Igor Iankovskyi Has Announced the Winners of the Short-Films Contest "Ukraine: the Way to Peace!"

Kiev, Ukraine, June 03, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The organizing committee has announced the kick-start of the competition on the 17th of November 2015, and the films for the contest were accepted until the 10th of April 2016. During the collection period, the unprecedented number of films from all the corners of Ukraine has been received: the whooping number of 145 films!

This fact has once again testified on the enormous creative potential of the Ukrainian youth, who produce really positive pieces, imbued with hope and sense of optimism, despite the complicated situation and pessimistic ambience in Ukraine.

In his opening word, the founder of the National charity foundation “Initiative for the Future” – Igor Iankovskyi has noted that by initiating this short-films contest with a simple and clear theme, close to all Ukrainians, he has been encouraging the young film-makers to express themselves on the issue of rebuilding the peaceful ways in Ukraine. “To my opinion, it is crucial to clearly identify these reconciling subjects, which sound equally to East and West, North and South of Ukraine.

"Because in reality, we have much more that unites us, than that separates us. I hope for the new contest to become the very framework for the young film-makers to express their citizenship and create movies about the new Ukraine.” - added the philanthropist, encouraging the young directors to shoot movies, create and not be afraid of making mistakes, which also constitute the experience as valuable.

Joining the awards ceremony, the head of the State Film Agency of Ukraine, Philip Illienko has noted the significance of this and similar contests for the development of not only Ukrainian cinema, but also for the general culture of the mankind. “We have to remember the fact that Ukrainian cinema owes its survival to the short-length movies during the hard times of the end of the 1990's – beginning of 2000 and its chance to revive and develop today. Without the short-film format there would not have been the contemporary cinema of Ukraine! Such pieces of young artists will allow us to cultivate new cultural symbols and archetypes, which would reflect our identity and thus making us more valuable to the rest of the world,” added Philip Illienko in his acknowledgment to the “Initiative for the Future” Foundation and Igor Iankovskyi personally for his support of the cinematographic art.

The jury that judged the pieces of half-finalists comprised the creative producer of the TV-channel “Ukraine” Olena Kanishevska, the CEO of the TV-channel ICTV Oleksandr Bohutskyi, well-renowned cinema producer and CEO of the SOTA Cinema Group Oleg Kohan and the Head of the Cultural Diplomacy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olgs Zjhuk under the leadership of the national film expert and Head of Oleksandr Dovzjenko National Center Ivan Kozlenko.|

The professional jury has selected the following winners of the contest: “Who framed Kim Kuzyn?” by Antonio Lukich (III place); “Golden Love” by Pavlo Ostrikov (II place) and “Say Kukurudza” by Valeriya Kalchynska (I place). The special nomination “Audience Award”, which has been decided by the students of the Economic College, was given to the film “The One Who Taught Us to Fly” by Volodymyr Vlasenko.

It is to be recalled, that the prize fund of the contest has amounted to 270 000 UAH. That kind of support in the opinion of Igor Iankovskyi plays an important part in subsequent creative development of youth. It is for the next generation of Ukrainians to make the qualitative push in advancing our country further, and that is why it is so important to give them the comprehensive support and enhance their self-belief. And this is exactly the aim of Igor Iankovskyi Nationalcharity foundation “Initiative for the Future.”

The finalists’ pieces will suite as the base for the compilation, that will be projected all-over Ukraine. The Igor Iankovskyi Foundation also has a good experience of conducting large-scale events, dedicated to the Ukrainian cinema in European capitals, which is intended to be used in promoting the works of the finalists abroad, notably during the 69th Cannes Film Festival. It is planned to bring ten young Ukrainian film-makers to present their pieces in special section of the festival, the Short Film Corner. Such projections form an important part in inter-cultural dialogue, so much needed between Ukraine and European spectators, as well as the world audience. It is the unique language of contemporary cinema by the young artists that will tell the Ukrainian story in the best way.