Presents:

Proposal by Vitaliy Krutoshinskiy and Chris Ortiz

2014©

One of the most exciting experiences for a human being is a long, daring drive across aesthetically-pleasing landmasses only the Earth can have. United States citizens, for example, love the idea of a 3,000 mile-long road trip from the East coast to the West coast, a relatively-safe trip compared to the punishing adventure that is Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa, over 3,800 miles of driving across some of the most dangerous areas on Earth, including deserts, wilderness and savannas.

But today, almost no one ever asks about what adventure might be waiting for them if they drove across the nation with over 6.5 million square miles of land mass - stretching over 4,000 miles across – consisting of various terrains that harbor multiple major cities, towns and subcultures that embody one of the world’s most abundant populations: Russia.

Even though it’s the largest nation on Earth and often mentioned in the media, Russia’s culture, technology, geography, and other elements of its society is still largely-unknown to most people on Earth.

Until now.

That’s because there’s a rare, genuine opportunity to capture that knowledge and show international audiences what Russia offers the world in a documentary/reality comedy show style by us here at I.F.S., a studio of knowledgeable international filmmakers with over 30 years of experience equipped and ready for the endeavor.

Why? Because much of the information we are fed about Russia is not helpful. Pop culture is an intense influence, but it depicts Russia as either a formidable foe to the United States – in the form of criminals, the perfect location for an exotic sequence in a violent film or showcasing people who have the perfect, cheesy accent to speak English dialogue with.

And most documentaries involving Russia have only been about communism and its 20 th century war history, hardly anything about current Russian society and lifestyle aimed for the everyday person looking for their next adventure outside home or looking for some knowledge on a new part of the world.

What many don’t know is that even with some of the most well-known flaws of the nation – the extent of the communism, the bitingly-cold weather of the north – is that happiness still exists in Russia and it’s largely due to what you’ll find there. In a word, it’s opportunity.

So why Russia, especially since plenty of regions across the Earth provide opportunity for an exciting adventure, satisfying vacation or cultural diffusion? Because those who want to take a country-wide drive across or are just looking for one or two spots to vacation in will experience multiple satisfactions without the risk of death that some drives on this planet have.

But everyone can watch.

Everyone can watch how satisfying it is to explore Russia’s major cities such as St. Petersburg, Moscow, and its virtually-unknown cities such as Nizhniy Novgorod - an IT and engineering center of Russia and home to over 600 historic monuments including the Grand Kremlin.

It will also host games from the FIFA World Cup in 2018, in a brand new stadium heading towards development. Soccer fans around the world will inevitably see some of the city’s gems, but they shouldn’t have to wait several more years when they can enjoy it anytime.

Other cities include the smaller but thriving Chita and Chelyabinsk, known for being industrial centers for Russia and the popularity of ice hockey and football. They’re located close to the Russo-Chinese border.

Chita is a clash of architectural styles, laid out on a grid pattern – a rarity in Russia. Chelyabinsk boasts its economic contribution to the Russian economy because of its classic city features and influence despite its overall cooler temperatures.

Then there’s Vladimir, a former Medieval capital of Russia with its historic sites dating back to the 12th century. A city that bred royalty and its own golden age, Vladimir even survived a vicious Mongol attack in the 13th century. Remnants of that attack and other highs and lows during its golden age can still be seen in physical form today.

Since the Soviet era, Vladimir’s been another industrial center for Russia. After seeing it today, there’ll be no more mystery as to why Vladimir is such a common name in Russia – for both men and city streets. After all, the name comes from pure royalty.

And there’s even Izhevsk, a city of only 650,000 but offers much entertainment and history along with it. A scientific and cultural center of its republic, Izhevsk has over 50 museums, a circus, many theaters, philharmonics centers, concerts and sports. It’s sometimes referred to as the capital of Russian electronic music, but it’s a huge art and music center as well. It’s already the tourists’ ideal spot to explore, but the art and music scene here welcomes all creative minds, music and art lovers.

And there’s Irkutsk. Originally a much colder region, the city has warmed up over the 20 th

century, allowing more people to live and visit there, right now about a million people. Though it still harbors a cool climate, Irkutsk still boasts a practical location: near major fresh rivers and Lake Baikal (below), the deepest, purest, and oldest fresh water lake on Earth. Home to many tourist-friendly activities such as museums, theater and sports-watching (most popular being Bandy) Irkutsk is for both the curious traveler and nature lover.

These are some of the best areas to experience what many of us city-dwellers often do and/or desire to do on a daily basis: eat unique cuisines, gather a group of friends and bar-hop, engage in intense sports-play, date, arrange family-get-togethers, dance, sight-see and many other activities.

