Pyotr495 Explained

Pyotr495
Director:Blake Mawson
Producer:Sasha Fisher
Natalie Novak
Cam McLauchlin
Starring:Alex Ozerov
Max Rositsan
Juliana Semenova
Music:Konrad Black
Cinematography:Catherine Lutes
Editing:Cam McLauchlin
Studio:Drive-In Keep Out Productions
Distributor:Border2Border Entertainment
Runtime:15 minutes
Country:Canada
Language:Russian

Pyotr495 is a Canadian short horror film, directed by Blake Mawson and released in 2016.[1] An exploration of anti-LGBT violence in Russia, the film stars Alex Ozerov as Pyotr, a young gay man in Moscow who is lured into a dangerous situation by anti-gay extremists but turns the tables on them with a dark secret that turns them into the prey.[2]

Background

The film was funded partially by a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in 2015.[3]

Mawson won the Emerging Artist Award at the 2016 Inside Out Film and Video Festival.[4] After the film was released to digital platforms in 2017, it received two Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards, for Best Lead Performance in a Web Program or Series (Ozerov)[5] and Best Direction in a Web Program or Series (Mawson).[6] Ozerov won the award for Best Lead Performance.[7]

The film was subsequently included in Possession, the 16th volume of the Boys on Film anthology of gay-themed short film DVDs.[8]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/award-winning-horror-film-pyotr495-highlights-the_b_58f57dbde4b04cae050dca56 "Award-winning horror film, PYOTR495, highlights violent anti-LGBT abductions and attacks in Putin’s Russia"
  2. http://www.newnownext.com/alex-ozerov-gay-pyotr495/10/2017/ "Anti-Gay Predators Become Prey In Russian Horror Short “PYOTR495”"
  3. https://www.out.com/movies/2015/8/27/fund-russian-lgbt-horror-film-pyotr495 "Fund This: Russian LGBT Horror Film, Pyotr495"
  4. http://www.northernstars.ca/closet-monster-wins-inside/ "Closet Monster Wins at Inside Out"
  5. https://www.academy.ca/2019/alex-ozerov/ "Alex Ozerov"
  6. https://www.academy.ca/2019/blake-mawson/ "Blake Mawson"
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20190329135139/https://etcanada.com/news/435518/canadian-screen-awards-presented-honouring-digital-storytellers-complete-list-of-winners/ "Canadian Screen Awards Presented, Honouring Digital Storytellers: Complete List Of Winners"
  8. Pip Ellwood-Hughes, "Boys on Film 16: Possession DVD review". Entertainment Focus, June 27, 2017.