REALIST FestivalAdd to Home Screen
The first festival in Russia and one of the first globally dedicated to microdramas and vertical series
The festival runs within the Chill vertical app and online platform — viewers watch competition entries and vote for winners directly on the platform.
Industry B2B program and master classes in Moscow. Panels on the future of vertical content in CIS with top VOD platforms.
Dedicated sections within the program for vertical content from selected countries. Genre days to introduce different genres to the audience.
Master classes from top vertical drama creators. Learn the craft of short-form storytelling from industry leaders.
Festival will run on Chill online platform and app — both account for 2.5 million monthly visitors. All major VOD platforms in Russia are partnering with the Realist festival.
Russia is an emerging vertical drama market where the Chinese growth playbook can be replicated. Strong demand with a clear content gap — ideal entry point.
High consumption of short-form video across existing platforms. Top SVOD players have launched vertical viewing. Lower content saturation compared to top microdrama markets.
Vertical-first production ecosystem is being established. Strong demand for format rights. Locally-shot microdramas number is growing. Monetization patterns still being resolved.
Winners selected by the audience. Viewers vote directly on the platform.
Best overall project
Narrative excellence
Genre storytelling
Character craft
Animation in vertical
Non-fiction vertical
Applications open May 12 – June 20, 2026. Fill in the form below and our team will get back to you.
President of the Festival
Producer, Director
Founder of REALIST Web Series Festival