The Eurasian Film Award should be "powerful" from a financial point of view. The payout for the best film should be $1 million. Nikita Mikhalkov, chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation, said this in response to a question from TASS, the Russian agency reports.

"I proposed last year to create the Eurasian [Film] Academy and the Eurasian equivalent of the Oscar. And a very rich bonus. I'll explain why: Oscar does not give money. But the Oscar ceremony gives you the opportunity to take another step: it's just that your fee for the next picture will be higher. Since the young award does not have this yet, it should be very powerful from a financial point of view," he said at a press conference in Minsk.

The head of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation stressed that "it should be very attractive." "If this is, say, the [award] for the best film, then this is the equivalent of $1 million. Each subsequent nomination is worth $250 [thousand]. In the currency of the country where it is located. The paintings that have received these awards, they will have to be rolled in those countries that are part of this academy," Mikhalkov said about the idea of the award. According to him, it is assumed that "each [member of the Eurasian Film Academy] country selects those films that come to it from all over the world, then an international jury selects a shortlist."

Mikhalkov took the initiative to create the Eurasian Film Academy and establish its award, which should become an analogue of the Oscar, in the spring of 2022. It is expected to begin its presentation in 2024. In late November, Mikhalkov said that the establishment of the Eurasian Film Academy was supported by Iran and the CSTO countries, which, in addition to Russia, includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Earlier, the director told TASS that Chinese President Xi Jinping supported the idea of the Eurasian Film Academy Award, and also proposed holding an analogue of the Eurovision music contest for the Eurasian space.

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