Some of these activities are those we would find similar to what we do here in the United States and Europe with a Russian twist, but plenty done only the way the Russians do it.

They say you must go to Italy to get the best pizza, the place where it was born. The same applies to Russia here.

Off the main road toward these places, however, are opportunities to pursue activities only nature can provide.

Home to multiple terrains and climates such as forests, plains, mountains, taigas and tundras, Russia offers much mountain biking, hiking, fishing, motorboat-usage, camping, diving, hunting, forest-exploration and ethnic traditions for those who don’t mind getting a little dirty and/or those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of big cities.

Fishing and vodka usually go together. Then soup.

Russia is home to 40 UNESCO biosphere reserves, 41 national parks and 101 nature reserves, excluding its vast, untouched nature. One-fourth of the world’s fresh water capacity is Russia’s, including over 100,000 of the Earth’s rivers.

But most importantly, here you’ll find towns and locals to share it with, learning the various subcultures within the larger Russian one. There are over 160 different ethnic groups in Russia, from Slavic Orthodox and Turkic Muslims to highlanders of the Northern Caucasus. Below is a map of where they’re found:

Off the main road is where you’ll truly gain insight into more intriguing aspects of Russian life by seeing how its different terrains provide different lifestyles for these ethnic groups, therefore offering more unique traditions, activities to explore, foods to eat, histories and daily life and issues to the curious explorer or vacationer.

Besides fishing and drinking, there’s mushroom hunting and handicraft, for example.

All hard work pays off.

That said, to anyone with a hungry eye comes one of Russia’s best elements: its art. Handicrafts vary from paintings, clothing, building structures and display items that must be seen to be believed, and the laborious process can be seen for itself through this show. It’s one of Russia’s elements that keep its communities alive and happy.

In short, Russia’s full of adventure, intrigue and knowledge not yet obtained by most people.

Travel buffs will definitely look forward to taking the long drive or explore at least a few of its hot spots where major cities exist, but the point here is to offer knowledge on the many intriguing areas on the way for anyone who is willing to learn what it has to offer in the comfort of their rooms or who may be willing to see it for themselves.

It would take multiple expeditions across the nation by experienced, passionate professionals in-tune with the culture to truly get all the knowledge there is about Russia for the masses, which is why Faraway: Russia has multiple-season potential. Even one trek from east to west is too much for many drivers or producers to succeed in this endeavor, especially if they are not already familiar with the land, and if one would try it, they’d charge a fortune just for the challenge of it alone.

That’s where we come in.

The Expedition

The international filmmakers of I.F.S. are already familiar with the Russian landscape and not just superficially. Plenty are Russian-born and still travel to the country annually or currently work there. They have worked for decades as filmmakers, tour guides and photographers in many different spots across Russia and across Europe and America as well.

More importantly, these well-traveled filmmakers are not only excited for the trip, but have their own stash of state-of-the-art filmmaking equipment, have connections with several Russian celebrities (who were also involved in some American films) and almost 20 DJs, including DJ Tiesto and David Guetta! We can do one two-month long trip across the nation – already mapped out below - on a low budget.

In short, we here at I.F.S. are the best and most convenient filmmakers for this grand scale opportunity. This is how we plan to succeed:

To obtain and display all the excitement Russia has to offer, the members of this expedition will travel to 17 cities, take several off-road routes and interact intensely with locals, with the help of a guide and extremely-portable camera equipment, for a period of 50-70 days, covering at least 7,000 miles of civilization in the process.

The journey will begin in St. Petersburg in Western Russia and end in Magadan in the East. An estimate of the route, so far, will look like this:

All the terrain and populations within them will be covered, but there is room to wander from this route for the sake of filming. The 17 city destinations will be the following:

St. Petersburg; Moscow; Vladimir; Nizhniy Novgorod; Kazan; Izhevsk; Perm; Yekaterinburg; Chelyabinsk; Omsk; Novosibirsk; Krasnoyarsk; Irkutsk; Ulan-Ude; Chita; Yakutsk; and Magadan.

Each city’s exploration will on-average last between one and two full days but it depends on the city. The more there is to offer, the more time the crew will spend filming, engaging in activities and interacting with locals. There are also many towns, villages, and nature to explore where the

crew will conduct outdoors activities and interact with different ethnic groups for the same amount of time.

With 30 days for city exploration, there are 30 days left for the intense amount of driving there needs to be done and off-road adventure with ethnic group interaction.

Time Period:

Due to the hassle of winter and summer, the filmmakers concluded that the absolute best time for the expedition is between the months of August and October, specifically when the heat of summer isn’t as intense and cools to a manageable temperature by journey’s end. This also prevents wildlife from hibernating for the winter before winter’s arrival and makes off-road exploration feasible and enjoyable, never worrying about being cut off from any opportunity by weather conditions.

