Sony Pictures to Distribute Bondarchuk's STALINGRAD in IMAX Format

STALINGRAD, the first Russian-made feature to be released in the immersive Imax 3D format, will be distributed in Russia by Sony Pictures Releasing International.

An epic love story set during one of the most devastating battles in modern history, STALINGRAD's teaser trailer will be screened for The First Time in the U.S. on April 17, 2013 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, when Sony makes its annual presentation at CinemaCon. The announcement was made today by Rory Bruer, president of Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing, and Alexander Rodnyansky, head of A.R.Films and producer of STALINGRAD. The deal was negotiated by Paul Heth of Monumental Pictures.

The movie was shot completely on location in Russia; it is directed by Fedor Bondarchuk and produced by Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergey Melkumov for Non-Stop Production and Dmitry Rudovsky for Art Pictures. The film is written by Iliya Tilkin and Sergey Snezhkin. The release date in Russia will be announced shortly.

The Battle of Stalingrad lasted more than six months through the brutal Russian winter and ended with the German army surrendering on February 2, 1943, turning the tide of WWII. The film, set in 1942, follows a band of Soviet soldiers who take refuge in a house in the German-occupied half of Stalingrad, where they encounter a young Russian woman who has been hiding there. As a romance grows between the woman and one of the soldiers, the Red Army prepares for another devastating Nazi attack. Love, grief, passion and the freedom that only those who face death can experience are balanced against the sweeping devastation of war.

"We couldn't be more proud or excited to be releasing Stalingrad in Russia," said Bruer. "Fedor Bondarchuk is an extraordinary filmmaker and we look forward to showcasing this film as part of our CinemaCon slate presentation because international acquisitions such as this are an important part of our worldwide distribution strategy."

"It's a great pleasure to be working with Sony to bring the dramatic scale of this story to audiences, and we're thrilled to be the first Russian film ever to be presented at CinemaCon," said Alexander Rodnyansky. "The Battle of Stalingrad is a wartime event that will never be forgotten. We are setting a passionate romance against this massive siege, which makes it a great story and a great subject for the amazing Imax format. It's exciting that we are the first Russian war film to be shot in 3D and to be presented in Imax 3D."

"We're pleased to partner with Non-Stop Production and Sony Pictures Entertainment to release the first Russian film in IMAX," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of Imax Entertainment. "Russia is an important market for Imax and it was crucial that we selected a film that was ideally suited for The Imax Experience. We believe that the creative vision of Fedor Bondarchuk and the filmmaking team, combined with STALINGRAD's epic story and the immersive Imax 3D format, will make this a 'must see' for moviegoers and a milestone for both Imax and Russian cinema."

Fedor Bondarchuk is a Russian film director, actor, TV and film producer and TV host. He is a founder of the Production Company Art Pictures Studio, producers of the Afghan war drama The 9th Company, the first film that Bondarchuk directed. It was the most profitable Russian movie of 2005 and winner of seven Golden Eagle Awards. The second film he directed, Inhabited Island, was released in 2009 and grossed over $30 million in Russia. Both of these films were produced by Rodnyansky and Melkumov; STALINGRAD is their third film together.

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SOURCE Sony Pictures Entertainment