EVENT Ukraine in Focus

When We Were 15

Ukraine in Focus

The Estonian fi lm industry has come out strongly in support of Ukraine and its fi lm professionals. Among a raft of initiatives announced, a Ukraine in Focus programme is planned in Cannes this May, with Estonian organisations including Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) and the Estonian Film Institute (EFI) instrumental in its organisation.

By William Smith

With the aid of other international partners including the Marché du Film itself, European Film Promotion and European Commission, Ukrainian filmmakers and producers will have networking, pitching and co-financing opportunities across May 21st and 22nd. The full schedule for Ukraine in Focus includes Black Nights Goes to Cannes, Ukrainian Films Now, Ukrainian Features Preview, Cannes Docs and Producers Network activities. TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS GOES TO CANNES For the second year in a row, PÖFF has joined the Marché du Film’s well-established Goes To Cannes strand, showcasing projects in development seeking sales agents. This year, in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the PÖFF team made the decision to exclusively select Ukrainian projects for this year’s edition.

The Editorial Office ( ) Directed by: Roman Bondarchuk Produced by: Darya Bassel (Moon Man), Darya Averchenko (South Films) & Tanja Georgieva-Waldhauer (Elemag pictures). Countries of production: Ukraine, Germany

The Glass House

The Glass House ( ) Directed by: Taras Dron Produced by: Igor Savychenko (Directory films), Valeria Sochyvets (Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema), Rodrigo Ruiz Tarazona (Cinelab), Taras Dron (Nord Production) Countries of production: Ukraine, Romania

The Editorial Office

Do You Love Me? Directed by: Tonia Noyabrova Produced by: Anastasiia Bukovska, Danylo Kaptyukh (Family Production) Country of production: Ukraine

Demons ( )

Directed by: Natalka Vorozhbyt Produced by: Dmytro Minzianov (Kristi Film), Denis Ivanov (Arthouse Traffic) Country of production: Ukraine

Chrysantemum Day ( )

Directed by: Simon Mozgovyi Produced by: Alex Chepiga, Artem Koliubaiev, Daryna Zakharova, Kateryna Lachyna (Mainstream Pictures LLC) Countries of production: Ukraine, North Macedonia UKRAINIAN FEATURES PREVIEW PÖFF and the Marché du Film additionally present four Ukrainian feature films nearing release including:

Lucky Girl Rock. Paper. Grenade Director: Iryna Tsilyk Producers: Vladimir Yatsenko & Anna Yatsenko (ForeFilms)

When We Were 15 Director: Anna Buryachkova Producers: Natalia Libet & Vitalii Sheremetiev (Digital Religion)

Lapalissade Director: Filip Sotnychenko Producers: Halyna Kryvorchuk (Viatel), Valeria Sotnychenko & Sashko Chubko (Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema) Lucky Girl Director: Marysia Nikitiuk Producers: Yanina Sokolova and Julia Sinkevych (Yanina Sokolova Production)

UKRAINE IN FOCUS ACTIVITIES The Ukrainian Films Now section, partnering with First Cut Lab, FVG Audiovisual Fund and EAVE, will highlight 8 to 10 Ukrainian features in order to fast track post-production work. Docs in Progress, a collaboration with the Ukrainian Institute and Festival DocuDays, will showcase four projects: Company of Steel directed by Yuliia Hontaruk, Lagoons. Battle for Paradise directed by Serhii Lysenko, Listening to the World directed by Liza Smith and Peace for Nina directed by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych. Six producers from Ukraine will join the Producers’ Network initiative: Denis Ivanov (Arthouse Traffic), Darya Bassel (Moon Man), Natalia Libet (Digital Religion), Sashko Chubko (Pronto Film), Olga Beskhmelnytsina (ESSE Production House) and Vladimir Yatsenko (ForeFilms).

Ukrainian films selected to screen in the Cannes programme include Maksim Nakonechnyi’s Butterfly Vision in Un Certain Regard, Dmytro SukholytkyySobchuk’s debut feature Pamfir in Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, and Sergei Loznitsa’s The Natural Hisotry of Destruction which will have a special screening this May. EF

Rock. Paper. Grenade Chrysantemum Day