REALIST: Vertical Drama International Festival is a new addition to the busy summer event calendar, taking place in Moscow from July 10 to 20.
The event aims to bring together audiences, platforms, rights holders, producers, and creators in the vertical content space. There will be in-person and online components. The organizers have invited participants from 25 countries.
REALIST is being organized by Anton Kalinkin, founder; Katerina Pshenitsyna, program director (and GM TwelveP Animation) and Zhan Prosyanov, director of business development at Chill.
The agenda will include an awards competition open to microdramas, vertical series, and animated vertical series across genres; plus panels on the future of vertical content in Russia and CIS, masterclasses, and more.
The festival will be hosted on Chill, which is launching a vertical mobile app specifically for the event.
Kalinkin said: “REALIST is designed as a practical entry point for international creators and platforms looking at the Russian-speaking market. At a time when the vertical format is scaling globally, we’re creating a space where partners can test content, build relationships and explore real distribution opportunities in a territory that’s only beginning to take shape.”
Pshenitsyna added, “Vertical storytelling is moving faster than the traditional festival circuit. REALIST reflects both its creative edge and commercial potential, while offering international players a direct entry point into the still-untapped Russian-speaking market.”
Prosyanov added, “REALIST is a strategic step for Chill, opening the door to international partnerships and content acquisition in the vertical space. We see it as the foundation for a broader platform connecting Russian-speaking audiences with global creators.”
