Russian alternative to Golden Globes pushed back

PanARMENIAN.Net - The inaugural ceremony for the Russian alternative to the Golden Globes, originally expected to be held this month, has been pushed back to fall 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reveals.

"Such a major event shouldn't be prepared in a sloppy way and run hastily," Oleg Ivanov, first deputy chairman of the Russian filmmaker's union, the organization behind the award, said in a statement, explaining the decision to postpone the ceremony.

He added that extra time is needed to properly run the selection and voting processes.

The Open National Press Awards were announced two months ago in a bid to step up the role of the Russian film critics’ community.

Unlike the Golden Globes awarded in Hollywood, the Russian prizes are to be run by local press rather than by the foreign press in the country. Prominent bloggers also will be allowed to cast their votes.

The filmmakers' union said it will finalize the regulations and time frame for the award at its meeting this May.

Last year, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan became the first Russian movie to win a Golden Globe in the best foreign-language film category in 45 years.