A feature film by female director / producer Gala Pawl
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Film directed by
Gala Pawl
Genre
Biopic
Country
USA, Italy, UK, France, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Guinea-Bissau
Planned release
2020-2021
Team of producers
Gala Pawl (USA), Alexandra Boot (Russia-Belarus), Alexander Mercury (UK-France), Pavel Shumov (USA-Russia)
Who is Mila and what the film is about?
The Last Empress of Fashion is a feature about one of the most unique and amazing women on Earth - MILA ANUFRIEVA, who was born into a poor family but built a $250M luxury fashion empire, defeated stage III cancer, evaded the KGB plans to jail her via fake accusations and get rid of her, fled her homeland for Italy where she became the first Russian woman in history elected as the official ambassador of Made In Italy. Now Mila spends all her time and money raising over 800 orphaned children in Guinea-Bissau (Africa): builds them a home, a school, provides all the supplies and gives them the love they need to have a brilliant future.
The media about Mila
Mila Anufrieva was the first businesswoman to create a fashion empire in the territory of the former Soviet Union... Today she has a consultancy agency in luxury fashion and an important goal: to help orphans and new mothers in Guinea Bissau. ...She founded Mila For Africa Foundation, with which carries out two important projects: the completion of a Maternity Department in the hospital on the island Bubaque and a constant contribution to the growth of over one hundred orphans under the patronage by AMIC (Amigos de Criança)...
VOGUE Italy
...She was dressing not only Russian politicians and superstars, people like Sting, Bill Clinton, the legendary Rolling Stones were her clients as well. And supermodels Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista participated in her runway shows...
AiF
...Mila opened her first boutique in St.Petersburg in 1989 and it was such an instant tremendous success that designers of Valentino, Capucci, Fendi, Lanvin and Sergio Rossi asked her to find a larger space for a larger store... Mila was importing not just Made in Italy brands, she was importing the sole idea of Italy...
RussiaNews.it
...This strong woman had been the first to create a luxury fashion empire, the first to get the right to represent the world famous luxury brands and the first to teach people how to wear them. Fashion is a cruel business behind a glamorous facade. Nowadays her boutiques and the company do not belong to her anymore, but she continues to struggle: a true professional would never give up the business she put all her life, soul and passion into...
Sobaka
...She was the symbol of fashion and style in the former Soviet Union. Now she lives in Italy and promotes the freedom of the press and the protection of human rights...
IODonna
Mila Anufrieva is a myth for the world of fashion worldwide, an incredible example of an independent and successful business woman... incredible how the strength of this woman helped her to transform a dramatic situation in another success... through her pain Mila has learned to see the pain of others, to give to others...
il Giornale
...the story of Mila Anufrieva, formerly a Russian fashion tsarina, but above all a talented and great entrepreneurial woman, is incredible - she did her business in a country where being a powerful female without belonging to an oligarchic caste is still scary, very fearful...
GILTmag
Unknown to many, but admired by fashion insiders, Mila was the one who brought Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara to Russia in 1991, and in 1993 she presented Salvatore Ferragamo to the Russian market... after she moved to Italy she promotes young Russian designers...
The Burning Girl mag
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Our Amazing Crew and Cast
Our female-driven, female-produced and female-directed project has collected the best crew and cast we could have dreamed of.
Gala Pawl
Documentary Director & Executive Producer. USA
The head and the soul of the project - over a decade of producing experience. Award-winning professional with co-production experience in US, Europe & Asia: Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Thailand. Owner of a production house focused on VFX for TV, cinema, and advertising with projects produced for tens of theatrical feature and TV projects.
Beth Kushnick
Visual consultant
Over 30 years in production design and set decoration for film & TV. Her work on the CBS hit The Good Wife brought Beth into the mainstream with an enormous social media following as well as her creation of the first home decor line of licensed product in TV history. Beth is the set decorator of The Good Fight, and has many TV credits including BrainDead & Fringe. Her feature film credits include Wanted with Angelina Jolie, National Treasure with Nicholas Cage, and Jumanji with Robin Williams.
Alexandra Boot
Co-Producer, Russia & Belarus
One of the super experienced Russian producers that covers all our production needs in Russia and Belarus (that's over 1/6 of the world, wow). She worked on a whole lot of multi-million dollar features, TV series and movie promo campaigns. We could not be happier that she joined us.
Paul Shumov
Producer
Award-winning producer with vast experience in the field of marketing, advertising, creative development, film, movie and on-air promotion. Exclusively produces content for CBS VIACOM: Nick, Nick Jr, Paramount Channel, Paramount Comedy, Spike - including reports for Kids' Choice Awards, local TV show production, branding and digital campaigns.
Alexander Mercury
Co-Producer, UK & France
Trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), worked on various theater, TV, independent and Hollywood film productions including The Golden Compass, Wonder Woman, Hitman's Bodyguard, World War Z, Jack Ryan and others. His debut film as a director won numerous awards, and our upcoming film surely will follow!
Denis Panov
Director of photography
One of the best DOPs of the new wave: almost every project he shoots is a hit on TV or at the box office. The last project Denis was booked for as a DOP is a fantasy feature shot in China with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan.
Iris Ivanova
Lead actress
Super successful actress known for her roles in the prime-time TV series The Raid (adaptation of the French TV hit Braquo), The Ship (adaptation of the Spanish TV hit El Barco), Trigger. Played in tens of critically acclaimed films including: G, The Third Wheel, Restoration, Full Contact, Eternity and others.