Leading Film Distributor Entertainment Squad Announce The VOD Release For Max Weissberg’s KARAGANDA: RED MAFIA On April 22

Entertainment Squad has announced that Karaganda: Red Mafia, the crime thriller from writer-director Max Weissberg, will be available on Video on Demand starting April 22, 2025. The film, which had its U.S. premiere at the 15th Soho International Film Festival, has since garnered attention on the international festival circuit.​

Set in 1994, Karaganda: Red Mafia follows Vladimir Bernshtein (Konstantin Lavysh), a Moldovan gangster operating in New York's Brighton Beach. As a member of the Vory v Zakonye, a storied criminal organization with roots in czarist Russia, Vladimir becomes entangled in a deadly mafia war after a botched arms deal at a Russian airbase. The ensuing conflict threatens his family and forces him to confront secrets from his past, including a reunion with Aleksei Rukov (Nikita Bogolyubov), an old friend from Soviet prison camps.​

The film features a cast that includes Dimiter D. Marinov (Green Book), Natasha Blasick (Paul T. Goldman), Richie Stephens (Mayor of Kingstown), and Ilia Volok (The Americans). Weissberg co-wrote the story with Nina Gortinski, expanding upon his 2014 short film Karaganda, filmed at the American Film Institute. The thesis film won five awards across 26 film festivals including the 35th Girona International Film Festival, 77th Salerno International Film Festival, 22nd Dhaka International Film Festival, 28th Sofia International Film Festival, and the 46th Moscow International Film Festival.​

“Karaganda: Red Mafia is a story about trust, trauma, and survival in a criminal underworld where nothing is what it seems,” said director Max Weissberg. “We wanted to explore the violent Soviet prison system and how it later impacted the Russian mafia in 1990s Brooklyn — all wrapped in a tight, fast-paced crime thriller. It’s The Godfather meets Eastern Promises, but with a post-Soviet soul.”

“Max has created a thrilling, character-driven world that feels both epic and intimate.” said Shaked Berenson, Entertainment Squad’s CEO,“We’re excited to bring this gripping story to audiences in North America.”

Look out for Karaganda: Red Mafia on major video-on-demand and digital platforms, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango at Home, Comcast, Spectrum and others, starting April 22!

Karaganda: Red Mafia Film Page

About Entertainment Squad
Entertainment Squad is a leading film distribution company dedicated to bringing diverse and compelling stories to audiences worldwide. With a focus on independent cinema, Entertainment Squad champions innovative storytelling and supports filmmakers in reaching broader audiences.​