posted 11-03-2020 02:42 PM               

Become a star: Travel to the stars

The competition has started, the winner of which will receive the main role in the first feature film shot in space. The motion picture with the tentative title "Challenge" ("Вызов") is a joint project of the State Corporation Roscosmos, Channel One and the studio Yellow, Black and White. Filming will take place at the International Space Station in the fall of 2021.

Dmitry Rogozin, General Director of the State Corporation Roscosmos:

"In this project, it is important for us not only to demonstrate the heroism and high professionalism of cosmonauts and industry specialists who ensure the safety of manned space flights, but also to develop the possibility of accelerated preparation for such a flight and the implementation of a mission to the ISS a specialist (engineer, doctor, astrophysicist) in whom a need may suddenly arise on board the station."

"This is a kind of space experiment. The actress selected by a competition and a medical commission will have to perform the functions of an astronaut-researcher and become a full-fledged member of the crew."

Konstantin Ernst, General Director of Channel One:

"If you start questioning our compatriots under 30, then regardless of profession and gender, you will find that most of them have ever wanted, and many still want to go to Earth orbit. I have always dreamed, if not to be in space myself, then to help someone do it. And then one day Dmitry Rogozin rang the bell and the key to this happy opportunity was in the 'at the start' position."

"Roscosmos, fulfilling its professional duties and implementing new space programs, thought it could train two cosmonauts-researchers, one of whom would go into space to shoot a feature film with the working title 'Challenge.' The professional actresses we are looking for, first of all, and the women whose acting skills allow them to compete with professional actresses, there is an opportunity to fulfill your most romantic dream and go to the stars. At the same time becoming a big international star."

Alexey Trotsyuk, General Producer Yellow, Black and White:

"Despite our vast experience in producing big movies, this is the first time we've faced such a challenge. In the shortest possible time, we need to find more than just an actress - we need a real superhero. We are looking for a woman who can play her role on Earth, and then endure the most difficult training, fly into space and there, in a state of weightlessness, also solve the most difficult shooting tasks."

"That is why we, together with Channel One and the Roscosmos State Corporation, are announcing an all-Russian casting. If you feel the strength and talent, and are ready to accept the challenge, this is your chance to become the first!"

How to participate

On the website of the First Channel, a creative task is posted for those wishing to take part in the selection. It is necessary to record the so-called "self-test" (to film the specified monologue) and upload it here. Based on the results of consideration of the submitted works — within a month - the selected candidates will be invited to face-to-face auditions. At the end of the first stage, the selection committee will select up to 30 finalists for further participation in the competition.

Flight Commission and Cosmonaut Training School

The medical expert commission will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the finalists of the competition for compliance with medical and psychological requirements, as well as the requirements for physical fitness, education and professional fitness necessary for participation in space flight and work in space. Candidates who have successfully passed the flight commission will be enrolled in the Cosmonaut School, where they will have to undergo a three-month training course (on a daily basis).

According to the results of the final part of the competition, two winners will be determined — the future leading role and her understudy. All stages of the competition will be covered in detail on the air of Channel One.

General requirements

• Citizenship - Russian Federation
  
• Gender - female
  
• Age - 25-45 years old
  
• Basic knowledge of English
  
• Standing height - 150-180 cm
  
• Body weight - 50-75 kg

Movie Info

• "Challenge" (working title)
  
• Genre - space drama
  
• Stage Director - Klim Shipenko ("Kholop", "Salyut-7", "Text")
  
• Screenplay - Bakur Bakuradze, Klim Shipenko
  
• Producers - Dmitry Rogozin, Konstantin Ernst, Sergey Titinkov, Eduard Iloyan, Denis Zhalinsky, Vitaly Shlyappo and Alexey Trotsyuk.

posted 11-07-2020 02:39 PM               

I hope that this piece, which I've published through my Space Sleuthing Blog will appeal to the more discerning audience here.

posted 03-09-2021 08:38 AM               

Among the 20 women chosen by the creative team, there are both famous actresses and representatives of other professions (pilot, psychologist, research assistant, etc.). At the next stage of the selection of the finalists, a medical examination awaits, which will begin in March 2021 and will determine which of the women fully meet the criteria necessary for a flight into space.

“We were surprised at how high the interest in this project was among Russian women," said Dmitry Rogozin, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation. "Channel One selects participants for an educational, artistic project, and we will consider candidates directly for the cosmonaut corps. All submitted questionnaires will be forwarded to the Roscosmos State Corporation, on the basis of which we will carry out an additional selection. The opportunity to become an astronaut on a professional level is no less unique than filming a movie. And it would not hurt us to decorate the detachment with our wonderful women."

Konstantin Ernst, General Director of Channel One: "The two actresses who will be selected for this project will generally have to devote a year to it. This is a story about how a young woman, who had absolutely no plans to go into space, in a month — due to circumstances — had to be in orbit. Filming is scheduled to start in October 2021."

Eduard Iloyan, General Producer of Yellow, Black and White: "This is a unique film project for the industry. Usually, space scenes are filmed in pavilions, and here the actress will receive not just a role, but an exceptional life experience of being in space. For us, this is also a completely new process of organizing filming in a confined space on the ISS, where all the nuances must be foreseen. An interesting challenge that inspired the entire production team. We are looking forward to the start."

Together with the actress, the director of the film will go to the International Space Station.

Klim Shipenko: "Without directors, films cannot be shot under water, on Earth, or in Antarctica. Not in space as well. Therefore, apart from desire, I also have a need to be there. This project is a very necessary experiment for cinematography, which will give an idea of what it is like to shoot a space film not on Earth, but honestly in space."

posted 04-27-2021 07:25 AM               

The name of the actress who will be sent to the International Space Station, on the next Soyuz spaceflight will be revealed on 15th May, according to the Head of Roscosmos. This unusual spaceflight will be connected to the filming of the movie «Вызов», (The Challenge).

