Filmindustry
The Ukrainian film industry is blooming: the directors win awards at international festivals and create a competitive market at home. Moreover, Ukraine hosts a series of international festivals that create platforms for screening and professional discussion.
Odesa International Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in Eastern Europe. The platform gathers Ukrainian and foreign filmmakers for the exchange of professional expertise and opinions. The program includes exclusive film premieres, workshops and a unique festive atmosphere.
The International Film Festival ‘Molodist‘ is the oldest film festival in Ukraine and one of the greatest cinematic events in Eastern Europe. There the emerging directors from around the world present their fiction features, documentary, fiction and animation short films.
The biggest documentary event in Ukraine is Docudays UA — International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival. After the main program, it lasts as a Traveling Festival in Ukrainian regions and discussions of films with human rights experts. Explore the winners of 2020 competition.
Fans of short films will definitely love the Kyiv International Short Film Festival. It is a meeting point for filmmakers, a source for inspiration and new knowledge for experts, students and cinema lovers.
Here are the films we recommend to suit all tastes: documentary ‘The Earth Is Blue As An Orange‘ by Iryna Tsilyk, which won Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival; drama ‘Homeward/EVGE‘ by Nariman Aliev, a debut which collected nominations and wins at the most prestigious film festivals including Cannes.
Another debut, a tragic comedy ‘My thoughts are silent‘ by Antonіo Lukic, which won the hearts of the viewers and also became the critics’ darling in Ukraine, winning most of the existing film awards in Ukraine in 2019; and one of the most acclaimed Ukrainian films, dark social drama ‘The Tribe’ by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy.
We can’t but mention Dovzhenko Center, the largest Ukrainian State Film Archive. It preserves more than 6000 titles of Ukrainian, Russian, European and American films from 1910. Nowadays it is one of the most dynamic cultural institutions in Ukraine, successfully rethinking and reinterpreting Ukrainian cinema heritage.
You can watch Ukrainian films legally at the streaming platform Takflix.com, where you can find many independent films shot in Ukraine in recent years. When in Ukraine, take a chance to attend one of these events to feel the spirit of the film industry in Ukraine!