The ESFUF jury, composed of 7 experts from the European film industry, convened in Paris to review and select projects from the second call. This time, a total of 86 applications were received.

Out of these, 18 projects, with a combined budget of 761 020 €, have been selected to receive support for development and finalization. This includes 10 documentaries and 8 feature films. Notably, 11 projects will be directed by women.

10 projects in development

A development support will be allocated to:

Antonivka by Kateryna Gornostai – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: Moon Man LLC
Lithuanian production company: Just a moment
Amount of the support: 43 800 €

Ground zero by Zhanna Ozirna – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: Toy LLC
French production company: Good Fortune Films
Amount of the support: 43 800 €

Hard sub by Novruz Hikmet – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema LLC
German production company: Plotlessfilm
Amount of the support: 37 500 €

Red zone by Iryna Tsilyk – Fiction/Documentary
Ukrainian production company: Moon Man LLC
Luxembourg production company: a_BAHN
Amount of the support: 43 800 €

Retention by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobtchuk – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: Mellivora Productions
French production company: Paradise City Films
Amount of the support: 43 800 €

The blindsight by Ruslan Batytskyi – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: 2 Brave Productions LLC
German production company: CALA Film Central GmbH & Co. KG
Amount of the support: 43 800 €

The days I would like to forget by Alina Gorlova, Yelizaveta Smith, Maksym Nakonechnyi & Simon Mozgovyi – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: Tabor Ltd.
French production company: Les Valseurs
Amount of the support: 15 000 €

Under the yellow sky by Maryna Nazarenko – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: Cinema Sound Production
Estonian production company: Undi Teod Oü
Amount of the support: 25 000 €

Vona by Kseniia Kravtsova, Daria Onyshchenko – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: Arts & Rights and ДІМ Film House
German production company: Flare Films GmbH
Amount of the support: 23 600 €

War in Chernobyl by Oleksiy Radynski – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: Kinotron Group LLC
Lithuanian production company: Studija Kinema
Amount of the support: 25 000 €

8 projects in finalisation

A finalisation support will be allocated to:

Chrysanthemum day by Simon Mozghovyi – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: Mainstream Pictures
Dutch production company: Windmill Film BV
Amount of the support: 75 000 €

Clouds move with great speed by Roman Ostrovskyi – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: PE Iryna Kyporenko
European production company: tbc
Amount of the support: 39 000 €

Dad’s Lullaby by Lesia Diak – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: DramaFree
Croatian production company: Petnaesta Umjetnost
Amount of the support: 50 000 €

Displaced by Olha Zhurba – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: Moon Man LLC
Danish production company: Final Cut For Real
Amount of the support: 15 000 €

Fragments of ice by Maria Stoianova – Documentary
Ukrainian production companies: Tabor Ltd & Mental Drive Studio
Norwegian production company: Indie Films AS
Amount of the support: 59 000 €

Real by Oleh Sentsov – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: AT Films LLC
Croatian production company: Propeler Films D.o.o
Amount of the support: 28 160 €

U are the universe by Pavlo Ostrikov – Fiction
Ukrainian production company: Fore Films LLC
Belgian production company: Stenola Productions
Amount of the support: 74 760 €

Up in the air by Oksana Syhareva – Documentary
Ukrainian production company: PE Oksana Syhareva
Lithuanian production company: Baltic Productions
Amount of the support: 75 000 €

The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films is an initiative launched in February 2023 in Berlin. After having supported various actions for Ukraine at a national and European level (here), EFAD and its members wanted to unite forces to launch a dedicated support for Ukrainian filmmakers, to support the completion of films or the development of new projects, while fostering co-productions. ESFUF brings together 19 partners from 16 different countries, the EFAD association, some of its members (15 EFAD members), and Culture Ministries.