In this article the authors consider the domestic and foreign experience of using cinema as an instrument of soft power of the state, reveal the peculiarities of the American approach, analyse the Soviet experience, describe the current state of Russian cinema and study a number of causes due to which this soft power resource is not implemented in the most effective way, evaluate the prospects of using cinematography as a way of forming a positive image of the country and its dissemination abroad. The authors conclude that the focus of Russian film producers on commercial gain is the main reason why the artistic value of films is significantly reduced. The authors note the insufficient realisation of the "educational" function of contemporary Russian cinema. The method of analysis is comparative analytical approach and content analysis.