Anastasia Gorina
"Cinema begins where familiar reality ceases to be obvious."
Anastasia Gorina is a Russian independent filmmaker, actress, and screenwriter. She works in the fields of psychological drama and auteur cinema. Her films explore themes of perception, inner experience, and the subjective nature of reality. Currently, she is developing projects for Russian and international film festivals, as well as working on a new short film. She is open to collaborations with producers, production companies, and other creative partners.
Short Film "May Night"
Inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s novella "May Night, or The Drowned Maiden," the film explores the boundaries between perception, fear, and reality.
Genre: Psychological Drama / Folk Horror
Year of Production: 2025
Country: Russia
Runtime: 16 min 37 sec
Film Stills — "May Night"
A curated selection of key moments that capture the film’s atmosphere, visual language, and artistic vision.
Behind the Scenes
A glimpse into the filmmaking process, capturing the creative work, atmosphere on set, and collaboration between the crew members.
The Filmmakers
Director & Original Concept: Anastasia Gorina
Director of Photography: Nikita Selyutin
Sound Recordist: Anastasia Mikhalko
Gaffer: Denis Kuzmishchev
Fight Choreographer: Ivan Demchenko
Makeup Artist: Valeria Petrusenko
Editor: Anton Kosarev
Assistant: Adel Sukhova
Special Contributors:
Plastic Theatre "MnoZHESTvo"
Ekaterina Bloshenko
Elizaveta Romanova
Evgenia Sherstneva
Almira Shaymukhametova
Ekaterina Balabanova
Cast
Leva: Denis Zybin
Anya: Anastasia Gorina
Grandmother: Irina Zybinа
Drowned Maiden: Kristina Romanova
The Drowned Maiden’s Beloved: Nikita Zybin
The filmmakers would like to thank Mini Hotel "Taezhny" for generously providing the location for filming.
Special thanks for the participation of Zaika the cat.
Completion of the short film "May Night"
December 5, 2025The short film "May Night" enters the international film festival circuit.
March 17, 2026Private Screening of the short film "May Night"
May 1, 2026"May Night" has been selected for the Filmmaker Sessions Volume festival series in the United Kingdom.
April 23, 2026The short film "May Night" has been selected for Film Fest Fusion in London, United Kingdom.
April 29, 2026"May Night" has been selected as a finalist at the Lakes Noir International Film Festival in Luino, Italy.
May 7, 2026"May Night" has been selected for the Kinografika Film Festival in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
May 10, 2026Screenplay development begins for a new short film "Opposite" (working title), a psychological thriller.
June 23, 2026On August 1 at 6:00 PM, a screening of my short film May Night will take place at the Art House space.May Night became a finalist at the HorrorHound TV Festival on July 21, 2026
I am an independent filmmaker specializing in auteur short films. In my work, I explore perception, inner tension, and the emotional states of human beings. I am interested in moments when familiar reality begins to shift, and what remains unspoken becomes more powerful than words.
In my filmmaking process, I pay particular attention to visual language, atmosphere, and the rhythm of the frame. Light, space, and camera movement become part of the storytelling, helping to reveal the inner world of the characters.
I aim to create films that do not provide ready-made answers, but instead invite the audience to observe and interpret what unfolds in their own way. I see cinema as a space where emotions and sensations can tell a story as powerfully as the narrative itself.
Two audience reviews from viewers who watched the film during Lift-Off Sessions Volume #6. The comments were published anonymously and presented without edits.
Comment 1:May Night seemed to be a retelling of a Russian fairy tale in which the young man meets, with nervous
anxiety, his future grandmother-in-law. The foreboding atmosphere is strengthened very well with several
allusions to whether she is a witch, the fact that the young man wants to leave Grandma's home before
nightfall but must stay until the following day, and the darkness of the cinematography. I would lighten up the
night scenes a bit because I found it difficult to figure out what was happening. Perhaps this was intentional?
I found it annoying. Also, I would add some old Russian music to the film - perhaps a 19th century Russian
Romance or music of Rimsky-Korsakov or Rachmaninov.Comment 2:Good movie. I liked the effort put into it, and the actress looked really cool in her role. It was enjoyable to
watch.
| TOTAL WATCH TIME | TOTAL AUDIENCE VOTES | VOTES FOR YOUR FILM | YOUR POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22h 40m | 160 | 2 | 23rd of 110 films |
Comment 3:
The cinematography is stunning, very real yet everything looks epic. This is a mind-bender also. The bonfire part at the 8 minute mark is something to admire.(Nikolas Keskilammi- Open Film Zone)