Since the very beginning, its mission has come down to providing “a more complete picture of American cinematic images than the standard fare offered at Moscow’s cinemas”.

In fact, “Amfest” is Moscow’s largest and most far-reaching film festival, devoted to a single national film industry.

However, films do not compete against each other at “Amfest”: It’s not about prestigious awards and envelopes with cash, but probably the last chance for film lovers to watch some of the best independent, arthouse films and documentaries recently produced in America.

Since 2007 “Amfest” has been held at the “Formula Kino Evropa” multiplex on Kievskaya, one of the biggest cinemas in Moscow.

Keanu Reeves in “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee”

One of the highlights of the festival this year is Nora Ephron’s comedy “Julie and Julia”, starring the peerless Meryl Streep and “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” with Keanu Reeves and Robin Wright Penn, directed and written by one of America’s most promising filmmakers, actress-turned-director Rebecca Miller.
Another must-see is the premiere of “New York, I Love You”, a piece from eleven cutting-edge filmmakers including Natalie Portman and Fatik Akin.

Among other productions, the “documentary” menu of the festival offers a film whose title speaks for itself, “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”. Described as “a film of rare fascination and power” by Entertainment Weekly, the documentary raises some important questions about the workings of the US legal system and the media in the Roman Polanski case.

“Asylum Seekers” comedy

On October 10, the film will be presented by its director, Marina Zenovich, who will introduce her film and answer questions from the audience.

Also don’t forget to check out the so-called “Independent films” program. A feature of this section is “Asylum Seekers”, focusing on six people on the verge of a nervous breakdown who decide voluntarily to check themselves into an insane asylum.

Valeria Paikova, RT