IFFR reveals the first details of four Focus programmes for IFFR 2025, celebrating the contributions of underappreciated filmmakers and revisiting historical and cultural legacies with current resonance.
These unique programmes champion visionary and auteur filmmaking, Afro-Asian cinema of resistance, and the interplay between public and private film cultures: from highlighting Katja Raganelli’s representations of women’s voices and Sergii Masloboishchykov’s chronicles of Ukraine’s national identity, to marking the the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference and reigniting the communal spirit of VHS practices around the world.
Focus: Sergii Masloboishchykov
Ukrainian director Sergii Masloboishchykov takes centre stage with the international premiere of his latest work, Yasa (2023), in another retrospective. This marks his return to IFFR three decades after the screening of his debut fiction feature, Josephine the Singer and the Mice People (1994), which will be screened as part of the programme alongside titles including Own Voice (2016).
"Masloboishchykov’s films, spanning fiction and documentary formats, provide a deeply personal yet nationally resonant perspective on Ukraine’s evolution. From capturing the Maidan protests to chronicling the ongoing Russian invasion, his work fuses personal concerns with questions regarding the fate of his nation. This retrospective offers audiences a profound understanding of Ukraine’s cultural and political landscape through the lens of one of its most distinguished filmmakers," wrote the organisers.
The upcoming film festival will feature the premiere of Masloboyshchikov's latest film, Yasa (2023). The Ukrainian director’s debut at the IFFR was marked by the screening of Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk, which will also be shown at this year’s festival. Additionally, the retrospective will include his 2016 film Your Voice.
Through the director’s vision and a national perspective, the films reflect Ukraine’s evolution — from the chronicles of the Maidan protests to Russia’s full-scale invasion. The retrospective offers audiences a chance to delve into Ukraine’s cultural and political context through Masloboyshchikov’s works.
