Adelina Gizatullina

Last week marked the conclusion of the first Student Short Film Festival “Proba.” The event was organized by the College of Information and Creative Technologies IThub and the Meridian Cultural Center. Over 150 films from 12 cities and 43 educational institutions across Russia and the CIS were submitted. The films were created by young directors, and the festival’s theme focused on family values, youth engagement, and creative self-expression.

Awards:

• Best Screenplay: “Psychologist” directed by Kirill Kistanov (Academy of Cinema and TV, Almaty) and “A Thousand Kilometers North” directed by Oleg Terekhov (VGIK, Moscow).
• Best Direction: “Date” directed by Sofya Babiy (GITR, Moscow) and “Cunning” directed by Adelina Gizatullina (Moscow Film School).
• Best Films: “What Blooms Without a Flower” directed by Olga Knyazkova (GITR, Moscow) and “Pirozhki Are Non-Returnable” directed by Georgy Egorychev (IThub College).

Sergey Mats, General Producer of the “Proba” Film Festival and Head of the “Film Production” program at IThub College, commented:
“We created this festival as a launchpad for those taking their first steps in the film profession. Its mission is not only to identify talent but also to provide real support, bringing young creators, audiences, and recognized industry experts together on one platform.”

Alexander Moskalev, Director of the Meridian Cultural Center, added:
“Muscovites show great interest in such events, as the festival’s leitmotif—intergenerational connection and family values—resonates deeply.”

The event concluded with a special screening of “The Two” by director Mikhail Bogin, who turned 89 this year. The film won the Grand Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1965 in the Short Film category.

About IThub College:
The College of Information and Creative Technologies IThub trains specialists for the creative and IT industries using a business-oriented methodology. Representatives from over 100 leading companies serve on its industry advisory boards. The Film Production Department prepares showrunners, screenwriters, cinematographers, sound engineers, directors, producers, and acting specialists.

Mikhail Sumbatyan, founder of IThub Group, noted that the college’s methodology is scaled through a franchise model, with 15 campuses across Russia serving over 8,000 students. This approach helps combat youth migration from the regions and supports the development of the digital economy. The “Proba” Film Festival contributes to the creative growth of the nation’s young talent, forming part of IThub’s mission.

“In today’s world, we don’t just educate; we shape the industry’s future by creating programs focused on desired outcomes. The creative industries are evolving rapidly, and we produce not classic cinema but a new form that meets contemporary challenges. Without structured education, any industry is unsustainable. Our goal is to provide students with theory and practical conditions to create and showcase their works, helping them confidently advance professionally while developing the industry alongside us,” Sumbatyan emphasized.

Lyudmila Myasnikova, Chair of the Expert Advisory Council at the Moscow Department of Education, highlighted the potential of integrating media classes into filmmaking:
“By developing student film production, we see enormous opportunities to involve schoolchildren from Moscow’s media education programs. This is one of the most promising directions in our work.”

Maxim Bure, Deputy Chair of the Education Commission of the Moscow Public Chamber, reminded that, under government initiatives, an additional 2.6 billion rubles per year from the federal budget will be allocated to support film production from 2025 to 2030.