Ukrainian Cinema Foundation Presents Ukrainian Cinema at Berlinale

February 12, 2008, the Adlon Kempinski hotel in Berlin hosted a reception dedicated to the presentation of Ukrainian cinema at the 58th Berlin Film Festival. The event, organized by the Ukrainian Cinema Foundation and Nemiroff Company, was attended by Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund Kateryna Yushchenko, were Ukraine’s Minister for Culture Vasyl Vovkun, Director of the Ukrainian Cinema Foundation Andriy Khalpakhchi, Polish film director Andrzej Wajda, leader of the VV rock group Oleh Skrypka, world cinema figures, and representatives of the Nemiroff Company, Ukrainian Cinema Foundation, and Ukraine 3000 Fund. In total, over 400 people were at the reception.

Addressing the guests, MRS. Yushchenko described the Ukrainian Cinema Foundation created on the initiative of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund. She emphasized that the Foundation’s priority was presenting and promoting the Ukrainian cinema globally. “We are happy to have made one of the first and most important steps to make Ukrainian cinema popular and fashionable,” she said. “We’ll work on finding and supporting young talents who will eventually create modern Ukrainian cinema.”

In his turn, Minister Vovkun said that the Ukrainian Cinema Foundation’s activities had found support among those willing to promote Ukrainian cinema, who pin their hopes and aspirations to this project.

Recall that, due to the support from the Ukrainian Cinema Foundation and Nemiroff International, the Ukrainian cinema was first presented at the European Cinema Market within the Berlinale framework. A Ukrainian Cinema Foundation stand is operating at the festival, , offering the Ukrainian Film Catalog 2006-2008, promo materials and trailers of Ukrainian films, and information on the history of and contemporary trends in the Ukrainian cinema. Besides,
Ukraine will be represented at the European Film Market with full-length At the Riverside by Yeva Neyman and short films Stray Dog by Valeriy Yamburzky, Pledge by Maryna Vroda, On the Border by Artem Sukharev/Mykyta Ratnykov, and Cab Driver by Roman Bondarchuk.
 
Mrs. Yushchenko and Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund members are on a working trip to Berlin, taking part in the events of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival. February 11 they took part in the Cinema for Peace reception, and February 12 visited the European Film Market and met with the Cannes Film Festival leaders, director of the International Federation of Film Producers, and Berlin Film Festival director. Besides, February 12 Mrs. Yushchenko met with wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Eva Louise Koehler.