Laboratory’ took place at HSE University on Pokrovsky Bulvar. The project was created by the HSE Faculty of Creative Industries together with the National Media Group, the largest private media holding in Russia, the ‘Third Sector’ Laboratory of Social Communications, and the ‘Headliners. Impact Media’ club. The course starts in November 2022.

The Telling Stories Festival of Creative Industries is a non-profit project created in 2018 by HSE Faculty of Communications, Media and Design. This summer, for the first time, the festival won’t be held in Moscow, but, instead, will unite and expand the creative communities in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan. The capital of Tatarstan will host guests on June 11th, with an exhibition, free lectures, and concerts in some of the main venues around the city.

This year, the HSE Film Institute is welcoming its first applicants. How does the Institute teach screenwriters, directors, actors, and producers? How do the Institute’s degree programmes differ from those of other specialised universities? What’s a better way for students to enter the industry—arthouse or mainstream films? How will the industry deal with the economic crisis? Alexander Akopov, Director of the HSE Film Institute, answered these questions and more in an interview with the HSE News Service.

The founders of the HSE Film Institute have described it as an alternative to acknowledged film schools, a brand-new approach to cinema education, and a place to learn acting skills under the industry’s best teachers. On November 22, HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov welcomed renowned Russian film producers, actors and other industry professionals to an event dedicated to the new institute.

HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov has given an interview to RBC TV as part of the Eastern Economic Forum. Mr. Anisimov discussed his reception after joining the university, this year’s admissions campaign, working with Yaroslav Kuzminov, global trends in education and new subject areas for HSE University students. The HSE News service reports on the key points of the interview.