Recipients of Development Grants Selected & New Residency Programme Opens for Ukrainian Filmmakers

May. 18, 2023

One fiction, one documentary and one animation project have been selected for Goteborg Film Fund's development grant scheme for Ukrainian filmmakers working within Ukraine. All in all 116 applications were submitted from a group of experienced directors and producers as well as newer voices and talents. The three selected filmmakers were presented today at a press meeting in Cannes, hosted by the Swedish Film Institute.

Camilla Larsson, Manager of Goteborg Film Fund said:

"It is more important than ever to keep supporting the Ukrainian film industry, since it for them becomes more and more urgent to tell their stories. I am amazed that the film community can uphold the energy and keep working towards their goals under the circumstances that they are facing."

 

The selected filmmakers and projects are: Unholy Power, by Roman Liubyi; Petrol Station, by Yuliia Hontaruk and Divia, by Dmytro Hreshko. (More info below.) The Development Grants consist of SEK 75 000 each and are part of a programme financed by the Swedish Institute and the Postcode Foundation.

The selection committe consisted of Olena Yershova, producer, Tatofilm; Mira Staleva, Head of Sofia Meetings at the Sofia International Film Festival; Camilla Larsson, Manager Goteborg Film Fund.

During the summer of 2022 the directors Antonio Lukich, Tonia Noyabrova, Eva Dzhyshyashvili and Roman Khimei spent time in Goteborg working with scripts for upcoming films, as well as promotion for existing ones. As a result Lukich, Noyabrova and Dzhyshyashvili are participating at the Marché du Film and a pitching session during the Ukraine Focus on Monday.

The residencies are organized with financing from Region Västra Gotaland and in cooperation with HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg.

At the press meeting it was announced that Victoria Zadorska has been pre-selected for one of the residencies, to work with her fiction My 19-year-old Nan, which she is in Cannes to present, together with other projects at an early stage.

Camilla Larsson said:

"We are looking forward to receiving new Ukrainian filmmakers in Goteborg. The fact that last summer’s residencies resulted in scripts that we now can see being pitched in Cannes is of course encouraging and fantastic." 

 

Alex Bergström, president of the cultural committee of Region Västra Gotaland said:

"We are glad to contribute, once again, to these residencies allowing Ukrainian film makers to develop their work in a more peaceful context. Furthermore, they bring a lot of experience to the film makers in our region when international relations are more important than ever."

 

The three Residencies consist of:

• Two months’ stay in Goteborg: Apartment (with room for family members if needed) and per diem (SEK 10 000/month)
• Travel costs to and from Goteborg
• Workspace at the offices of Goteborg Film Festival
• Introduction to different industry networks in the region. 

The residencies takes place August-September 2023. The call is open for Ukrainian directors or screen writers of feature fiction or feature documentary projects, at any stage of production.

The call will be open from May 18 - June 8.