ONE OF THE LARGEST WATCHES IN EASTERN EUROPE!
The Odessa International Film Festival is one of the largest cinema festivals in Eastern Europe, held annually in the cinematic capital of Ukraine, the city of Odessa. It was created in 2010 to promote high-quality intellectual cinema among Ukrainian viewers, as well as to support and develop Ukrainian cinema in the country as well as abroad. During the years of the festival, it was possible to become the brightest movie event of the summer, as well as to gain a foothold in the world cinema. Exclusive movie premieres, masterclasses from leading world cinematographers and a unique festival atmosphere - all these combine 9 days of the Odessa International Film Festival!
CONCEPT
The programmatic focus of the Odessa International Film Festival is the films in the art mainstream, ie those that are of high artistic quality and that are accessible to a wide audience. There are three competition programs each year at the film festival: International and National, as well as the European Documentary Film Competition.
COMPETITION PROGRAMS
The International Contest Program includes movie premieres from around the world. The main arbiters of the Odessa Film Festival are the spectators: the results of the audience vote determine the winner of the Grand Prix of the International Competition Program - the Golden Duke Award. The jury of the International Contest Program determines the winners in the nominations "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Actor". Also, since 2016, the Odessa Film Festival has launched a new competition program - the European Documentary Film Competition. The premiere of European documentaries is judged by the members of the European Documentary Competition Jury.
The national competition program consists of the latest films made in Ukraine or co-produced with Ukraine. Both full-length and short films by Ukrainian cinematographers may participate in the competition, the best of which is determined by the jury of the National Contest Program. The National Competition also awards the Best Actor and Best Director Award.
POTOMKIN STAIRS - OPEN AIR
A place that has long belonged to the history of world cinema, famous the great Sergei Eisenstein in the movie "Battleship Potemkin" (1925). During the festival, the famous stairs become a huge open-air cinema overlooking the Black Sea, which draws about 15,000 spectators. Accompanied by a symphony orchestra in different years, "The Lights of the Great City" by Charlie Chaplin, "Metropolis" by Fritz Lang, "The Sunrise" by Friedrich V. Murnau, "Blackmail" by Alfred Hitchcock, "The Man with the Cinema" by Dzigy Vertov Michael Naiman, Arthur Berthellet's Sherlock Holmes, Julian Duvivier's Ladies' Happiness, and Sergei Eisenstein, of course, the Blackjacker Potemkin. Saturday film screening of works of the world classics accompanied by a symphony orchestra is the most striking and the largest event of the Odessa IFF.
PROFESSIONAL EVENTS
The development of professional cinema industry in Ukraine is one of the main missions of the Odessa Film Festival. Within the professional section of the Film Industry Office there is a production pitching (competition of feature films of Ukrainian production or co-production with Ukraine intended for cinema rental), presentations of films in the Work in progress stage, as well as panel discussions and round tables devoted to acute issues of industry development. One of the professional events of the Odessa Film Festival is also the Ukrainian Film Market - the only professional platform in the country for communication of distributors, representatives of cinemas, film studios and companies providing services in the field of rental and other services. Specialized educational programs (for writers, directors, producers) are also held annually within the framework of the Odessa International Film Festival.
EDUCATIONAL SECTIONS
One of the biggest projects of the Odessa International Film Festival - Summer Film School - operates during 9 festival days. Master classes and creative meetings are held by renowned world and Ukrainian cinematographers, winners of numerous awards and awards, authors of motion pictures that have become a legend! Among the masters and guests of film school in different years were Christopher Hepton, Christian Petzold, Peter Greenway, Krzysztof Zanussi, John Malkovich, Roger Corman, Claudia Cardinalle, Daryl Hanna, Marco Müller, Darren Aronobertsi, Emir Wetzhermer, Emir Wertzing , Michael Winterbottom, Jiri Menzel, Sergei Loznitsa, Kira Muratova, Todd Solonds, Steven Friars, Geraldine Chaplin, Aidan Turner, Timur Bekmambetov, Alexander Rodnyansky, Andrew Plakhov, Naum Kleiman and others.
EXTRAORDINARY PROGRAMS
Out-of-competition programs of the Odessa Film Festival are thematic and personal retrospectives, gala premieres, films-winners of the most prestigious cinematographic awards, children's animation and feature films, premieres of the most awaited serials, as well as special screenings and film performances!
WORLD LIFE
Ceremonies at the Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater open and close the movie festival. The longest red carpet in Ukraine is the best world and Ukrainian directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, stars of show business, film professionals and film makers. Also during the 9 days of the film festival at the Festival of the OIFF are the brightest parties of the season, bringing together movie stars, celebrities, moviegoers and spectators.
