Third international television and film forum "Together" in Yalta

The third international TV and film forum "Together" will be traditionally held in Yalta from September 9-16 and will be attended by leading film studios and television companies, print and electronic media, and well-known cultural and art personalities and politicians from 24 countries, the Council of Ministers of the Crimea announced, where the forum's organising committee met under the chairmanship of the forum's director-general Alexander Belikov.

Russia's State Duma speaker Gennady Seleznyov and Ukraine's Supreme Rada (Parliament) head Vladimir Litvin will be forum co-chairmen. Russia's ambassador to Ukraine Victor Chernomyrdin, Russia's consul-general in Simferopol Alexei Sviridov, parliamentarians, ministers and diplomats from different states will be among honorary guests.

More than 70 film and television entries have been submitted for the competition. Editors and staff of practically all major Russian TV and radio studios, publications and agencies will attend the contest and cover the forum.

Winners in contest nominations will be awarded the Grand Prix of the Order of the International Television and Film Forum "Together" and special commemorative medals. Art patrons are preparing for forum laureates their own awards, which are so far being kept secret.

A design for a monument to the Russian writer Anton Chekhov and to the heroine of one of his best known stories "The Lady With the Dog" will be presented at the forum. The combined monument is planned to be erected on the Yalta embankment, where the two main characters of Chekhov's tale met for the first time. There will also be round tables and master classes, meetings between leading film and television men and spectators, presentations and discussions of new projects, and variety shows.

The main sponsor of the forum is Russia, which has contributed 140,000 US dollars to its organisation. Ukraine and the Crimea each intend to provide 45,000 dollars from their budgets.