Due to the full-scale invasion and the lack of state funding, the Ukrainian Institute has reached an agreement with the Council of Europeâs co-production fund Eurimages on cooperation within the framework of the proMOTION 2023 programme, aimed at supporting the international promotion of Ukrainian films.
This year, Eurimages has already funded the promotional campaigns of two documentary projects that were selected by the proMOTION 2022 competition committee: Company Of Steel by Yuliia Hontaruk and Mountains and Heaven in Between by Dmytro Greshko. The Board of Management of Eurimages has now decided to continue the partnership with the Ukrainian Institute as part of a series of additional measures for 2023 intended to support the Ukrainian film industry during the present crisis.
Susan Newman-Baudais, Executive Director of Eurimages, commented: âI am delighted that the Eurimages Board of Management has decided to pursue and strengthen cooperation with the Ukrainian Institute in 2023. Both our institutions share a common aim of ensuring that European films are as widely seen as possible, and the newly redesigned proMOTION programme should be an effective way to ensure maximum exposure for Ukrainian films on the world stage. In times of conflict, the role of culture and in particular film culture in fostering resilience and building for the future should never be underestimatedâ.Â
The fourth iteration of the proMOTION programme, developed by the Ukrainian Institute, will take place in 2023. The aim of the programme is to develop the competencies and strengthen the capacity of Ukrainian filmmakers for representation abroad and to foster systematic international cooperation with international film marketing agencies.
Next year, proMOTION will undergo some changes, in particular, several open calls are planned and involvement of international experts into the selection process. The Eurimages Fund will finance the international promotion of the winning film projects, and will be represented during the selection process.
Details about the proMOTION 2023 format, the amount of funding for one project and the timeline of open calls will be announced later.
The proMOTION programme gives Ukrainian filmmakers an opportunity to join the world practice of film promotion, invite international experts to develop promotional campaigns and find foreign partners, thus increasing the recognition of a film project on the international market.
Eurimages is the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe, the continentâs leading human rights organisation. Established in 1988, Eurimages promotes independent filmmaking by providing financial support for the co-production of feature-length fiction, animation and documentary films as well as for the exhibition of arthouse films.
The Ukrainian Institute is a state institution that represents Ukrainian culture in the world and forms a positive image of Ukraine abroad. The Institute was founded by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2017 and is under the control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.Â