"MTS Media" launches its own KIONFILM film and series production studio

The "MTS Media" holding, which unites the entertainment businesses of MTS's digital ecosystem, announced the separation of its original content production division into an independent business and the launch of series production under the new KIONFILM studio. The studio’s primary task will be to produce projects for the KION online cinema, as well as for other online platforms, TV channels, and theatrical distribution.

KIONFILM’s production capacity is over 30 projects per year, a significant portion of which will be filmed exclusively for the KION online cinema. This includes feature films, documentaries, series in various genres, and non-scripted projects.

Currently, several projects are in script development, including the series "Capitalists" about key eras in the Russian economy in collaboration with "VAM studio," the large-scale project "The Captain's Daughter" in partnership with Star Media, "Dowel Island" based on a script by Andreyzolotaryov in collaboration with COSMOS Studio, and the series "Prints" with a script by Nikita Kukartsev featuring Oksana Akinshina and Dmitry Chebotarev in leading roles, directed by Sergey Filatov ("Lesson").

Among the series currently in production and preparing for release are the following projects from the studio: the comedy "Actor" featuring Dmitry Nagiyev and Anton Lapenko, with the participation of the film company "Place of Power," the detective drama "Reservation" starring Philipp Yankovsky and Denis Shvedov, produced in collaboration with Team Films, the comedy "Theatrical Zone" in partnership with "K.B.A." featuring Nikita Kologriviy and Oleg Vereshchagin, and in partnership with LOOKFILM: the crime comedy "Hit" with Makar Khlebnikov and Elizaveta Ishchenko and the comedy "Nerealiti-2" featuring Olga Dibtseva, Nikolay Fomenko, and Inga Oboldina, along with the LEGIO FELIX comedy "Zheka Russell" with Eldar Kalimulin, Ekaterina Klimova, and Sergey Novosad.

Previously, the studio has also taken on the following projects: the third season of the public hit - the series "Kidney" with Lyubov Aksenova, Nikolay Fomenko, and Dmitry Lysenkov, and the comedy "Call Vitya!" with Ilya Sobolev and Sasha Bortich in collaboration with LOOKFILM, the dramedy "Mamin Syn" with the "Videoprokat" studio featuring Evgeny Tsyganov, Paulina Andreeva, and Nikita Voronov, the melodrama "Grapes" with Pavel Priluchny, Nino Ninidze, and Yegor Koreshkov with the participation of "Studio Chekhov".

KIONFILM's work entails active interaction with television channels and streaming platforms for further content distribution, as well as the production of feature films for theatrical release.

Feature films currently in production include the musical film "[Alice in Wonderland](/games?search=Алиса в стране чудес)" featuring Anna Peresild, Milosh Bikovich, and Paulina Andreeva in collaboration with Mediaslovo and "Gazprom-Media Holding," the folk comedy "Heroes of Anecdotes" with Alexey Maklakov, Viktor Loginov, and Olga Tumaykina, the film "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" with Elizaveta Moryak, Pavel Priluchny, and Nikita Kologriviy, and the feature film "Life by Call" with Pavel Priluchny and Liza Moryak with "K.B.A.", the adventurous comedy "Be My Boyfriend" with Sasha Bortich, Evgeny Kulik, and Daniil Vorobyov and the film "OLD NEW FORMER" with Elizaveta Bazykina and Yan Tsapnik with the participation of KULIK PRODUCTION, "Family Happiness" with Evgeny Tsyganov, Irina Rozanova, and Marietta Tsigal-Polishchuk with RockFilms studio.

The new KIONFILM studio has signed exclusive contracts with several creative teams, showrunners, directors, and screenwriters, which implies participation in creating the studio’s projects - both series and feature films:

• The film company KULIK PRODUCTION - showrunners, producers, and directors Evgeny Kulik, Alexandra Lupashko, Sergey Naumov, Alexander Naumov, and others;

• The film company LUCKY FILMS and showrunners Ivan Rymarev, Georgy Gigashvili;

• Sergey Filatov - director, showrunner, screenwriter;

• Andrey Junkovsky (director, showrunner) and Ilya Ovsenev (director, showrunner);

• Screenwriters Yulia Savenkova and Nikita Kukartsev.

Maxim Filatov will be the general director of the studio, while Ilya Burets will serve as the general producer.

