The Film Distribution Company «White Nights» distributes festival films from all around the world and promotes Russian cinema. The Company is focused on inspirational wide-audience movies with an emphasis on socially significant and current topics.

The distribution company White Nights was created in December 2019 as a part of the GPM KIT Group.

Customized approach to the promotion of every picture creates a unique opportunity for the expansion of audience. Every year the White Nights extends the pool of partners of federal significance: from movie theaters and movie theatre chains to All-Russian Cultural Centers and Museums. The Company organizes premieres and special screenings not only in large cities, but also in the regions, which helps to develop the audience’s interest in cinema throughout the country.

One of major directions of the Company’s operations is support of the films made by young directors and festival promotion of outstanding Russian films both within the country and abroad.

Distribution of Foreign Festival Films

In 2022 White Nights presented in Russia, such festival hits as:

The film by Xavier Giannoli “Lost Illusions” (Best Film Prize of the 2021 CESAR Film Festival, participant of the main program of the Venice Film Festival);

The drama film «Mothering Sunday», directed by Eva Husson (Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the movies were included to the official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival and London Film Festival. Special award «Outstanding Film by a Female Director» at 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival);

The film «The Courier» with Benedict Cumberbatch, released in February 2021, became one of the most successful releases in a segment of festival movies in the Russian yearly box-office.

One of the most expected high-profile releases of the 2021 is a biopic on Princess Diana «Spencer». The pictures premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, and in December, the picture was released in Russia. Kristen Stewart was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Diana.  

In 2021, the Company re-released four pictures regarded as «the ageless classics»: three movies by Woody Allen («Midnight in Paris», «To Rome with Love», «Magic in the Moonlight») and «La-La-Land» - musical directed by Damien Chazelle.

The first movie released by the White Nights was “A Hidden Life” by Terrence Malick (participant of the main program of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, awarded with the Prize of the Ecumenical (Christian) Jury and the François Chalais Prize).

                                   

Promotion of the Russian art films

One of the first and major releases by White Nights was the “Doctor Lisa” movie. The film is dedicated to the memory of Elizaveta Petrovna Glinka, head of the “Fair Aid” Fund, who tragically died in the plane crush in 2016. The Picture tells a story of one day in her life.  Chulpan Khamatova performs the leading role in the film; an impressive cast also includes Konstantin Khabensky, Timofey Tribuntsev, Yulia Aug, Tatyana Dogileva, Elena Koreneva and others.

The Picture had a triumphal festival success. The film participated in the Shanghai International Film Festival in the International Panorama program; won the Audience Choice Awards at the 2020 Kinotavr , two “Nika” awards (best performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and best performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role), and also won the «Golden Eagle» for the Best Motion Picture Soundtrack.

The Russian release of Vadim Perelman’s drama "Persian Lessons" happened March 2021. The world premiere of the film took place at the Berlin International Film Festival within the Berlinale Special program, where the film was greeted by a ten-minute standing ovation. A picture about a Jewish man who invents a language to survive in a concentration camp was nominated for an Oscar by Belarus in the Best Foreign Film category.

The Russian premiere screening of the film took place at the International Moscow Film Festival.

In 2021, the Company successfully promoted the «Gerda» movie at the film festivals. Art House film by Natalia Kudryashova received two awards at Locarno, one of the most renowned European film festivals («Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role» and «Youth Jury Prize»). French director, Gaspar Noe, described the film as "inspirational": he admired the performance of a young actress, Anastasia Krasovskaya, and visuals of the picture created by a cinematographer Vasiliy Grigolyunas.

In 2021, the company has 2 premieres at the Main Russian Film Festival Kinotavr: “Gerda” movie (Special Jury Prize) and a film by Grigoriy Dobrynin «At Close Distance».

In 2022  the distributor released a psychological thriller by a young director Veta Geraskina, “Another name”, with Svetlana Khodchenkova in a leading role.

The Company plans to diversify its portfolio with movies for children and young adult audience by strengthening partnerships with general educational institutions, Russian Children and Youth Centers and Social and Cultural Projects.