Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk, officially the Baikal International Film Festival Man and Nature named after Valentin Rasputin, is one of the oldest environmental film festivals in Russia. It was founded in 1999 by the Union of Cinematographers of Russia and its Irkutsk branch, and it is held in the city every year, traditionally in September.
The competition shows documentary, popular science, fiction, animated and full-dome films from many countries, and the festival also holds meetings with filmmakers, a pitching session of film projects and a youth jury. Screenings are spread over several venues in the city. Dates and programs change every year, so check the official source for the current edition.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Байкальский международный кинофестиваль «Человек и природа» имени В. Г. Распутина |
|---|---|
| Type | Recurring event |
| When | Every year, traditionally in September, over about nine days |
| Typical duration | About nine days, with screenings, meetings and a pitching session of film projects |
| Address | улица Мухиной, 2а, Иркутск |
| District | Irkutsk (venues in the city; the festival office is at Mukhina Street 2a) |
| Admission | Mixed. Some events, such as the pitching of film projects, have been free for visitors, and screenings in cinemas are usually sold by the cinemas. Check the festival site for the current edition. |
| Best time to visit | The festival is traditionally held in September, over about nine days. Evenings are for premieres and ceremonies, and the daytime for discussions and master meetings. Early autumn weather in Irkutsk is mild, with cooler evenings. |
| Website | baikalkinofest.ru |
| Last updated | October 13, 2026 |
Dates, programs and prices change from year to year. Always check the official website for the current edition.
Why Visit Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk?
The festival is a chance to see films on nature and ecology that rarely reach ordinary cinemas, in the city on the road to Lake Baikal. The competition draws hundreds of entries from dozens of countries, according to the festival’s news, and the best films are shown in several formats, including full-dome films in the planetarium.
It also offers meetings with directors, actors and other guests, and a program that includes film talks after screenings. Most films are shown in Russian or with Russian subtitles, according to the nature of the program, so it is best for visitors who read Russian or who are interested in the visual side of the films.
What to Expect at Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
The festival usually starts with full-dome screenings in the planetarium and a formal opening ceremony in a cinema, with an opening film, according to news of recent editions. The competition program includes documentary, popular science, fiction, animated and full-dome films, shown in the cinemas of the city, with a jury, a youth jury and an audience vote.
The program also includes a pitching session of film projects, which has been open to visitors free of charge, meetings and discussions with directors after screenings, a master meeting at the Irkutsk branch of the film institute, and non-competition screenings, according to news items. The festival ends with an awards ceremony, with a grand prize and a special prize called Baikal for the sharpness of the environmental problem shown. The details change every year.
Highlights of Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
The opening ceremony in the Barguzin cinema
The festival has held its formal opening in the Barguzin cinema, with an opening film and guests, according to news of recent editions. It is the most formal evening of the festival. Tickets or invitations are arranged by the organizers and the cinema.
Tip: Check the rules of entry for the opening, since it may need an invitation or a ticket.
Full-dome films in the Noosphere planetarium
Recent editions have opened with screenings of full-dome films in the Noosphere planetarium, according to a news item. Full-dome films use a large domed screen, which makes nature films especially immersive. The planetarium sells its own tickets.
Tip: Sit in the middle rows for the best view of the dome.
The competition program
The competition includes documentary, popular science, fiction, animated and full-dome films, according to news items. A recent edition received about 240 to over 300 entries from 30 to 39 countries. The jury, a youth jury and the audience give prizes, and the best film receives a grand prize.
Tip: Check the schedule of the competition program and pick the films that interest you.
Meetings with filmmakers
Past programs include meetings and discussions with directors and actors after screenings, and a meeting with the president of the festival, the documentary director Sergei Miroshnichenko, at the Irkutsk branch of the film institute, according to news items. These events give a closer look at how the films were made.
Tip: Stay after a screening if the director is present.
The Baikal pitching of film projects
A pitching session where filmmakers present their projects is held in the festival, in the large hall of the House of Cinema on Mukhina Street 2a, and visitors can attend free of charge, according to a news item. Winners are announced at the opening. It shows the next generation of nature films.
Tip: Check the time and arrive early, since the hall has limited seats.
The Baikal prize
Besides the winners in the categories, a special prize called Baikal is awarded for the sharpness of the environmental problem shown, according to a news item, together with prizes of the youth jury, the media and the audience. It reflects the festival's focus on environmental questions.
Tip: Ask at the festival which films are candidates for the audience prize.
What It Means for Your Visit
The festival does not close streets or change the working calendar. Its effect is mainly on cinemas and the planetarium, where screenings are busier and some seats are reserved for festival audiences, and on hotels and restaurants near the venues in the evenings. Venues are spread over the city, so plan transport between them.
Plan to check the screening schedule and buy tickets early for the opening and for popular films. Check the official source for the current edition, since the dates, the venues and the programs change every year.
Atmosphere
The festival feels like a quiet gathering of filmmakers and people who care about nature. In the foyer of a cinema, directors and viewers talk about the films, and in the planetarium the audience lies back in reclining seats under a dome. You hear the murmur of discussions, the rustle of programs and applause at the end of a screening.
