The International Ethnographic Film Festival “OKO” will present 90 films from 52 countries across five continents this year, with screenings in 24 languages.
According to Ukraine’s State Film Agency, the festival will include seven programme sections, along with special opening and closing films.
The festival will open with Dead Flower, an auteur project by OKO director-general Tetiana Staneva. The film tells the story of the director’s native Ukrainian Bessarabia and how its traditions and winter rituals are transforming under the conditions of war. This will be the world premiere of the film.
The closing film will be Pamfir by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, which the agency describes as a powerful blend of dramaturgy, directorial skill, and ethno-cultural context, including elements of malankuvannya (traditional folk celebrations), aligning with the thematic focus of this year's edition.
Festival schedule:
- September 5–10: Opening and initial screenings in Kyiv
- September 12–14: Final part of the Ukrainian programme and award ceremony in Bolhrad, Odesa region
- October 3–11: Full programme screening and international awards ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria
The full programme and film list are available on the Letterboxd online platform.
