Ukraine flag

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Ukraine flag

The 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10) is to host a series of initiatives in support of Ukraine and its artists on September 8, under the banner of ‘Ukrainian Day’.

It will demonstrate the festival’s solidarity with Ukraine and its support of Ukrainian artists, with particular attention to be paid to the condition of the film industry.

The event will be held at the Venice Production Bridge’s Spazio Incontri at the Hotel Excelsior. It will include an introduction by the president of the Biennale, Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.

The speakers will include Yaroslav Melnyk, the ambassador of Ukraine to Italy, Evgeny Afineevsky, the head of the National Cinema Institution of Ukraine, Marina Kuderchuk, the head of the National Cinema Institute of Ukraine, Polina Tolmacheva, the representative of Ukraine’s Council for state support of cinematography,  Daria Tregubova, an actor and filmmaker and cultural attaché for Ukraine, and producer and the head of civic organisation Andriy Nogin. 

The participating filmmakers include Antonio Lukich, director of Luxembourg Luxembourg (screening in Horizons), and Evgeny Afineevsky, director of Freedom On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom, screening out-of-competition.

Also taking part will be Pavlo Makov, the exhibiting artist in the Ukrainian Pavilion at the Biennale Arte this year, and Boris Filonenko, curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion at the Biennale Arte.

Topics to be addressed include co-operation between Ukraine and Italy; the difficult situation in which the Ukrainian film industry finds itself today; co-productions; the role of artists and filmmakers; diversity in the Ukrainian audiovisual industry; and the future of Ukrainian cinematography.

There will also be a presentation of Ukrainian projects at different stages of production in which Tolmacheva, Tregubova and Nogin will participate.