Maxim Filatov has been the director of content production for the KION online cinema for over 5 years, since the platform's preparation for launch, and has worked in the film industry for over 15 years. He has produced original KION projects - "Crystal," "Kidney," "Mutual Agreement," "Life by Call," "Murder Vacation," and others. Previously, he held a similar position at 1-2-3 Production, where he worked on creating projects such as "Epidemic," "Polar," "Outpost," and others.

Ilya Burets is the creative director of the KION online cinema. He has worked in the media industry for over 15 years and before joining KION held the position of creative director at the Department of Original Production for the online cinema "Ivi." He produced projects such as "Bitter!", "Principless," "Magomaev," "Lada Gold," "Clinical No. 13," "Golden Bottom," and others.

In the collaborative work of producers Maxim Filatov and Ilya Burets within the KION online cinema, the following popular projects have been released: Valeria Guy Germanika's drama "Mutual Agreement. New Season," the international action drama "Amura" featuring Alena Mikhailova and Yuri Kolokolnikov, the series based on Sergey Minaev's script "First Number" with Evgeny Tsyganov, the satirical comedy "Dear Relative" with Timofey Tribuntsev and Anna Mikhailkova, and the mystical melodrama "Tango on the Shards" with Yulia Snigir and Denis Shvedov.

The producers will continue to work within the KION online cinema, ensuring continuity and expertise in the platform’s content policy.

Sofia Mitrofanova, the general director of the "MTS Media" holding, explains the new step: "The holding's brand portfolio is enriched with a new powerful component - its studio, the emergence of which has become a logical step in the development of the KION online cinema. The youngest streaming platform in Russia has quickly gained production capacity and presented viewers with a line of original projects with their own character and system of values. Now we are separating production into an independent business and scaling it to become suppliers of quality content for the entire Russian film industry."

Alexey Ivanov, the general director of the KION online cinema, spoke about the principles of the new studio's work: "KION online cinema projects have their own recognizable DNA - a set of qualities that makes them stand out against the content of other streamings and TV channels. As we begin work within the KIONFILM studio, we intend to preserve the core of this DNA, telling people honest and deep stories about the problems of their close circle. It has always been and remains essential for us to work both with popular and long-beloved authors and to give a voice to young filmmakers, who are the future of our industry. The producers working at KION possess confident expertise in this area and will apply it within the studio's work."

The studio's team is being formed from KION producers. Among them are creative producers Yana Lebedeva ("Clinical No. 13," "Lada Gold"), Nikita Gerfanov ("Baby Tour," "Sergiy Against the Unclean," "Ivanovs-Ivanovs"), Oleg Mastich ("Kitchen," "Hero"), Yulia Shchetinina ("Mirror for the Werewolf"). The producer Irina Shcherbovich-Vecher will become KIONFILM's production director; she previously worked in the production department of the KION online cinema. Under Irina's guidance, the production team is being formed.

KION Originals' self-produced projects are in demand on federal TV channels, online cinemas, and are actively distributed to the market: series such as "Crystal," "First Number," "Mutual Agreement," and others have been broadcast on the First Channel, "Crystal," "Happiness Clinic," and "Durov" on the "Ivi" online cinema, the comedy "Murder Vacation" and melodrama "Tango on the Shards" on the Start online cinema, and series such as "Kidney," "Uncle Lesha," "Murder Vacation," and others on the TNT channel.

*"KIONFILM Studio is a new player in the film production market, which will become an independent unit in the content business of the "MTS Media" holding and will target a broad audience. At KION, we conduct extensive research on our audience, carefully analyze their requests, and consider feedback. At the same time, every viewer is important to us: we aim both for theatrical release, which covers the broadest spectrum of the popular audience, and for the production of potential hits for online platforms, in our work with authors of whom we see a great future", - commented the general director of KIONFILM Studio, Maxim Filatov.

"In working on the original projects of KION online cinema, a solid team has formed, comprising both experienced producers who have worked in other productions and streamings, as well as talents who have grown within KION's production department. Therefore, the new KIONFILM studio already has a staff of highly professional employees, who are not just ready for the streaming release of content but also understand what viewers love projects for KION for their unique set of qualities. We promise to maintain this continuity and attentive consideration of our audience's values and needs," - said the general producer of KIONFILM Studio, Ilya Burets.

KIONFILM Studio will become part of the "MTS Media" holding, which unites the entertainment businesses of MTS's digital ecosystem in online and offline environments: KION online cinema, MTS Live, MTS Music, Strokes, MTS Label. The studio will be the center of content expertise for "MTS Media" - the knowledge about new projects produced within the studio will be developed with the support of other holding services.