From October 17 to 25, the 35th International Film Festival "Message to Man" will take place in St. Petersburg. This is one of the main forums for documentary, feature, animation, and experimental cinema. Year after year, the festival reflects current socio-cultural aspects, breakthroughs, and crises of the new era: cinema goes beyond television journalism and becomes a tool for the artist, social researcher, and chronicler of life. At the center of the program are three competitive sections: International Competition, National Competition, and Experimental Competition In Silico, where feature-length, short, and hybrid forms compete on equal terms. Festival guests can also look forward to non-competitive programs, retrospectives, masterclasses, and creative meetings with directors and critics. In 2025, 83 films selected from over 2900 applications from 95 countries will compete for the prestigious awards and Grand Prix of "Message to Man". Creative teams from 35 countries will participate in the competitions: documentary and feature films, animation, and hybrid forms. According to the chair of the selection committee, Vasily Stepanov, the anniversary competition focuses on the eternal theme of the confrontation between man and reality. Screenings will take place at several venues, including "House of Cinema", "Lendok" film studio, "Aurora", "Rodina", "House of Radio", and the bookstore "Order of Words". Over nine days, viewers can expect screenings in St. Petersburg cinemas, creative meetings, masterclasses, and lectures from leading directors and cinematographers. Details about the program and screening schedule can be found on the official festival website. You can also familiarize yourself with the results of last year's 34th International Film Festival "Message to Man".