Eight new film projects from Ukraine, including documentaries, fiction and animation, have received support from the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films (ESFUF) with a total budget of €900.000. Half of the projects were directed or co-directed by women. As announced at a special event on the sidelines of the Berlinale, the ESFUF will renew its support for Ukrainian filmmaking in 2025.
The event was attended by Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Members of the European Parliament, the President and representatives of the European Film Agency Directors' Association (EFAD).
The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films is an initiative launched by the members of EFAD in Berlin in February 2023. The Fund supports the completion of films or the development of new projects, while promoting co-productions. Over the past two years, 49 Ukrainian film projects have been supported either at the development or finalisation stage. Of the 21 films that received support for finalisation, 11 have already been screened at major European film festivals. Kateryna Gornostai's film Timestamp, which received finalisation support in May 2024, will premiere in the official competition of the Berlinale. A total of 29 films received development support. Some of these films have completed their production and are now in the final stages of completion, such as Special Operation, which will premiere in the Forum section of the Berlinale.
In the autumn of 2024, the fund moved towards production support. The 8 new projects that will receive production support under the latest call were announced by Christopher Peter Marcich, President of the European Film Agency Directors' Association.
The supported projects are:
- BLUE SWEATER WITH A YELLOW HOLE by Tetiana Khodakivska
Ukrainian production company: Pronto Film
Production company established in France : Girelle Production
Amount of the support: 90 000 €
- HARDSUB by Novruz Hikmet
Ukrainian production company: Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema
Production company established in Germany: Plotlessfilm GbR
Amount of the support: 150 000 €
- KAI by Oleh Sentsov
Ukrainian production company: AT Films
Production company established in Germany: Ma.ja.de. Fiction GmbH
Amount of the support: 150 000 €
- PALINGENESION by Alina Gorlova, Yelizaveta Smith, Maksym Nakonechnyi, Simon Mozgovyi.
Ukrainian production company: Tabor LTD
Production company established in France: Les Valseurs Bordeaux
Amount of the support: 40 000 €
- RED ZONE by Iryna Tsilyk
Ukrainian production company: Moon Man
Production company established in Luxembourg: a_BAHN
Amount of the support: 150 000 €
- SCREAMING GIRL by Antonio Lukich
Ukrainian production company: Fore Films
Production company established in Ireland: Feline Films
Amount of the support: 150 000 €
- THE ELF’S TOWER by Polina Kelm
Ukrainian production company: Magika Films
Production company established in Croatia: Restart
Amount of the support: 40 000 €
- UNHOLY POWER by Roman Liubyi
Ukrainian production company: Babylon 13 Production
Production company established in Germany: Benedetta Films
Amount of the support: 130 000 €
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Photo: Timestamp film poster
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