9th Ukrainian Film Festival will be Hosted in Warsaw in October

The Polish capital, Warsaw, will host a Ukrainian film festival from 21 to 27 October, featuring about 60 films.

This was reported by the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the festival's website. 

‘From 21 to 27 October 2024, Warsaw will become the centre of Ukrainian cinema, as it will host `Ukraina! 9. Festiwal Filmowy`, the only festival in Poland dedicated exclusively to Ukrainian cinema,’ the statement reads.

The film festival is expected to host 50 guests from Ukraine and Poland. These are actors, directors, producers and journalists who will be able to communicate with you personally.

The festival will feature about 60 documentary, fiction and short films, which will be judged by a professional jury from Poland and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian State Film Agency noted that a special section on Crimean Tatars ‘will introduce their rich culture and history through screenings and discussions’. 

This is the 9th Ukrainian film festival and the only one in Poland dedicated to Ukrainian cinema. The screenings will take place at the Cinema, the Atlantic Cinema and the Andrzej Wajda Film Culture Centre. From October to December, the festival will also take place in other Polish cities, and from 1 to 17 November 2024, festival films will also be available online. 

This year's festival includes three main competition sections: documentary, fiction and short films. One of the highlights of the programme will be the section dedicated to Crimean Tatars, which aims to introduce the audience to the rich culture, history and current fate of this ethnic minority. The section will include, among others, the film Home by Nariman Aliyev, which tells the touching story of a father and son returning to Crimea after its annexation by Russia to bury their eldest son according to Muslim tradition.

Viewers will also have the opportunity to see archival footage and films from the last century documenting the life, traditions and landscapes of Crimea. These unique materials, which come from the resources of the Centre for Urban History in Lviv, are a valuable testament to the history of Crimea and the Crimean Tatars, who have been an integral part of the region for centuries. This section is particularly important in view of the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea and the 80th anniversary of the resettlement of Crimean Tatars.

The festival also includes a wide range of side events. 

*Cultural Diplomacy