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06 May 2008 18:33

Ukrainian Film Foundation and Nemiroff International Brand Name to Present First Ukrainian Pavilion in Cannes History

May 6, 2008, the Kyiv movie theater in the Ukrainian capital hosted a press conference presenting the Ukrainian Pavilion at the International Cannes Film Festival’s film market. This event has become possible due to the support by the Nemiroff international brand name.

Among the participants of the event were Head of the Board of Directors of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Oleksandr Maksymchuk, Director of the Ukrainian Film Foundation Andri Khalpakhchi, and Head of the Nemiroff press service Tagir Imangulov.

The first Ukrainian Pavilion in the history of the International Cannes Film Festival, which will operate from May 14 till 25, is to distribute catalogues of Ukrainian films, their promo materials and trailers, as well as supplying international film professionals with information on the most influential figures in Ukraine’s cinema.

The Ukrainian Film Foundation cooperates in its work on the pavilion with a number of renowned domestic artists. In part, the design will be worked out by the Aktsent creative group led by Pavlo Hudimov, and a Ukrainian Film Foundation promo video – by Vlad Troyitsky’s Dakh Theater.

Addressing the audience, Mr. Maksymchuk said that Ukrainian cinema’s presentation and development were among the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s major priorities for 2008. “At the Cannes Festival the Ukrainian Film Foundation will make an extremely important step by unveiling together with its partners the first Ukrainian Pavilion in the history of Cannes and presenting contemporary Ukrainian cinema to the festival’s participants,” he said. “We appreciate the efforts of all Ukrainian Film Foundation’s partners who contribute to this goal.”

In his turn, Mr. Khalpakhchi emphasized that the unveiling of the Ukrainian Pavilion was a great achievement. He recalled that the idea to create the Ukrainian Film Foundation and present Ukrainian cinema to the world, in part, at Cannes, was born during his visit to the Cannes Festival 2007. “This year, owing to our partners, our dream has come true,” Mr. Khalpakhchi said.

After the press conference, head of the Aktsent creative group Pavlo Hudimov gave a virtual presentation of the Ukrainian Pavilion in Cannes.

In addition to Ukraine’s Pavilion at the Village Internacionale where the film market is held, the Ukrainian delegation plans a series of other events. In part, six short films are to be presented: Casting by Oleksandr Shapiro, The Illusion of Fear by Oleksandr Kiriyenko, Sappho by Robert Crombey, Bohdan Zinovy Khmelnytsky by Mykola Mashchenko, A Funky Tale by Roman Shirman, and Archbishop Andriy by Oles Yanchuk. A number of presentations is also scheduled dedicated, in part, to the Dovzhenko, Odesa, and Yalta film studios’ anniversaries along with new projects: The Good Soldier Svejk by Rinat Gazizov, Dau by Illia Khrzhanovsky, Mykyta Kozhumyaka by Mykhaylo Kostrov, A House with a Turret by Yeva Neyman, and Thirteen Months by Illia Noyabriov. Besides, Molodist International Kyiv Film Festival will be presented at Cannes for the second time.

The central event of the Ukrainian delegation’s visit to the International Cannes Film Festival will be a reception and presentation of Ukrainian cinema at Boulevard de la Croisette, organized by the Ukrainian Film Foundation and Nemiroff and scheduled for May 16. Over Ukraine 3000 Foundation participants of the festival – film directors, producers, movie stars, and journalists, - are expected at this reception. It is also planned that Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko will also attend this event.

In 2007, the Molodist International Kyiv Film Festival was presented at the International Cannes Film Festival with the support of Nemiroff. Members of the Ukraine 3000 Foundation leaded by Kateryna Yushchenko took part in that presentation, which gave an impetus to create the Ukrainian Film Foundation October 25, 2007. April 23, 2008, leaders of the Ukrainian Film Foundation and Nemiroff Company signed a Long-Term Agreement on Cooperation, envisaging joint activities aimed at reviving the Ukrainian cinema, promoting Ukrainian culture abroad, and forming a positive image of Ukraine in the world.