Also, companies continue to be created from old Mosfilm, Ostankino, and state documentary film production departments. Russian production of feature films, however, has fallen drastically in the past few years, with the industry producing only 50 in 1995. Television companies, among others, used to finance many films, but in 1995 ORT and NTV each produced only six films, and RTR produced only three. The top five films were all foreign. Essentially, film production companies cannot count on substantial revenue from the box office to support their ventures.
Financing continues to be a problem for film production companies.
It budgeted financing for some 60 films in 1995, but as with so many other Russian state agencies, rarely receives its money on time, or in full. Most Roskomkino funding goes to state-owned production companies. Risks are very high in investing in Russian film projects, however, and even returns from successful films are not likely to be substantial. 1 Mickey Berdy, Oblik Productions, Interview, January 1997. 2 Vilchik and Muratov, 5.