Running Time:

There is expected to be at least 6 hours-worth of footage to distribute on the first journey/season alone. It would be distributed in one of several ways:

12 thirty-minute episodes (preferred)

6 one-hour episodes

3 two-hour specials

Budget details for each episode on section titled “The Budget”.

Equipment:

I.F.S. is equipped with numerous Full HD cameras with lens ranging from 20-200mm and sound recording equipment that are ready for rental in Russia, Barcelona, and New York. The filmmakers even have portable cranes, dollies, rigs and much more to add the opportunity for more creative photography if the moment calls for it.

But the best equipment we have are our GoPro action-cameras. Highly-portable and small, these offer many shooting options and excellent video quality with them. These can attach to the cameramen themselves, such as on their hats, helmets or clothing, on bicycles and inside - and even outside - the rented vehicles while driving on the streets and on dirt roads. Using these cameras while filming in cities would reduce the locals’ hesitance to be on-camera since they are small and can even be hidden.

Audiences would feel as though they are walking, biking, and riding along as the cameramen walk, bike and drive through Russia’s many terrains. Interactions with the many expected locals will be shot up-close. The cameras can even be used for diving underwater as deep as 200 feet, guaranteeing no limits for them to capture anything the filmmakers come across. Since Go Pros

are still difficult to obtain in Russia, this is a rare chance to use them in the country, and they will be used a lot.

With the overall portability and filmmaking capabilities of the GoPro cameras along with other valuable equipment that will be used, the expedition will be captured creatively and without limits, allowing for the possibilities of even more drama and insight along the way.

But we can only capture Russia the right way with the right crew.

That crew:

What matters greatly is who we are following on this journey, both behind and in front of the cameras. Luckily we have just the right amount of experience, guidance and wit in our crew that international audiences will be following.

Behind the cameras:

Two cameramen will only be needed, but they have a combined experience of over two decades in television and film:

Dmitriy Obleukhov is an expert cameraman that has worked for a Russian television network for over 15 years now, but has traveled all over the world to capture current events. Recently, he covered hot spots such as Iran, Iraq, Syria and the Ukraine. Always on the move with a camera, he’s mastered live filmmaking and can tell you more about current events than the news itself.

Alexey Dunaev is another master cameraman, but also both a photographer and cinematographer who worked for over 10 years for a local magazine and as a wedding and corporate cinematographer in Nizhniy Novgorod. He’s also

directed many music videos, some old-fashioned, some with stories of their own, and some that Americans would find “controversial”. Bold is more like it.

In front of the Cameras:

The Guide:

The cameramen will capture various personalities along the way, but every journey, especially a big one like this, needs the best guide possible.

That is why we have Maksim, a Russian tour guide with over 20 years of experience. He has traversed so much of the nation that no one can best his knowledge of the place. He’s been to remote locations that only the privileged in Russia know about.

Until now.

With Maksim’s guidance, passion, outstanding people skills and comedic personality, audiences will get a unique experience, filled with laughter and education - one of the best ways to remember what you see, especially since interacting with locals is the primary method for these explorers to achieve their goals.

It would be incredibly hard to find anyone else with his knowledge of Russia.

The Newbie:

But he’s not the only sense of humor coming along for the ride. Alongside the Russian explorers will come an American tourist who has no idea what he is in for. Contributing a mix of cultural diffusion and comic relief, this tourist will be just like us: a clueless but curious everyday person just trying to know more about the people often stereotyped in the media. This tourist - open-minded, sarcastic, and hungry for knowledge of what’s outside his borders - will learn he was not only taught wrong, but that the only way to know who’s out there is to go out, meet them and try a bathhouse for yourself.

Cameos?

As mentioned earlier, thanks to much pre-production and the value of connections, the filmmakers will involve several Russian celebrities in this journey to have them give us even

more knowledge of their country and most definitely involve the filmmakers into situations they couldn’t be a part of without them!

Oleg Taktarov, one of the highest-paid and famous Russian actors/mixed-martial artists ever, also starred alongside Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in RIGHTOUS KILL (and DeNiro before that in 15 MINUTES). He’s also starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg in WE OWN THE NIGHT and Nicholas Cage in NATIONAL TREASURE.

Igor Jijikine is another famous Russian actor who starred alongside Harrison Ford in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Ironically, they both played Russian villains to American protagonists, so who knows what they have to say about us, the Russian film industry and the lifestyle of the wealthy and privileged there.

