Alexander Molochnikov's short film "Extremist," which focuses on Sasha Skochilenko, received dual honors at the BAFTA student awards, securing wins for both "best film" and the jury prize. The news was reported by "Rain."
In his acceptance remarks, the filmmaker also referenced Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriichuk, who were each sentenced to six years in prison on charges of "justifying terrorism" for their theatrical work.
"Over a thousand political prisoners are currently held in Russia on utterly baseless accusations," Molochnikov stated. "Among them is my dear friend Zhenya Berkovich, a courageous theater director who, alongside screenwriter Svetlana Petriichuk, created a play about ISIS recruitment of women. Though the production earned widespread acclaim, they were imprisoned for over six years due to their anti-war social media posts."
Molochnikov produced the 17-minute film about Skochilenko during his studies at Columbia University, which he attended after the war began. The cast included actresses Victoria Miroshnichenko, Tina Dalakishvili, and Lilian Malkina. Production took place in Latvia.