Mission possible: How Indian companies can shoot films in Russia

This April, Indian company AGS Entertainment spent two weeks in Moscow shooting scenes for their action film The Greatest of All Time, due to come out on 5 September. This is the first foreign film to be shot in Russia for which the filming process was arranged online. 

In this article, we are looking at the filming opportunities Russia offers and how to take advantage of them.

Shooting locations in Moscow and Russia

Several Indian films are at least partially shot in Russia every year. According to Gulnara Agamova, CEO of the Creative Industries Agency, Moscow has long been a reliable location for Indian filmmakers, and interest has been increasing in recent years.

Roskino and other related organisations hold regular events for Indian film company representatives. For example, in April 2023, an Indian delegation visited several sites in Moscow, Moscow Region, and Sochi as part of the Filming Locations in Russia project run by the Creative Industries Agency. In November, representatives of major Indian production companies visited the state-of-the-art facilities at METMACH Cinema Creative Center, Moskino Production & Experience Park, and Mosfilm.

“The Indian delegation were impressed by the opportunities and cutting-edge facilities that Moscow’s studios have to offer, in particular the sets at Moskino Production & Experience Park, which feature city streets and Moscow’s landmark sites in different historical periods, the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square included,” reports Gulnara Agamova.

Moscow boasts the most developed film infrastructure of any city in Russia, which is why roughly 90% of Russia’s annual film output is shot in Moscow, equating to around 290 projects.

“Thanks to digital services and film industry clusters, Moscow may well be the best city in the world for media content production. The Russian capital’s film infrastructure is bigger even than its Hollywood and Bollywood counterparts,” continues Agamova. “Today, the city commonly hosts shoots for Indian action films, comedies, and dramas. Films are often shot in historical locations that put Moscow’s most recognisable landmarks on the screen.”

Ilya Tolstov, head of the Moskino Digital Platform, specifies that the platform offers access not only to the Russian capital’s exterior sets, but also to its studio spaces. It is much easier to organise studio filming as you don’t need to obtain a permit from the city authorities. “City parks continue to be the most popular location among filmmakers and include Sokolniki, Izmaylovsky Park, and Gorky Park. Popular streets include Nikolskaya ulitsa and Lavrushinsky pereulok. Moscow streets are one of the most in-demand locations even among all the options available at the Production & Experience Park,” he says.

Other locations are also available. “If a film company wants to shoot in Ural or another Russian region, the Creative Industries Agency can put them in touch with local film commissions or regional ministries of culture. We provide support in regions where film commissions are already active, as well as in those where the concept is only just starting to take root,” explains Gulnara Agamova.

Lake Baikal is one example of an interesting alternative location. In January 2023, this is where Yash Raj Films shot a full-length sequence for the action film Pathaan.

Organising filming in Moscow

Applications requesting assistance with the filmmaking process in Moscow are only accepted on the Moskino Digital Platform, a one-stop shop for arranging filming within the city boundaries. Any Russian filmmaker can submit an application.

“In autumn 2023, Digital Platform went online in pilot mode. Before launching this large-scale project, we undertook a thorough study of similar schemes worldwide. We analysed digital services catering for the film industry in the UK, the US, South Korea, Hungary, and others,” recounts Ilya Tolstov. “At Moskino, we aimed to create a service that would offer more functions than ever before. The goal was to reduce production expenses and expedite the filming approval process.”

The platform provides information about the filming opportunities Moscow offers in English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and Thai, in addition to Russian. “Our counterparts overseas have shown interest from the start, and now our services are accessible to filmmakers in those countries with whom we have a friendly working relationship that we aim to develop further going forward. We plan to add an Arabic version of the site in the near future,” comments Ilya Tolstov.

The platform offers services to cover the entire film production cycle, from renting premises and props to manufacturing sets, arranging the production process, and training.

All agency and consulting services available on the platform are provided free of charge. 

Ilya Tolstov notes that foreign film companies are currently unable to file direct applications on the platform. They can either establish a Russian legal entity, get all the necessary details, and proceed using the Digital Platform that way, or they can partner with a Russian production company. In the latter case, filming applications will be filed by the partner company.

As a first step, a film company representative can consult the platform managers for advice—on finding a partner, for example. There is a form at the bottom of the page to help them do so.

Assistance can also be sought from the Creative Industries Agency. “We help companies file applications on the Moskino Digital Platform, provide visa support, and help obtain equipment transfer permits and organise filming,” says Gulnara Agamova.

How long the approval process takes depends on the type of filming in question. The easiest request to have approved is for filming through a park, which might take around 7 business days to process. Managers will check the application over one or two days before forwarding it to the public authorities, who will take a further one to three business days to consider it. Filming options that involve pyrotechnics, prop guns, and special effects can take up to 50 business days to get approval.

Taking advantage of the incentives

In 2021, Yash Raj Films shot an action film codenamed Production 70 in St Petersburg. The film crew recouped 40% of their expenses, amounting to $650,000. This amount was calculated on the basis of the budget communicated by the film company as part of the filming approval process. The reimbursement allowed them to increase the number of locations and action scenes they included.

According to the law, rebate incentives can only be obtained by Russian entities. As is the case with access to the digital platform, a foreign company can get around this by establishing a Russian representative body or partnering with a Russian production company.

Applications are accepted several times a year rather than on a continuous basis. Up-to-date information on available incentives and grants can be requested at the negotiation and shoot planning stage from the Moskino Film Commission or the Creative Industries Agency.

Incentives are granted by the Moscow Mayor's Office (via the Creative Industries Agency), the Ministry of Economic Development (via the Russian Export Center), and the Ministry of Culture. Regional programmes are also available.