American Film Academy announced nominees for the 97th “Oscar 2025” award, among which is the Ukrainian film “The Porcelain War”. The award ceremony will take place on the night of March 3 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
The film “The Porcelain War”, created by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontiev, was among the finalists in the nomination “Best Feature Documentary”. The film tells the story of three ceramic artists from Kharkiv who, despite the danger, remain in the front-line city and decorate destroyed buildings with porcelain figurines, filling the city with art.
Ani and Slava’s porcelain works “come to life” through animations that introduce viewers to their stories and trials behind the creation of the art.
The film debuted in January 2024 at the Sundance Independent Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix in the Documentary Competition. As of January 2025, the film has already received 45 awards and 31 nominations at international film festivals, including a nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award.
In Ukraine, the premiere took place in May 2024 during the Independence American Film Festival. One of the directors of the film, Slava Leontiev, not only participated in the creation of the film, but also became its hero. Now he defends Ukraine with a weapon in his hands.
