US actor proposes establishing international film studio to unite people through cinema

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. US actor and Russian Foreign Ministry Special Representative for Russia-US Cultural Links, Cultural and Historical Heritage Steven Seagal has proposed setting up an international film studio or foundation that would allow representatives of different countries and cultures to make films around the world, an idea he announced during a panel discussion titled Russia-US: A Cultural Dialogue held as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"I would like to be able to have a film fund or film studios that allow all different people from all different walks of life and all different ethnicities and all different religions to be able to make movies around the world. And I think that if we do something like that, this is the way to bring people together," he stated.

According to Seagal, cinema has the power to unite people around the world. "One of my dreams is rather than there being one mafia that is controlling all of the movies, that there be groups of people who represent the world," he concluded.

SPIEF

The 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 3-6 and is the 29th edition. This year, the event is held under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future." Saudi Arabia is the guest country at SPIEF. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.