The documentary film “2000 Meters to Andriivka” by director Mstyslav Chernov will represent Ukraine at the 98th Academy Awards in the category of Best International Feature Film, the Ukrainian Oscar Committee announced on Facebook.
“This is an uncompromisingly honest and piercing documentary that immerses viewers in the reality of the Russia-Ukraine war through human experience – fragile, exhausting, yet full of dignity. This Ukrainian film deserves wider global visibility, as it speaks on behalf of those who defend freedom and the right to life every day,” the committee said.
“2000 Meters to Andriivka” explores the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war from a deeply personal and painful perspective. The director focuses on Ukrainian soldiers – who they are, where they come from, and the incredibly difficult decisions they must make in the trenches while fighting for every inch of their homeland.
Against the backdrop of the failed 2023 counteroffensive, Chernov and AP colleague Oleksii Babenko follow a Ukrainian brigade navigating roughly 2,000 meters of heavily fortified forest to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka. Combining the director’s footage, intense bodycam recordings of soldiers, and powerful personal reflections, “2000 Meters to Andriivka” hauntingly shows that the further the soldiers advance across their devastated homeland, the more they realize this war may have no end.
The world premiere took place at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025, where the film won the award for Best Directing in the World Cinema Documentary category. The Ukrainian premiere was held at Docudays UA, where the film won three categories. Since August 28, it has been released widely in Ukraine.
“It is an honor for us to represent Ukraine in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars. We will do everything possible to make the voices of Ukraine and its soldiers heard. This feels especially urgent as a massive attack on Kyiv occurred early this morning. I received the news of the selection while filming civilians being pulled from rubble. This imposes an even greater responsibility on us as documentarians and artists – to speak to the world, to shout about what is happening, even when it feels futile,” Chernov said in response to the committee’s decision.
The decision was made by the 12-member Ukrainian Oscar Committee, composed of film industry experts, including filmmakers and critics, elected by members of the Ukrainian Film Academy
