Ukrainian residency participants selected for summer 2022

Eva Dzhyshyashvili

Educated at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts and Ukrainian Institute of Public Relations and Television. Has directed the short documentaries 15 Minutes More, Yar and Z.P: Gelvakha. Was awarded for best documentary for her feature debut Plai. A Mountain Path when the Ukrainian festival Docudays UA visited Krákow Film Festival in the beginning of June. Eva Dzhyshyashvili plans to work with the development and script for her new project Box #64, where she investigates archives from different countries in a societal, historical and philosophical context. She will also continue her work with a script for a fiction short film, a tragicomedy about traumas from childhood that affect adulthood as well as start developing a script for a feature ficiton about the events of the war in Ukraine, both based on real events.

”This project was selected in February 2022 at the first stage of selection by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation for support and funding. But it wasn’t continued due to the war. Now I can continue working on the project in Europe, researching archival footage and developing the script. A teaser has already been created and there is some video material.”

Roman Khimei

Educated at the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University. Active as an award winning director, cinematographer and artist. Has directed the short documentary State Institution, the feature documentary New Jerusalem and the short film installations Dedicated to the Youth of the World and Father, to Whom Have You Abandoned Us, together with Yarema Malashchuk.

”The day before the war began, my creative team and I submitted the Eroica film project to be funded by the Ukrainian State Film Agency. My personal director’s letter began with the words: “Today, February 23, 2022, is the day when I am writing these lines under the pressure of an aggressive future looming over us, staring at a map with a thick strip of 200,000 Russian troops along my country’s borders.” On February 24, the aggressive future turned into an apocalyptic present for my compatriots, who have been fighting against the overwhelming forces of the enemy for more than three months.

I want to attend this residence not only to complete the script but also to visit various industry networks in order to speed up the production of the film about the occupation of Western Ukraine by Soviet troops in 1939, where Stalinist Russia was hiding behind communist ideology and speculating on class inequality formed a solid base to destroy the most valuable achievement of postwar Europe – peace and security.”

Tonia Noyabrova

Educated at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. Has directed the awarded short films Independence Day and Everything will be all right and the feature debut Hero of My Time. She is in post-production with her second fiction feature Do You Love Me?, which has participated as work in progress at a number of festivals. Tonia Noyabrova plans to work with a script for a comedy about Ukrainian refugees in Europe” and look for partners for parts of the postproduction of Do You Love Me?

”First of all I’d like to find a co-production for 1-2 session of editing “doctoring”. Then, of course I have a lot of job with sound. Sound design, sound mix, and the music licensing. For my new project I’d like to find script laboratory, to have a brainstorming session and partners or company, who will be interested to develop this project. So, I’m on the first stage with it, but I’m sure it’s gonna be very original, relevant and witty.”

Antonio Lukich

Educated at the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University. His student film Fish of Lake Baikal and his graduation film It Was Showering in Manchester was both awarded and his feature debut My Thoughts Are Silent travelled to festivals over the world. He is now finishing the work with his second feature Luxembourg, Luxembourg, which will be premiering at a big festival, during the autumn. Antonio Lukich plans to work with the script for a new film, with his hometown Uzhgorod in focus.

”I am super grateful for this opportunity. It is quite hard to create something when you hear the sirens. I was born and raised in the city of Uzhgorod. Uzhgorod is the westernmost frontier of Ukraine. And probably the most multinational city in the country. I dream of making a real big movie about my small hometown.”