Ukrainian Day: From Dialogue to Co-Production

13.30 – 14.00 
PANEL
OPENING REMARKS 
Pascal Diot (Head of the Venice Production Bridge)
 

MODERATOR 
Yurii Vitak  (Deputy Head of NGO "UKRKINOFEST") 
 

SPEAKERS
Welcome Address
Volodymyr Vorona (Consul General of Ukraine in Milan)

Ukraine's national film support programs are actively fueling a new wave of domestic and international productions.
Maryna Tekutkska (First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian State Film Agency)

Ukrainian Co-Productions Before and After 2022: Experiences with the UK and Austria
Diana Nazaruk (Producer, Mellivora Production) and Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Director, Screenwriter, Producer and Founder, Mellivora Production)
Co-Producing Ukrainian Projects with Germany and Luxembourg: Practical Experience
Olha Matat (Producer, EVOS Film) 

14.00 – 15.30 
Co-Production Forum for Ukrainian Projects: One-on-one Meetings
Ukrainian-led feature film projects, presented by their producers, will be showcased to industry professionals during one-on-one meetings.

The following four projects will be presented:

GIA directed by CHRISTINA TYNKEVYCH 
Total project budget: 1,350,000 Euro
Late 1990s, the Carpathians. Georgiy Gongadze and Myroslava fall in love. Years later in Kyiv, Gia becomes a prominent journalist and founds Ukrainska Pravda, an independent outlet challenging those in power. Despite growing surveillance and threats, he refuses to leave Ukraine. One evening, Gia is abducted and never returns home. Myroslava begins a relentless fight for the truth, confronting a system determined to bury the case. His body is eventually found and identified by shrapnel in his arm, while a secret recording reveals an order for Gongadze to be “dealt with.” Taking her children to Washington, Myroslava continues the struggle for justice. International investigations confirm Gia’s identity and expose Ukraine’s responsibility, while years later three men are convicted of his murder. Myroslava continues to speak publicly about Ukraine, accountability and memory.

ENTANGLED directed by IVAN ORLENKO 
Total project budget: 1,180,000.00 EUR
Bob, a cameraman, arrives at a closed secret facility. He is tasked with creating a film praising the security agencies, which reform the “tangled people” working at this power plant. Bob meets Alice, an actress whom he had previously filmed in movies, and discovers she is monitored by a warden, present day and night in her wall-less room to ensure visual monitoring. Gradually, Bob learns what is being done to people like Alice, and films the hidden side of this camp secretly although his life is already in danger. 

ANTONIVKA directed by KATERYNA GORNOSTAI
Total project budget: 1,088,193 EUR
"Antonivka" is a bright drama set in the near future — the postwar era. A young couple, Aurora and Darko, moves to Aurora's grandfather, Anton, into his house in a village not far from a big city. Anton has survived a stroke and, due to his venerable age, requires care. Blind for over fifteen years — he, nevertheless, maintains his independence and stubbornly holds on to his daily life. The film explores the theme of mortality on various levels: the existential fear of the physical disappearance of both oneself and a loved one, the end of important relationships, the comprehension of the colossal collective trauma of loss caused by the war in Ukraine. Grandfather Anton becomes the center of the story, around whose life the entire family gathers. And his death forces the other characters to grow up and teaches them to perceive and accept their own finitude. Despite the heaviness of the topic, the narrative is full of light and humor, reminding us that soft irony always helps us in the search for answers to universal questions of human existence.

FENCER. STEEL & SILENCE directed by Denys Tarasov 
Total project budget: UAH 78000000 
In 2023, Ukrainian fencing champion Olha Kharlan faces the defining moment of her career when she refuses to shake hands with an opponent from the aggressor state. Her decision leads to disqualification and a confrontation with the international sports system, forcing her to choose between her Olympic career and her principles. Through memories of her journey from a young girl in Mykolaiv to a world champion, we witness the injuries, defeats, love, and relentless determination that shaped her. As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine threatens to destroy everything she has built, Olha finds the strength to return to the piste and reunite her scattered team. Her act of defiance sparks international support and ultimately changes the rules of fencing. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Olha fights not only for a medal, but for the dignity and voice of her country.

HOSTED BY LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
CURATED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF UKRAINE, THE UKRAINIAN STATE FILM AGENCY AND THE UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE

Ministry of Culture of Ukraine is the central executive authority. The Ministry is responsible for shaping and implementing state policy in the following areas: culture and the arts; cinematography; book publishing; information security of Ukraine; media; state language policy; protection of cultural heritage; museum affairs.

The Ukrainian State Film Agency (USFA) is a central executive body responsible for implementing Ukraine’s state policy in the field of cinematography. The Agency supports the development of Ukrainian cinema, promotes national films and filmmakers, and facilitates international cooperation and the representation of Ukrainian cinematography abroad. Through partnerships with international institutions, film festivals, markets and its own funding programmes, the Agency creates opportunities for Ukrainian filmmakers to connect, collaborate and bring Ukrainian stories to audiences around the world.

The Ukrainian Institute is a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Its mission is to strengthen Ukraine's international standing through the means of cultural diplomacy. The Institute facilitates international connections between people and institutions and creates opportunities for Ukraine to interact and cooperate with the world.