Russian Online Video Service Tvzavr to Launch in U.S.

The launch is planned for Oct. 27, ahead of the American Film Market.

Tvzavr, one of Russia's leading online video services, will launch in the United States on Oct. 27 with a presentation at Los Angeles' ArcLight Hollywood movie theater.

The event will also be part of the Russian Cinema Week in Los Angeles.

Preparing for the U.S. launch, Tvzavr has recently upgraded contracts for its content to ensure it has global rights and is negotiating with Hollywood majors about offering their fare in dubbed or subtitled Russian version in the U.S., according to Russian industry journal Booker's Bulletin.

More than 5,000 Russian live-action and animated films and television series will be made available to users in the U.S. The company is also launching an app for mobile devices, Russian Cinema.

Tvzavr will be mostly targeting Russian speakers living in the United States.

"For many people, our service will be one of the opportunities to come in contact with the culture of our country," Marina Surygina, general director of Tvzavr, was quoted as saying by Booker's Bulletin.

Launched in 2010, Tvzavr had an average monthly audience of 15 million last year and is one of Russia's largest and most popular online video services. The service's most popular local titles include Nikita Mikhalkov's Sunstroke, Alexander Nezlobin's Bridegroom and Zhora Kryzhovnikov's Kiss the Bride 2.