Medic:

Just in case our American friend takes the wrong step. Unlike our crew who’s used to the off-road and the endurance of traveling in Russia, he’ll probably need a bandage here and there. But our medic/healthcare man will be available for the entire crew just in case. It’ll be a long trip, after all. Plus, he may share some valuable information on what the crew will expect when conditions become a bit harsher.

All we know is when our American tourist gets a boo-boo, he’ll freak out on camera, while the medic cleans him up and toughens him up. The Russian way.

Chris Ortiz is a Dominican-American screenwriter and aspiring film critic. He has been writing films since high school, has written reviews and editorials for www.filmhippos.com (formerly www.digitalhippos.com) and aspires to develop an adult-action animation series he’s currently writing. He co-wrote the mobile videogame SHADOW PROTOCOL, a political/spy thriller released July 7th. He may fill the spot of the American tourist…

And our host, of course:

Leading the way is Vitaliy Krutoshinskiy, born and raised in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. He left shortly after the Soviet Union collapsed to New York at the age of 14.

As a young immigrant during tense times, he was forced to wander from job to job, eventually working as an EMT between 2000 and 2005. Inevitably, he helped save lives on 9/11. He had vacated the second tower of the World Trade Center just 15 minutes before it collapsed, enduring firsthand the aftermath of that tragic day. Needless to say, Vitaliy is not only a worker but a survivor with a knack for giving people what they need. He eventually graduated from the Brooklyn College Film School and eventually returned to Russia to continue his film career.

Since then, he’s worked on various Russian and American films such as WE OWN THE NIGHT. He recently opened a small film school, Kinoschool, in Nizhniy Novgorod.

Unlike many Russians who enter the United States, he voluntarily returned to Russia because he still carries a love for his country. Many children and adults within Russia’s population of 144

million people still value the culture with faith and patriotism, but many still do not know why this is so. He has dedicated his career at this point to tell us why.

THE BUDGET:

With 6 hours-worth of information, the average person can be that much more knowledgeable about the largest nation on the planet. Those who visit will have a meaningful experience and boast grand pictures on their social media accounts. We do not just propose this adventure to you. We have it mapped out from the routes to the style of the show.

What is needed is the funding and distribution of the great footage we are capable of putting together.

The right crew and equipment to carry out his goal are complete with the right passion and intentions. The filmmakers will be working 50-70 days non-stop, and normally, a journey like this would be very expensive. However, with much preparation complete, all the funding that the crew requires is this:

The approximate budget for two months is only $100,000. This includes:

• 3 round trip airline tickets from New York to Moscow, Russia - $6,000

• Renting 2 SUV’s and their appropriate modifications (which include paint jobs promoting the financiers and equipment for this show) - $15,000

• Participant’s salary for 7-8 weeks (including celebrity cameos) - $60,000

• Acquiring all necessary gear for the journey (radios, sleeping tents, first aid kits, mountain bicycles, inflatable motor boat and etc.) - $3,000

• Production equipment rental - $10,000

• Cost of gasoline, food, hotels and etc. - $8,000

• 6 one way airline tickets from Magadan, Russia to Moscow, Russia - $6,000

• Post-production (editing 6 hours-worth of film into episodes) - $2,000

Russia’s geography makes it somewhat difficult to predict the budget per-episode, especially since at least a third (roughly 20-25 days) of the adventure will be in cities, a third driving, and a third in the off-road. However, the above information is an accurate prediction of the overall funding needed.

Rough timeline:

The first third of episodes will focus on major cities such as St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, driving, celebrity cameos and Russian city culture and opportunities.

The second third of episodes would feature some cities, but the crew will be traversing lots of forests, plains and therefore subcultures and conducting many outdoor activities such as biking, fishing, off-road driving, diving and motor-boating.

The last third, arguably during colder weather, will feature a combination of city life, cultural centers of Russia (mentioned earlier) and some more outdoors activities with ethnic group interactions while concluding the trip in Magadan.

Conclusion

I.F.S. has contacts in Russia, Barcelona, New York and other regions. We’ve been putting this journey together for many months in order to have it as mapped out as it is now. The crew is experienced, equipped and funny, led by charismatic, knowledgeable guides and hosts that know the nation more than anyone. The cities, ethnic groups and activities were picked based on their personal experiences there.

We simply would like to discuss funding and distribution for this large-scale project only we are willing and ready to do. But no matter the time of day, season, or year that this journey occurs…

They’ll be waiting.

Chris Ortiz Vitaliy KrutoshinskiyIFS America IFS America3 Harvest Hill Ln 3 Harvest Hill LnHuntington, NY 11743 Huntington, NY 11743Tel: 718-510-2463 Tel: 631-271-0252Email: chrisnismo48@yahoo.com Email: vitaliykru@gmail.com

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