Press release ·
BRICS forum in St. Petersburg discusses a unified infrastructure for international cooperation in the creative industries
On October 30, 2026, the international panel session “BRICS+ Creative Industries: From Idea to International Production and Market Access” was successfully held in St. Petersburg as part of the 8th BRICS Interregional Business Forum (IMBRICS Forum 2026).
The event took place at the Nevskaya Ratusha venue and brought together Russian and international representatives of the film industry, producers, directors, and experts in international cooperation and the creative economy.
The session marked the first international project implemented by the International Centre for Creative Economy and Business Diplomacy (ICCEBD), an organization registered in India and established to promote practical cooperation between Russia, India, and other countries.
ICCEBD served as a co-organizer of the session within the forum's business program.
The panel discussion was moderated by Aleksandr Evtukh, President of ICCEBD, and Denis Baranov, Co-Founder and Executive Producer of the international Media Gate BRICS project.
From International Dialogue to Joint Production
The central focus of the session was the development of practical mechanisms for cooperation among creative industry stakeholders from BRICS countries.
Participants discussed ways to overcome existing organizational, legal, and economic barriers between national markets, identify reliable partners, coordinate intellectual property rights, organize joint production, facilitate international payments, and bring content to international audiences.
Particular attention was given to the prospects for Russian-Indian co-productions and the expansion of cooperation with other BRICS countries.
Speakers and Key Presentation Topics
The session featured projects and practical approaches to international cooperation in film, animation, and digital media.
- Alexey Kozlov — Producer of the international film project Perpetuum Mobile. He presented the project as an example of creative development focused on international collaboration and production cooperation among BRICS countries.
- Sergey Zhdanovich — Film Director, Producer, Composer, and Member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia. Drawing on practical projects and his production experience, he addressed international co-production, film production management, and distribution.
- Lyubov Soldatkina — Expert in the Management of Sociocultural and Creative Industry Projects, Member of the Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation on Culture and Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values. Her presentation focused on transforming cultural potential and shared values into a foundation for international creative projects.
- Viktor Merkulov — Executive Producer of the international project About the Future, Chairman of the BRICS Culture Project Implementation Group, and Director of the BRICS Culture Platform. He presented the About the Future project and an approach to developing international socially commissioned film projects within BRICS cinema.
- Andrey Sobolev, a director, music video director, producer, educator and founder of Power of Media production, spoke about the transition from children’s blogging to the international industry. He discussed opportunities for cooperation in music, film, digital content and projects for young audiences.
- Anton Solovyov — Member of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. He presented an animation project related to the sporting biography of Vladimir Putin, exploring the use of animation for cultural storytelling and international promotion.
- Bhumiraj Podiya — Co-Founder and Creative Director of the Indian company Atitse Digital Media. Joining the session via video link, he shared creative and production perspectives on international co-production, joint project development, and content adaptation for the Indian market.
- Jalpa Jain, co-founder and business development director of Atitse Digital Media, India, discussed the business aspects of international cooperation, including the division of responsibilities among partners, project economics, intellectual property rights and conditions for entering new markets. She presented jointly with Bhumiraj Podiya.
- Dr. Nathan E. Browne — International Strategist and Business Leader, Strategic Advisor to the President of the International BRICS Alliance on Digital Communications, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity in Africa. His presentation focused on opportunities in African BRICS markets, digital integration, and the development of international partnerships in the creative industries.
Media Gate BRICS — A Practical Tool for International Cooperation
One of the highlights of the session was the presentation of Media Gate BRICS, delivered by its Co-Founder and Executive Producer, Denis Baranov.
The project aims to establish a cross-border business and production infrastructure that brings together creative industry professionals from different countries within a unified environment for professional collaboration.
During a live demonstration of the interactive prototype, participants were introduced to a model of an international production project involving partners from Brazil and India.
Using a hypothetical scenario, the demonstration illustrated the key stages of cooperation: partner identification, agreement on transaction terms, payment planning, production organization, acceptance of deliverables, and formalization of intellectual property rights.
The demonstration presented Media Gate BRICS both as a platform for professional networking and as a future tool to support international projects through all major stages of implementation.
Continuing International Cooperation
At the conclusion of the session, participants discussed opportunities for further cooperation and the need for practical mechanisms to facilitate international collaboration.
ICCEBD President Aleksandr Evtukh proposed developing the Media Gate BRICS professional community and establishing a working group open to interested representatives of the creative industries, international companies, and professional associations.
The proposed working group could provide a forum for discussing specific projects, finding partners and testing the proposed mechanisms for international cooperation.
The panel session marked the first practical achievement of ICCEBD and an important milestone in the development of the Media Gate BRICS project.
Future work will focus on building lasting professional ties, primarily between Russia and India, and on developing cooperation with other BRICS countries.
ICCEBD leaders Aleksandr Evtukh and Mehul Raval continue their efforts to promote the Media Gate BRICS project and other international cooperation initiatives, as well as to arrange their presentation at international forums and BRICS+ business and expert platforms.
Media Gate BRICS professional community: https://t.me/MediaGateBRICS
