“Avatar: Flame and Ash,” the third installment in James Cameron’s franchise, hits theaters worldwide on December 19. Critics have received the film poorly, and the director himself has admitted the series may not continue. In Russia, cinemas plan to unofficially screen the blockbuster, but the release date is being pushed back. Here’s what’s wrong with the new “Avatar.”
YouTube has secured exclusive global streaming rights for the Oscars ceremony from 2029 to 2033. The Google-owned video platform won the auction for another five-year term of exclusive broadcast rights by offering more than competitors, including the ABC channel, which had held the rights since 1976.
This means the Oscars broadcast from 2029 to 2033 will be free for viewers worldwide on YouTube. As for ABC, which lost the auction, experts suggest the defeat may not have been too disappointing for the network, as exclusive broadcasting entails significant costs, and the sum paid by Google would have been a blow to the media company’s budget.
Ceremonies up to 2028, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its awards, will be exclusively broadcast by Disney.
In the second season, viewers will join the series’ characters in New Vegas—one of the key and most dangerous cities in the Fallout universe. Lucy heads there with the Ghoul, tracking her traitorous father, who is responsible for destroying an entire settlement. Film critics say the creators of “Fallout” have managed to preserve all the merits of one of the most popular shows in Prime Video’s history.
“Eternity,” a new romantic comedy from studio A24, is being released in Russia. The main character, Joan, who died of cancer, arrives in the afterlife and faces a difficult choice: she must decide who to spend eternity with. The contenders are her husband Larry, with whom she built a family and lived for 65 years, and her first love, Luke.
The opening ceremony of the XII International Festival took place on December 14 in the “Gorky Hall” at the Gorky Film Studio. Guests, including actors, directors, and other film industry representatives, as well as the first audience members, saw the short drama “Krovix,” directed by Mariam Khalilova, starring Yulia Snigir, Violetta Yamova, and Nikita Efremov.
The festival’s opening turned into an interactive journey through five cinematic eras—the silent film era, the sound era, the color era, the digital content era, and the artificial intelligence era.
The event concluded with a performance by the musical group “ME4TA,” fronted by theater and film actor Evgeny Tsyganov.
Other film screenings, educational programs, and business events for the festival will take place from December 15 to 21 at the Art Center of the “Institute of Contemporary Art” on “Krasny Oktyabr” at Bersenevskaya Embankment, 8, building 1.
Additionally, awards were presented to the winners of the Micro-Drama Pitch. This event was held for the first time in Russia by the production center MovieStart with the support of the company “Lime HD.” The winners were awarded by the General Director of the online platform “Kinolenta,” the CEO of the Short Drama Alliance, and the CEO of the leading micro-drama distributor RisingJoy.
Micro-Drama Pitch Laureates:
- 1st Place — Director Ivan Ponkratov, Producer Valeria Yaskula (“Marriage Games”);
- 2nd Place — Screenwriter Elena Arbuzova (“Mail-Order Bride”);
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Gorky Hall
Gorky Hall is a prominent cultural and entertainment venue in Moscow, Russia, originally built in 1927 as a cinema. It was later renamed in honor of the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky and became a key center for film screenings, concerts, and public events during the Soviet era. Today, it continues to operate as a popular cinema and cultural hub, reflecting its long-standing role in the city’s artistic life.Gorky Film Studio
Gorky Film Studio is a major film production company in Moscow, founded in 1915, making it one of the oldest and most historically significant studios in Russia. It is renowned for producing numerous classic Soviet films, particularly those for children and families, and was officially named after the writer Maxim Gorky in 1936. Today, it continues to operate as an active studio while also preserving a vast archive of Soviet cinematic heritage.Institute of Contemporary Art
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is a museum dedicated to showcasing contemporary art, often focusing on new and experimental works. Founded in 1936 in Boston as part of the Museum of Modern Art, it became an independent institution in 1939, establishing itself as one of the oldest museums in the United States devoted exclusively to contemporary art. Today, its mission is to present and support the art of our time, frequently through exhibitions, performances, and public programs.Krasny Oktyabr
“Krasny Oktyabr” (Red October) is a famous former chocolate and confectionery factory in Moscow, founded in 1851 by the German entrepreneur Theodor Ferdinand von Einem. After the Russian Revolution, it was nationalized and renamed “Red October,” becoming a symbol of Soviet industrial production. Today, the red-brick buildings on Bolotny Island have been transformed into a prominent cultural and creative cluster, housing art galleries, restaurants, and design studios.Bersenevskaya Embankment
Bersenevskaya Embankment is a historic riverside street in Moscow, Russia, located across the Moskva River from the Kremlin. It is most famous for housing the iconic **Red October** chocolate factory, which operated from the late 19th century until 2007, and the nearby 17th-century **Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at Bersenevka**. Today, the former factory buildings have been transformed into a vibrant cultural center with art galleries, restaurants, and offices.Oscars
The Oscars, officially the Academy Awards, are annual American awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. First held in 1929, the ceremony honors cinematic achievements and has become one of the most prominent and widely watched award shows in the world.Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is a professional honorary organization founded in 1927 to advance the arts and sciences of film. It is best known for presenting the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, which began in 1929 to recognize cinematic excellence.New Vegas
“New Vegas” is the nickname for the fictional, post-apocalyptic city-state featured in the video game *Fallout: New Vegas*. It is centered around the partially restored ruins of the real-world Las Vegas Strip, which survived a nuclear war relatively intact. In the game’s lore, it is ruled by the enigmatic Mr. House, who preserved the city using his defense systems and now controls it as a neon-lit hub of gambling, trade, and factional intrigue in the Mojave Wasteland.