It is calmer in the daytime, with discussions and master meetings, and busier in the evening, when premieres and the opening and closing ceremonies take place. Early autumn weather in Irkutsk is mild, with golden leaves in the streets outside the cinemas.
History of Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
The Baikal International Film Festival Man and Nature, named after the writer Valentin Rasputin, was founded in 1999 by the Union of Cinematographers of Russia and its Irkutsk branch, according to the festival’s site. It is held in Irkutsk, and it is annual, although the festival’s site gives different years from which it became annual.
At the start of its history, the festival was timed to Baikal Day, an interregional holiday created on the initiative of environmental organizations of the Irkutsk and Chita regions and Buryatia, according to the festival’s site. It later became an independent event of international level, known beyond the Irkutsk region and Russia.
It has been supported by the federal ministry of culture, the government of the Irkutsk region and the regional ministry of culture, and later by the Presidential Cultural Initiatives Foundation, according to news items. The organizers have included the regional film fund, the company Irkutskkino and the non-profit Kinoforum.
In recent years the festival has been held in September. Nearly 800 films from more than 100 countries took part in its competition by the middle of the 2020s, according to a news item, and it is described as one of the oldest environmental film platforms in Russia.
The program has expanded to include full-dome films, a youth jury and a pitching session of film projects, according to news items.
The details above come from the festival’s site and news items and should be checked against the current official program.
Tickets and Booking for Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
Entry. The festival mixes free and ticketed events. The pitching of film projects has been open free of charge, according to a news item, while screenings in cinemas and the planetarium are usually sold by the cinemas and the planetarium themselves. Some events, such as the opening ceremony, may need a ticket or an invitation.
Organizer. The festival is organized by the Irkutsk regional film fund, the company Irkutskkino and the non-profit Kinoforum, with the support of the regional and federal authorities, according to news items. The program is published on the festival’s site baikalkinofest.ru.
Planning. Dates, venues and ticket rules change by year, so check the official festival site for the current edition. Rates for Russian citizens and concessions may differ from those for visitors.
Get Tickets for Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
How to Get to Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
The festival office is at Mukhina Street 2a, in Irkutsk, and the large hall of the House of Cinema is there. Screenings take place at several venues in the city, such as the Barguzin cinema, the Noosphere planetarium and other cinemas. Irkutsk has no Metro, so most visitors arrive on foot, by tram, bus or taxi.
- From the center: check the address of each screening in the current program and use a map for the route.
- By tram, bus or taxi: check the current routes with the operators, since they change.
- From the station or the airport: a taxi to the center is the easiest way.
See the Irkutsk guide for how to reach the city.
Accessibility
Accessibility was not verified for the venues. Visitors with reduced mobility should ask the organizers, the cinemas and the planetarium about entrances, lifts and places for wheelchair users when buying tickets.
Food Nearby
The old center has many cafes and restaurants near the cinemas, including some covered in separate guides, such as Partizan and Sobraniye Speshilova on Sedova Street. Book a table in advance if you plan a dinner after an evening screening.
What to Bring
Bring a light jacket for cool evenings, your tickets on your phone or on paper, and a charged phone. Most films are in Russian, so bring a translation app if you do not read Russian.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
The foyer of the cinema on the opening night
Guests and filmmakers in the foyer before the opening film give a festive picture of the festival.
Best time: Before the opening ceremony.
The planetarium dome
The audience reclining under a large dome with nature films above gives an unusual picture, but check the rules about photography.
Best time: Between screenings, with permission.
Photography Rules
Photography and recording during screenings are not allowed, and phones should be silent, so follow the rules of each cinema. Photographs in the foyers and of the guests are usually fine, but ask before you photograph people.
Family Suitability
The festival suits families with older children, especially the full-dome films and animated programs, but many documentaries are serious and in Russian. Check the age marking of each screening. Small children may find long programs difficult.
Russia Vibes Tips
- Check the schedule of the full-dome films in the planetarium, since they are the most visual and need no deep knowledge of Russian.
- Attend the free pitching of film projects if you want to see how new films are developed.
- Check the age marking and the language of each screening before you buy a ticket.
- Stay after a screening for the discussion if the director is present.
- Combine the festival with a trip to Lake Baikal, since the festival's themes are about nature and the lake.
- Check the dates well in advance, since they change from year to year within September.
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FAQ: Man and Nature Film Festival, Irkutsk
When is the festival?
Every year, traditionally in September, over about nine days. The exact dates change, so check the festival site.
Who founded it?
The Union of Cinematographers of Russia and its Irkutsk branch, in 1999, according to the festival's site.
Who is it named after?
The writer Valentin Rasputin, according to the festival's official name.
What films are shown?
Documentary, popular science, fiction, animated and full-dome films, mostly about nature and ecology, according to news items.
Is it free?
Partly. Some events, such as the pitching of film projects, have been free, while screenings in cinemas are usually ticketed.
Where are the screenings?
In several venues, such as the Barguzin cinema, the Noosphere planetarium and the House of Cinema on Mukhina Street 2a, according to news items.
Are the films in English?
Most are in Russian or with Russian subtitles, but a few may have other subtitles, so check the program.
What is the Baikal prize?
A special prize for the sharpness of the environmental problem shown in a film, according to a news item.
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Last updated: October 13, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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