The 16th Odesa International Film Festival has announced the participants of its European Competition programme. The selection features the latest premieres from Italy, Poland, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, and other countries.
These films reflect contemporary trends and challenges in European cinema, combining artistic boldness with relevant themes. Among them, the winner of the “Best European Feature Film” award will be chosen, and the director will receive the Golden Duke statuette and may compete for the festival’s Grand Prix.
The European Competition programme includes:
Wishing on a Star (2024, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, dir. Peter Kerekesh)
Luciana, a Neapolitan astrologer, knows how to fulfill her clients’ wishes. They must travel to a specific location on their birthday to be reborn under a new sky. Whether Taipei, Beirut, or a neighboring village, these journeys bring unexpected transformations that help them understand their true desires.
To nie mój film (2024, Poland, dir. Maria Zbońska)
The love story of Wanda and Janek begins where “happily ever after” ends. To save their relationship from crisis, they embark on a winter trip along the Baltic coast. The journey tests their bond and whether their love can withstand the passage of time, mixing humor, touching moments, and unexpected twists.
Tasty (2024, Lithuania, dir. Eglė Vertelytė)
Ona and Saule, friends and cooks at a small Kaunas eatery, enter a televised cooking competition through fake restaurant profiles. They face rivalry with a celebrity chef, absurd challenges, and first successes, complicated when Ona falls for a charismatic French judge.
Pod szarym niebem (2024, Poland, dir. Mara Tamkovich)
Belarus, 2020. After rigged elections, mass protests erupt. Anti-regime journalist Lena livestreams the brutal dispersal of a peaceful demonstration, drawing attention from a police drone. Despite the danger, she continues reporting and is arrested. Her husband prepares an emergency escape abroad, but the system resists. The couple must make unbearable choices to stay true to themselves. Inspired by the real story of journalists Ihor Ilyash and Kateryna Andriieva.
Paul and Paulette Take a Bath (2024, UK, dir. Jethro Massey)
An unconventional romantic comedy about a young American photographer and a French girl fascinated by the macabre. Their accidental meeting in Paris develops into a peculiar friendship rooted in reenacting real historical crimes.
Must auk (2024, Estonia, dir. Monika Simec)
Aliens land on Earth, radically altering the lives of several characters, including two friends seeking work abroad, a young man falling for a bold neighbor, and a woman seeking a world free of violent men.
U Are The Universe (2024, Ukraine, Belgium, dir. Pavlo Ostrikov)
In the near future, Ukrainian space hauler Andriy Melnyk transports nuclear waste to Jupiter’s distant moon Callisto. His routine mission turns catastrophic when Earth explodes. He becomes the last human in the universe until a French woman contacts him from an abandoned space station. He decides to meet her despite impossible odds.
The Daughter (2024, Ukraine, UK, dir. Yehor Olesov)
During the early days of the full-scale war, 17-year-old Olga, a girl with hearing impairment, visits her father and his new family near Kyiv. When Russian occupiers seize their home, Olga faces harsh choices to save her loved ones and survive, discovering inner strength she never knew.
Vitrival (2025, Belgium, dir. Noël Basten, Baptiste Bogert)
In a Belgian village, new graffiti depicting penises appear daily on buildings, coinciding with rising local suicides. Police cousins Pierre and Benjamin try to uncover the truth behind these events.
Six jours ce printemps-là (2025, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, dir. Joachim Lafosse)
A young woman, Sana, takes her sons on spring holidays. Due to a booking error, they stay in a luxurious villa on the Riviera belonging to her ex-husband’s family, leading to unexpected tensions.
Paternal Leave (2025, Germany, Italy, dir. Alissa Jung)
A teenage girl from Germany travels alone to meet her biological father on the Italian coast. Their first meeting is filled with tension, pain, and unresolved issues, testing their ability to find acceptance, love, and honesty.
Mother’s Baby (2025, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, dir. Johanna Moder)
Julia, a 40-year-old conductor, and her partner Georg dream of having a child. Complications during childbirth separate mother and newborn, triggering feelings of estrangement and doubt about her child.
Las delicias del jardín (2025, Spain, dir. Fernando Colomo)
Experienced artist Fermin faces illness threatening his career. He moves to a garage studio where his son Pablo returns from India. Conflicting artistic views spark tension, but a competition interpreting Hieronymus Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights” offers a chance to reconcile and secure their future.
Vichnyk (2025, Ukraine, Finland, Canada, dir. Ivan Nikolaychuk)
Adapted from Myroslav Dochynets’ bestseller, it tells the story of a 104-year-old Carpathian sage who, having survived turbulent historical events, losses, and tragedies, retains light, love, and kindness in his heart. His journey is a testament to enduring wisdom.
Official locations of the film festival:
- Parkovy – a world-class event complex in the very center of Kyiv
- Zhovten Cinema
- Oscar Cinema
- House of Architects
