The 16th Odesa International Film Festival has started in Kyiv

On September 24, the 16th Odesa International Film Festival started in Kyiv and will run until October 4.

The opening ceremony took place at the Parkovy Exhibition and Convention Center. The opening ceremony began with a minute of silence to honor the fallen defenders and Ukrainian artists who died during the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Festival Director General Anna Machukh emphasized: "In Ukraine, 16 is the age of growing up. For me, this year is also an anniversary: I have been with the festival for 15 years and together with it I have gone through the Revolution of Dignity, the beginning of the war, the pandemic, festival events abroad and for two years in a row, the festival has been held in Kyiv. We all dream of the day when OIFF will return home to Odesa in peaceful times. The festival has been changing along with the country, searching for new meanings and formats, but it has always remained a space of freedom, cultural dialogue and love for cinema."

Over the course of 11 days, the audience of the Odesa International Film Festival will be able to watch 113 films, including 104 feature films, in 18 programs. The festival's competition programs include the National Documentary Competition and the European Competition, which represent new names and topical issues of contemporary cinema. In addition to the competition sections, there will be thematic programs such as Focus on Poland, German Accent, Best of Europe, Gala Premieres, Festival of Festivals, Human Comedy, Through Friendly Eyes and many others.

The screenings and industry events will take place at Zhovten Cinema, Oscar Cinema (Gulliver shopping center), and the House of Architects.

Сергій Лозовський