In Kyiv, in the concert and exhibition center “ Parkovy” the solemn opening ceremony of the 16th Odesa International Film Festival took place. The festival began with a minute of silence in honor of all those who died as a result of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
“Ukrainian cinema today has become the voice of truth and stability. Our victories at international festivals prove that it is recognized and needed by the world. This is a movie about resilience—the ability to persevere and speak the truth when it’s hard. Strength, creativity, inspiration, sustainability are the basis of our cultural DNA, – emphasized the president of the festival, Victoria Tihipko.
The festival will last until October 4, screenings and industry events will take place in the cinema “Zhovten”, the cinema “Oscar” in the Gulliver Shopping Center and the Architect’s House.
During 11 days, viewers will be able to watch 113 films, including 104 full-length films, in 18 programs. The competition sections of the festival are the National Documentary Competition and the European Competition, representing new names and current topics of modern cinema. In addition to the competition programs, thematic sections “Focus on Poland”, “German accent”, “The best of Europe”, “Gala premieres”, “Festival of festivals”, “Human comedy”, “With friendly eyes” and others that demonstrate the diversity of Ukrainian and world cinematography.
A special component of the festival is educational events: panel discussions, meetings with directors, Q&A after screenings, master classes and presentations that reveal to the audience the behind-the-scenes of film production and current trends in the industry. The closing ceremony of the 16th Odessa International Film Festival is scheduled for October 3 at the “Zhovten” cinema.
