The audit found that half of the film collection was taken out of Mosfilm's balance sheet

The Mosfilm film studio took out almost half of the films from its collection for the balance of the enterprise, but continued to receive income from them. This is reported by RBC with reference to the results of the audit of the use of the property complex and payments to the budget of state-owned enterprises for 2023-2024, which was conducted by the Accounts Chamber.

"The main and unique asset of Mosfilm is the collection, which includes about 2.3 thousand films that have been created over the entire 100-year history of the studio's existence. Almost 1.5 thousand of them are "on balance without monetary valuation," according to the report of the Accounts Chamber. The report does not specify which paintings are taken out of balance.

"But, for example, it is indicated that in 2023 81 positions with an initial book value of 754 million rubles were written off. At the same time, the Accounts Chamber recorded that only 90 projects were entered into the Register of Federal Property (RFI) by Mosfilm. Only 39 films are taken into account on the company's balance sheet," the publication says.

The Accounts Chamber also notes that in 2022-2024, projects written off from the studio's balance sheet "have repeatedly been the subject of transactions transferring rights to their use." It was these tapes that "generated significant and constant income for the enterprise," the audit showed, which made it possible to consider them intangible assets.

"In addition to a significant share of films, the main trademarks of the film studio were also taken into account on Mosfilm's balance sheet, it follows from the report of the Accounts Chamber. At the same time, Mosfilm continued to initiate legal proceedings for their misuse," the publication clarifies.

The press service of Mosfilm commented on the results of the audit of the Accounts Chamber.

"The situation with regard to intangible assets arose due to gaps in legislative regulation, which does not take into account the specifics of accounting for works created during the Soviet period," said representatives of the film studio.

Legally, Mosfilm is the "author" and owner of exclusive rights to all projects shot at the studio since its foundation in 1924. The press service claims that in relation to these paintings, "there is no actual value expression, since the costs of their production carried out decades ago cannot be objectively taken into account when evaluating them at the present time."

Also, the film studio added that they ensure transparency of the use of projects by taking them into account on off-balance sheet accounts, trademarks are taken into account in the same way.

Recall that in 2019, the 16th filming pavilion and the Costume and Props House, a modern storage facility with an area of about 15 thousand square meters, where the studio's funds are located, were built and put into operation at Mosfilm. In 2022, the cinema and concert complex and the new shooting pavilion No. 17 were commissioned. Now the film studio positions itself as one of the largest film enterprises in the world.

In January 2024, Mosfilm celebrated the 100th anniversary of the film concern. Director General and Chairman of the Board of Mosfilm since 1998 is a film director, screenwriter, producer, public figure, People's Artist of Russia Karen Shakhnazarov.