The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films (ESFUF) announced the results of the second competition to select Ukrainian projects for financial support. The jury selected 18 Ukrainian projects at this time.
18 Ukrainian films received funding
ESFUF selected winning projects from among 86 applications. €761,020 will be spent on their support, Derzhkino's press service reported.
Among the films that will receive European support are eight feature films and ten documentaries. Ten projects will receive funding at the development stage and eight at the final production stage.
The projects were chosen by the jury, which included producer Marianna Sloth (chairman of the jury), producer Simona Baumann, director and producer Dariusz Jablonski, director Timon Kulmasis, director Ilmar Raag, director Ineke Smits and director Audreus Stonis.
Projects that received support at the development stage:
"Antonivka", directed by Kateryna Gornostai
Amount of support: €43,800
"Ground Zero", directed by Zhanna Ozirna
Amount of support: €43,800
"Hard sub", directed by Novruz Hikmet
Amount of support: €37,500
"Red Zone", directed by Iryna Tsylyk
Amount of support: €43,800
"Retention", directed by Dmytro Suholytkyy-Sobchuk
Amount of support: €43,800
"The Blindsight", directed by Ruslan Batytskyi
Amount of support: €43,800
"The Days I Would Like to Forget", directors Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova, Semen Mozgovyi, Maksym Nakonechnyi
Amount of support: €15,000
"Under the Yellow Sky", directed by Maryna Nazarenko
Amount of support: €25,000
"Vona", directed by Kseniia Kravtsova and Daria Onishchenko
Amount of support: €23,600
"War in Chernobyl", directed by Oleksiy Radinski
Amount of support: €25,000
Projects that received support at the final stage of production:
"Chrysanthemum Day", directed by Simon Mozgovyi
Amount of support: €75,000
"Clouds move with great speed", directed by Roman Ostrovskyi
Amount of support: €39,000
"Dad's Lullaby", directed by Lesya Diak
Amount of support: €50,000
"Displaced", directed by Olga Zhurba
Amount of support: €15,000
"Fragments of Ice", directed by Maria Stoianova
Amount of support: €59,000
"Real", directed by Oleg Sentsov
Amount of support: €28,160
"U are the universe", directed by Pavlo Ostrikov
Amount of support: €74,760
"Up in the air", director Oksana Syhareva
Amount of support: €75,000
The European Fund for Solidarity with Ukrainian Cinema (ESFUF) is an initiative launched in February 2023 during the Berlin International Film Festival. The fund brought together 19 partners from 16 different countries, the Association of European Film Agency Directors (EFAD), 15 of its members and ministries of culture.
The results of the first competitive selection were announced during the Cannes Film Festival. The jury then chose 11 Ukrainian projects, and the total amount of support was €523,000.
"20 days in Mariupol" became one of the best films of the year
Film publication Indiewire has published a list of the best films of 2023. The Ukrainian film "20 Days in Mariupol" took third place in the documentary category.One hundred fifty-six6 critics and journalists participated in the survey, based on which the rating was compiled.
The documentary "20 Days in Mariupol", about the capture of the city by the Russian army, entered the top three in its category.
The best documentary was "The City of Kokomo," about the life stories of black transgender sex workers from Atlanta and New York.
The top ten also included:
Menus-Plaisirs: Les Troisgros;
De Humani Corporis Fabrica;
"Four Daughters";
"Our body";
"Beyond Utopia";
"Quiet little voice";
"Mission";
"Still: The Movie About Michael J. Fox."