Speaking at a Press Briefing at the Progress Rocket Factory, in Samara, on 23rd April Dmitri Rogozin revealed that the Director of the movie Klim Shipenko had completed his medical checks and had been confirmed fit to fly to the ISS. The next step will be for Shipenko and his casting team to select the actress who will accompany him, and cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov onboard Soyuz MS-19.

posted 05-13-2021 09:17 AM               

The 'Challenge' movie: medical review results

On May 13, 2021, the State Commission completed the candidate selection for participating in the spaceflight to film the motion picture tentatively called "Challenge."

As a result of medical and creative selection, the State Commission recommended to nominate Yulia Peresild and Klim Shipenko as the prime crew and Alyona Mordovina and Alexey Dudin as the backup crew. The filming will take place at the International Space Station. The expedition is planned to launch on October 5, 2021 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft.

• Yulia Peresild is 36 years old, graduated from the directing department of GITIS, actress of the Theater of Nations, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. Filmography: "The Edge," "Battle for Sevastopol," "Ugryum-River," "Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes" and others, received two Golden Eagle awards.

• Klim Shipenko is 37 years old, graduated from California University, acting studio, actor, stage director, and playwright. Filmography: "Salyut-7," "Text," "Serf," etc.

• Alena Mordovina is 33 years old, graduated from the acting department of GITIS, actress of the New Drama Theater. Filmography and TV series: "Zhuki," "Diplomat," "Trigger," "The Closer," "Call DiCaprio!" and others.

• Alexey Dudin is 40 years old, graduated from the Moscow Automechanical Institute, worked on TV, director of photography, cinematography in films and series "The Other Side of the Moon," "The Spacewalker," "Yolki-5," "Going Vertical," "T-34" and others.

A special focus was put Galina Kairova's participation in the project, who was invited to continue the selection process to the cosmonaut corps on a professional basis.

• Galina Kairova is 26 years old, graduated from Krasnokutsk Flight School of Civil Aviation, State University of Management, pilot.

All selected candidates will begin special training for space flight participants no later than June 1. Among other things, they will have to take centrifuge tests, vibration stand tests, perform introductory and training flights on a zero-gravity plane, undergo parachute training. All this will be covered by Channel One.

The feature film "Challenge" is a part of a large-scale scientific and educational project, which also includes a series of documentaries to be shot about the rocket and space industry enterprises and specialists involved in the manufacturing of launch vehicles, spacecraft, and ground space infrastructure. The project will become a clear example of the fact that spaceflights are gradually becoming available not only for professionals, but also for an increasingly wider range of those interested. In addition to educational tasks, a number of new technical and technological problems will be solved.

As part of the "Challenge" project, an open competition was announced at the end of 2020 to select the lead in the first feature film in space. At the creative stage of selection, preference was given to professional actresses however everyone could try their hand. In March 2021, 20 finalists of the competition were selected to pass the medical review.

The "Challenge" is a joint project of Roscosmos, Channel One and the Yellow, Black and White studio.

posted 08-05-2021 08:26 AM               

During a recent funding pitch to the Russian Federal Fund for Social and Economic Support of Domestic Cinematography, executive producer Konstantin Ernst of the TV station First Channel and director Klim Shipenko, who plans to travel to the ISS, shared fresh details about the script and production logistics involved.

Shipenko revealed the script is still being fine-tuned, but the plot involves a cosmonaut who suffers a cardiac arrest during a spacewalk and, although he survives, he will require surgery to ensure he can handle the Soyuz return to Earth. A female cardiac surgeon, named Zhenya, has to be sent to the ISS to perform the procedure with only a few weeks to prepare for the trip.

Shipenko explained that he that he plans to shoot 35 to 40 minutes of screen time onboard the ISS during a 12-day stay, and he will have combine numerous roles, including director, camera operator and makeup artist.

...[executive producer Konstantin] Ernst revealed further members of the cast including Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov, who have been in space since April. It was, perhaps, inevitable that they would be involved in some way, as Shipenko will clearly only be able to work with people who are on the ISS with him and the actress. It is not clear if NASA, ESA or JAXA astronauts who will be on the ISS when filming takes place will be invited to participate.

posted 09-16-2021 08:59 PM               

They said they hoped to portray weightlessness as never before in fiction and, through the skills of a professional actress, the emotions of floating freely and seeing Earth from the heavens.

"For the first two seconds it's scary," said Yulia Peresild, who is on track to become the first actor in space, of her training on an airplane flight that briefly created a microgravity environment. "After that, it's beautiful."

Mr. Shipenko said his aim was to bring to life the experience of space through the eyes of an ordinary person, the doctor character played by Ms. Peresild. "We want every person to be a little like our hero," he said, experiencing through her performance the feeling of space travel. Three cosmonauts will play bit parts.

posted 10-27-2021 03:24 PM               

On October 27, the Vyzov ("The Challenge") project was presented at the "Russia: Space" international conference at EXPO 2020. This is the first fiction film which was shot outside our planet.

posted 10-06-2022 10:53 AM               

The anniversary of the launch of the film crew into space coincided with the end of the filming period — the actress, director and cosmonaut of Roscosmos went to the ISS on October 5, 2021 to be the first in the world to shoot a feature film in orbit of our planet.

A year after the flight, the main characters of the project returned to Baikonur again to finish the remaining scenes, which, due to pre-launch preparation and quarantine, could not be worked out before launch.

How it was when you wait for the finished film at the box office, and most importantly - where is it still easier to shoot a movie: in space or on Earth - in the special issue of “Camera. Motor. Call!" Roscosmos TV correspondent Vlad Mironov will tell.