“Feature-Length Time”: Animation Film Association to Hold Its First Session at the St. Petersburg International Content Forum

From September 21 to 24, 2026, St. Petersburg is hosting the St. Petersburg International Content Forum, one of the largest industry events for professionals working in film, television, digital media, and the content market. This year, for the first time, the Animation Film Association will hold its own discussion session as part of the Forum, focusing on the development of Russian feature-length animation.

On September 23, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre will host the discussion session “Feature-Length Time: How Russian Animation Is Changing.” The session will be held as part of the thematic track “Content in a Unified Digital Environment: Film, Digital Media, TV.”

The Russian animation industry is currently undergoing a significant transformation. After several years of growth, the total volume of animation production fell from 170 hours to 130 hours in 2025. At the same time, an increasing number of studios are directing resources towards feature-length projects, which are longer, more capital-intensive, and require specific approaches to production and promotion.

Participants will discuss why Russian animation studios are increasingly turning to feature films, how production and business models in the industry are changing, what determines the commercial success of an animated film in cinemas today, and whether a new brand can compete for audience attention with established characters and franchises.

The discussion will bring together representatives of leading Russian animation companies and studios. Participants will include Yulia Osetinskaya, General Producer of Soyuzmultfilm Studio; Albina Mukhametzyanova, CEO and General Producer of YARKO Animation Company; Tatiana Pavlova, Producer of the Smeshariki project; Tatiana Belova, General Producer of Chernovik; Yulia Artemyeva, CEO of Parovoz Studio; Igor Shibanov, founder of Lux Cinema and CEO of the SuperGeroy TV channel; Vadim Sotskov, CEO of KinoAtis; and Darina Schmidt, creator of the animated series Luntik and His Friends.

The discussion will be moderated by Irina Mastusova, Executive Director of the Animation Film Association.

For the first time, a dedicated session organised by the Animation Film Association will become part of the business programme of the St. Petersburg International Content Forum. It will bring together representatives of leading industry companies for a professional discussion on structural changes in the market and the prospects for the development of Russian feature-length animation.

The discussion session “Feature-Length Time: How Russian Animation Is Changing” will take place on September 23 from 4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg.