The Women and the World International Film Festival will kick off in London on November 21, organized by producer and director Ksenia Buhrimova and TV presenter Maria Vinogradova, the event organizers announced.
This year, the festival will showcase Ukrainian films, with a particular focus on stories of resilience and cultural identity. These films reflect the painful aspects of war, recovery, and reflections on cultural challenges.
According to the organizers, the opening film will be "Lee," starring Kate Winslet as war photographer Lee Miller. Released on Sky Cinema on November 1, the film reveals the horrors of World War II, including concentration camps, and depicts the strength of women in the face of tragedy.
The festival will conclude with a Q&A session featuring Lee Miller's son Anthony Penrose, producer Kate Solomon, and screenwriter Marion Hume. The session will be moderated by actress Victoria Emsley, founder of Primetime Network.
The festival is organized by Talented U Limited, a nonprofit organization founded by Ksenia Buhrimova and Maria Vinogradova, which supports Ukrainian film professionals and promotes their development in the UK.
Talented U actively works to overcome career barriers through initiatives focused on mental health, combating discrimination, and facilitating cultural exchange between Ukrainian and British filmmakers.
The festival will also host the Global Voices of Resilience summit.
Speakers include:
- Rita Burkovska, Ukrainian actress and military medic in the Ukrainian Armed Forces
- Walter Busattil, military psychiatrist and consultant, professor, and director of research and training at Combat Stress, a British charity for veterans
- Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
- John Sweeney, British journalist and documentary filmmaker known for political and human rights investigations
- Waad Al-Kateab, Syrian journalist and director of the documentary For Sama on the impact of war on women and children
- Fadi Alhalabi, Syrian cinematographer documenting events in Syria since 2012
- Olena Andreichova, Oscar and BAFTA-winning producer of Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone ("If You’re a Girl")
- Nicole Ansari-Cox, British actress and producer known for her work in film, television, theater, and humanitarian efforts
The festival will feature 7 competitive documentaries, 10 short films, and 5 feature films.
The festival's jury includes:
- Nancy Bishop, renowned casting director based in London and Prague, co-founder and former president of the European branch of the Casting Society of America (CSA). She has worked on over 100 major film and TV projects and received the CSA Artios Award for Best Comedy Casting for Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm.
- Kate Wilson, producer and screenwriter with over 25 years of experience in the film industry, co-founder of the Call It! Workplace Culture app, and author of the novel Prospects (2024).
- Verity Wislocki, film producer and owner of Wislocki Films, who has worked with Oscar-winning directors such as Tim Burton, Alfonso Cuarón, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Her films have been shown at leading festivals like Karlovy Vary and Sheffield DocFest and have won numerous awards.
You can find the full festival program via the provided link.
