A student short film set in contemporary Russia, where a hidden wizarding world is threatened by non-magicians, who are hostile towards the hidden magic world. The Master of the Guard of the Supreme Council of Magic and Enchantment, Alexey Bahrushin (Vasiliy Zotov), loses his magic and must avoid revealing this, hoping to prevent a future war between the magicians and the non-magicians.

The film is just thirty minutes long and is inspired by the Harry Potter film series, which is very evident in the style and look of the film. Overall, the film is evidently made by students, as even though the production design and the visual effects are quite convincing, the camera work, acting performances and sound design are lacking the professionalism, therefore to an untrained eye it does seem like a good piece of work and for a graduate film - it is. However, knowing what can be achieved by film students it is in minor respect disappointing to see, but there is a place for improvement.

Reading about the backstory and seeing all the passion and attention to the details put into the film, makes us hope for the better future in cinematography in Russia. The film is only available in Russian language with English subtitles for now, however I hope that this will not hinder the ability of anyone to enjoy this piece of work.

Russian cinema is distinguished by its epic scale, philosophical depth, and innovative visual language. It often explores history, ideology, and the human psyche, with a tradition of psychological realism and artistic experimentation. Russian cinema contributed revolutionary theories of editing and later a spiritual approach to film language. It remains known for combining formal experimentation with profound explorations of endurance and belief.

Nikolay Grinko, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, and Anatoliy Solonitsyn in Stalker (1979)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The fantasy genre features imaginative and often magical worlds, characters, and events. It explores realms beyond the boundaries of reality, featuring elements such as magic, mythical creatures, supernatural powers, and fantastical settings. These stories can take place in entirely fictional worlds or blend fantastical elements with real-world settings.

Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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In contemporary Russia there exists a hidden world - a world of magic and enchantment. Magicians have to hide from the nonmag society surrounding them, a society they are disdainful of, some even hostile towards. The Master of the Guard of the Supreme Council of Magic and Enchantment, Bakhrushin, loses his magic abilities and must not only avoid revealing this, but also prevent the war brewing between the magicians and the nonmagi.

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Vasiliy Zotov, Grigoriy Perel, Anton Shurtsov, Veronika Timofeeva, Mikhail Kremer, and Elizaveta Ryzhikh in Magic First (2018)

Michael Gor, Grigoriy Perel, Veronika Timofeeva, and Elizaveta Ryzhikh in Magic First (2018)

Grigoriy Perel, Anton Shurtsov, Veronika Timofeeva, and Mikhail Kremer in Magic First (2018)

Vasiliy Zotov, Grigoriy Perel, and Veronika Timofeeva in Magic First (2018)

Vasiliy Zotov and Elizaveta Ryzhikh in Magic First (2018)

Magic First

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