Experts have discussed problems of animation in the State Duma

02.04.2018

Animation is a combination of many factors which might be thought incompatible: creative work of different people, business interests, and educational role. How could they be brought together into harmonious union?

That question and many others were discussed at a round table Modern Russian Animation: Bringing up a Well-integrated Personality and Establishing a New Creative Industry. The round table was held in the State Duma Committee on Culture on 27 March. Top managers of the country’s leading animation studios, representatives of authorities, and famous artists participated in discussion.

Key questions of animation

The round table participants discussed a number of issues concerning the support for animated films. Some pertinent questions were raised: the role of animation in children’s education, promotion of Russian animation in overseas markets. Russian software development problems, and financial component of the industry. Thus, many producers believe that tax and duties legislation should be changed. It could reduce insurance rates and exempt realisation of the intellectual property rights from VAT when creating animated films.

Main vectors of development

Juliana Slashcheva, Chairman of the Board of Soyuzmultfilm, outlined three directions important for animation. First, industry should have its own development strategy separate from filmmaking. Second, animation has to become priority export industry. Third, it is necessary to increase the production. The support for author’s animation is very important as well.

Yuriy Norshteyn noted that problems of development should have not been substituted only by discussing problems of the industry. «Animation is an art, and business establishing does not always go strictly hand in hand with development of film art,» he said.

An issue of integration of animation into educational process has become another interesting topic for discussion. It was declared by Pavel Zenkovich, State Secretary — Deputy Minister of Education and Science. He added that cartoons will become available in base Electronic School of Russia, where one can find interactive classes of all school disciplines.