Exclusively for HSE, Intuit Lab, and CAFA students. Read more 🔗 about the competition
The contest has two rounds. Submissions are currently open for Round 1, assessed by national juries, and the same projects will carry through to Round 2, judged by the international jury.
step 1 / choose a movie: Russian watchlist
Brother (1997, Aleksey Balabanov) // «Брат» (1997, Алексей Балабанов)
The most iconic film of post-Soviet Russia, it reflects a decade marked by newfound freedom and socio-economic instability. Alexey Balabanov’s masterpiece was celebrated by audiences and critics alike —some viewed the protagonist as a Robin Hood-like hero, while others saw him as a lost generation symbol, grappling with PTSD and resorting to violence.
Night Watch (2004, Timur Bekmambetov) // «Ночной дозор» (2004, Тимур Бекмамбетов)
A fantasy-horror set in 2000s Moscow, where the forces of day and night clash in an epic battle. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Russia’s first true blockbuster is based on Sergei Lukyanenko’s novel. The film blends supernatural elements and high-quality special effects with everyday life in Moscow, sparking a small franchise.
Piter FM (2006, Oksana Bychkova) // «Питер FM (2006, Оксана Бычкова)
This is a simple but very tender and romantic story about a telephone romance between two young and creative people. He is an architect; she is a radio jockey. In the mid-2000s, Piter FM became the most successful, truly hit romcom, inheriting the best traditions of the Khrushchev Thaw Soviet cinema.
Petrov’s Flu (2021, Kirill Serebrennikov) // «Петровы в гриппе» (2021, Кирилл Серебренников)
This film is based on Alexey Salnikov’s novel The Petrovs In and Around the Flu. The main events of the film take place in Russia in the 2000s, but the characters often recall the years of the late USSR — the end of the 1970s. Petrov’s Flu is a kaleidoscope of vivid images surrounding the everyday life of an ordinary family man with a great imagination. This film was shown in the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Major Grom: Plague Doctor (2021, Oleg Trofim) // «Майор Гром. Чумной доктор» (2021, Олег Трофим)
Supercop Grom battles crime in St. Petersburg, facing a vigilante who targets the powerful who’ve escaped justice. Based on the popular comic book about Major Igor Grom, this film is one of Russia’s recent hits. Its gripping story is complemented by stunning production design, blending St. Petersburg’s architecture with a Batman-inspired cityscape.
step 2 / translate and reimagine
Ask yourself: «If the message and spirit of this film were turned into a contemporary „Brand®“ in my country, what would it look like?» The name of the movie could be changed if necessary for the purpose of the brand you want to create.
Analyze the core DNA of the story — its emotion, symbolism, conflict, and values. Then reinterpret it within your own cultural environment, while keeping its original essence alive.
Define: • The brand positioning (what it stands for) • The narrative promise (what it conveys emotionally or socially) • The signature or tagline
step 3 / design the identity
Create the visual and editorial world of your film-brand:
• Logo and graphic universe (color palette, typography, layout) • Visual and editorial tone • Main campaign poster or rebranded film cover • Social media content (3–5 posts minimum)
Optional but encouraged: merchandising mockups, teaser video, or a short 2-minute trailer. You are free to explore any format — from digital to print to motion — as long as your storytelling remains coherent and culturally meaningful.
step 4 / prepare the presentation
Compile your project into a clear and engaging presentation:
• 1 brand strategy note (vision, values, positioning, adapted title) • 1 logo and full visual identity system (colors, typography, moodboard) • 1 poster or key visual • 3–5 social media posts • Optional: 1 short trailer (max 2 min) • 1 presentation deck (max 30 longread blocks) uploading here on «create a project»
when creating your project on the platform, please name it using the following format:
Culture Mirror: [Movie Name]
step 5 / submit and get featured
Submit your project on your film country’s landing page.
Individual submissions only.
Final deadline: January 15, 2026.
After the first evaluation, five projects per country will be shortlisted.
A second round of juries will then select the three best international interpretations per country, and finally, one winning project will be chosen in March 2026.
The 15 finalist projects will form the basis of a traveling exhibition across all five countries.
make sure your project includes both tags:
«identity & branding» «intuit lab x hse art and design school x cafa»
contacts
Info: info@dafes.org Technical support: support@dafes.org
Regulations of the HSE x Intuit Lab x CAFA: Culture Mirror Intercampus Design Challenge — by participating in this contest, you agree to these Regulations in full.