Workshops for participants of the video essay contest "Dreams of the Future" are available in personal accounts

The National Centre RUSSIA is launching practical workshops as part of the All-Russian Contest "Dreams of the Future." Two workshops have been made available to registered participants of the contest in the personal accounts of team members on the official website dream.russia.ru starting from 7 April.

Participants can go through the entire process of creating a video — from developing the idea to final editing. Experts will share proven methods and life hacks on screenwriting and filming, and will discuss the importance of video storytelling as a powerful tool of influence.

The topic of the first workshop is: "Within the coordinates of science fiction: why do science fiction writers manage to look into the future? An analysis of modern trends and their impact on society."

The speaker of the online workshop will be Larisa Mikhaylova, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Senior Research Fellow at Moscow State University, Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Supernova," and coordinator of the sections "The Fantastic in Art."

The workshop is dedicated to discussing the role of science fiction in the modern world. Participants will learn why literature and cinema today increasingly turn to the themes and techniques developed within this genre. The expert will also talk about key works that shape the face of science fiction.

"I believe that the significance of the All-Russian Video Essay Contest 'Dreams of the Future' for young participants lies primarily in the fact that it allows them to reflect on modern scientific achievements and ways to describe what is happening around us through literature," says Larisa Mikhaylova.

The topic of the second workshop is: "Secrets of screenwriting: from idea to filming".

This workshop is focused on script structure, the creation of a protagonist and antagonist, and key turning points in the storyline. Writer, author of the Nova Fiction series at the Mainstream editorial board of AST publishing house (novel "Empathy", 2024), laureate of literary and screenwriting awards, and Grand Prix winner of the international screenplay competition "New Perspective" in the category "Best Script for a Short Fiction Film" Antonina Gilyova will explain why a screenplay is, above all, a shooting document rather than a literary work. She will also share tips for aspiring filmmakers and analyze the three-act structure using a short film as an example.

"I will tell how to write in a way that prevents difficulties during filming. I’ll share which screenwriting techniques will help you during editing. The value of contests like 'Dreams of the Future' lies in the fact that young people have opportunity to read books and then gather a creative team of like-minded peers to shoot a film. When I was a child, reading books was considered just fooling around. As if it was more useful to do your homework or wash the dishes. It’s really great that young people now have the chance to explore the legacy of Soviet and Russian science fiction," noted Antonina Gilyova.

The "Dreams of the Future" contest continues the effort to revive society's interest in designing the future, which began at the International Symposium "Inventing the Future." The project aims to inspire young people to reflect on the future and introduce them to the works of science fiction writers. Participants must create a video essay beginning with the words: "We want to create a future where..." and include a mandatory reference to works of science fiction from the recommended list. Submissions can be uploaded to the website dream.russia.ru until 30 April.