Venice International Film Festival announce Ukrainian Day

The Biennale di Venezia announces a Ukrainian Day on Thursday, September 8, 2022 during the 79^th Venice International Film Festival.

A number of initiatives have been organised to manifest the festival’s solidarity with Ukraine and its support of Ukrainian artists, with particular attention to the condition of the film industry, within the tragic context affecting the country’s entire population. Through this event, the Biennale di Venezia reaffirms its role as a platform for cultural dialogue and solidarity with Ukraine, showing that the worlds of film and culture must not remain silent in the face of this tragedy.

The Ukrainian Day events will be held on Thursday, September 8, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Venice Production Bridge’s Spazio Incontri (Hotel Excelsior, Venice Lido).

At the panel (10-11 a.m.), following greetings and an introduction by the President of the Biennale, Roberto Cicutto, and the Artistic Director of the 79^th Festival, Alberto Barbera, the speakers will be: the Ambassador of Ukraine to Italy, Yaroslav Melnyk; the head of the National Cinema Institution of Ukraine, Marina Kuderchuk; the director of the film Luxembourg Luxembourg (which will screen in competition in the Orizzonti section at the 79^th Venice Film Festival), Antonio Lukich; the director of the movie Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (which will screen out-of-competition at the 79^th Festival), Evgeny Afineevsky; the exhibiting artist in the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59^th Biennale Arte, Pavlo Makov; the curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59^th Biennale Arte, Boris Filonenko; the representative of Ukraine’s Council for State Support of Cinematography, Polina Tolmacheva; the Cultural Attaché of Ukraine, the actress and filmmaker Daria Tregubova; and the producer and head of civic organization Andriy Nogin. The panel will be moderated by Volodymyr Ostapchuk.

Various topics will be addressed and backed up by video content: cooperation between Ukraine and Italy; the difficult situation in which the Ukrainian film industry finds itself today; the situation of co-productions; the role of artists and filmmakers; diversity in the Ukrainian audiovisual industry, including art house cinema, commercial movies, TV series, and streaming platforms; the future of Ukrainian cinematography.

Afterward (11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.), there will be a Presentation of Ukrainian projects at different stages of production, with the participation of the representative of Ukraine’s Council for State Support of Cinematography, Polina Tolmacheva; of the Cultural Attaché of Ukraine, the actress and filmmaker Daria Tregubova; of the producer and head of civic organisation Andriy Nogin. Moderator: Volodymyr Ostapchuk.

The event will conclude with informal conversation and, above all, business networking among the guests.