Ukraine’s “Molodist” Announces International Competition Programs Featuring Cannes and Venice Winners

Kyiv IFF Molodist

Ukraine

The Kyiv International Film Festival (KIFF) "Molodist" has announced its 2024 International Competition lineup, drawing attention to a diverse selection of feature debuts, student films, and short films. Participants include several award-winning films from prestigious international festivals, such as Cannes, Venice, Locarno, and Karlovy Vary.

A significant highlight of the competition is the Ukrainian premiere of Payal Kapadia’s "All We Imagine As Light." The film, which earned the Grand Prix at Cannes, marks a historical moment for Indian cinema, becoming the first Indian film in three decades to compete in the main competition of the prestigious French festival. Another film from the Cannes selection is Agathe Riedinger’s "Wild Diamond," also featured in the international competition at KIFF "Molodist."

Neighboring Eastern European filmmakers are also well-represented. Romania's Bogdan Mureșanu presents "The New Year That Never Came," which took home several awards at the Venice Film Festival, including Best Film in the "Horizons" section and the FIPRESCI Prize from critics. The Lithuanian film "Toxic" by Saule Bliuvaite, which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno, and Adam Martinec’s Czech-Slovak co-production "Our Lovely Pig Slaughter," honored at Karlovy Vary, further highlight the strong presence of Central and Eastern European cinema at the festival.

Ukraine itself is represented by Zhanna Osirna’s "Honeymoon," a feature debut that had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. This film, one of the few created after the Russian invasion, tells the story of a young couple who find themselves in an occupied territory, offering a poignant reflection of life in war-torn Ukraine.

The competition will award a Grand Prix for Best Film in the International Competition Program, with a cash prize of $5,000, alongside the festival’s signature "Scythian Deer" statuette. Best Film in each competition category will also receive $2,000 and a "Scythian Deer."

The 2024 KIFF "Molodist" will feature a range of global perspectives. In addition to the full-length competition, the student and short film categories showcase emerging talent from around the world. Student films like "The Chaos She Left Behind" from Greece and "Experts In A Dying Field" from the USA offer fresh storytelling, while short films such as "Where is Cecile" from France and "We Want To Live Here" from Ukraine explore various narrative styles.

The documentary competition, a more recent addition to "Molodist" since 2020, features ten debut works. Notable entries include "Flowers of Ukraine" by Adelina Borets, which follows a woman’s personal struggle as war and development projects threaten her land. Ihor Volochii’s "Ride the Line" chronicles a 1,500 km bike journey along the front lines of the Ukrainian conflict, offering unique insights into the war's impact on local communities.

Further enhancing the lineup is the Teen Screen section, showcasing films that have appeared at renowned festivals like Sundance and Berlinale. This category includes the Sundance-premiered "Reinas" and "Young Hearts," which was a Teddy Award nominee at Berlinale.

The Kyiv International Film Festival "Molodist" will take place from October 26 to November 3, 2024. Festival passes are available for purchase until October 20.

Complete List of Films for KIFF "Molodist" 2024:

Full-Length Competition:

• "All We Imagine As Light" / Payal Kapadia / India / 2024 / 120’
• "Wild Diamond" / Agathe Riedinger / France / 2024 / 103’
• "Summer Brother" / Joren Molter / Netherlands, Belgium / 2023 / 100’
• "Toxic" / Saule Bliuvaite / Lithuania / 2024 / 100’
• "Our Lovely Pig Slaughter" / Adam Martinec / Czech Republic, Slovakia / 2024 / 84’
• "Cu Li Never Cries" / Fam Ngoc Lan / Vietnam / 2024 / 93’
• "Treading Water" / Gino Evans / United Kingdom / 2024 / 121’
• "Honeymoon" / Zhanna Osirna / Ukraine / 2024 / 84’
• "The New Year That Never Came" / Bogdan Mureșanu / Romania / 2024 / 138’
• "Oysters Silence" / Marcos Pimentel / France, Brazil / 2024

Student Competition:

• "The Chaos She Left Behind" / Nikos Kolioukos / Greece / 2023 / 34’
• "Experts In A Dying Field" / Mitchell Camarda / USA / 2024 / 18’
• "The Steak" / Kiarash Dagdar / Iran / 2023 / 18’
• "Like a Butterfly" / Iris Gerschon Nagar / Israel / 2023 / 26’
• "Mania!" / Lena Jaworska / Poland / 2023 / 16’
• "Basia: Three Short Stories" / Mateusz Pietrak / Poland / 2023 / 29’
• "Daddy's Little Scratch" / Yegor Harmash / Ukraine / 2024 / 24’
• "Tennis Mortis" / Michal Lukowicz / Poland / 2024 / 20’
• "Just for a while" / Hou Zongkun / China / 2023 / 21’
• "Fish River Anthology" / Veera Lamminpaa / Finland / 2024 / 10’
• "The Imprint of Memory" / Daria Nashubska / Ukraine / 2024 / 23’
• "What if I never wake up again" / Yiqing Hu / USA / 2023 / 14’
• "Photograph 1" / Oscar Simmons / United Kingdom / 2024 / 20’
• "Crust" / Jens Kevin Georg / Germany / 2023 / 26’
• "The Rooms We Share" / Nadiia Khatymlianska / Ukraine, Germany / 2023 / 12’

Short Competition:

• "Where is Cecile" / Esther Jouzeau / France / 2024 / 21’
• "Lifeline" / Jelle Krings / Netherlands / 2024 / 16’
• "A Dear Died Here" / John Giordano / Italy / 2023 / 15’
• "Champions" / Asher and Aaron Goldenberg / USA / 2024 / 23’
• "The Bridges We Cross" / Iris van Dongen / United Kingdom / 2023 / 9’
• "Oldtown" / David Vermander / Belgium / 2024 / 15’
• "We Want To Live Here" / Alexandrina Turcan / Ukraine / 2023 / 25’
• "Good Boy" / Colin Russell / USA / 2024 / 18’
• "My Heart Backwards" / Sarah Gouret / Belgium / 2024 / 18’
• "82-92" / Laura Mendelzon / Argentina / 2023 / 10’
• "Speaking of Pink" / Charlotte Maria / Netherlands / 2023 / 40’
• "Death of an Actor" / Ambroise Rateau / France / 2024 / 21’
• "The Last Take" / Brian Foyster / USA / 2023 / 14’
• "Bubble Bath" / Adriana Racasan / Romania / 2024 / 19’
• "The Big Dipper" / Anthony Bajon / France / 2023 / 25’
• "Dabbo" / Ninaad Shaunak Bhatt / India / 2024 / 14’

Documentary Competition:

• "Flowers of Ukraine" / Adelina Borets / Poland, Ukraine / 2024 / 70’
• "Homegrown" / Michael Premo / USA / 2024 / 109’
• "Billy" / Lawrence Сôte-Collins / Canada / 2024 / 107’
• "What Did You Dream Last Night, Parajanov?" / Faraz Fesharaki / Germany / 2024 / 81’
• "Jeune Cinéma" / Yves-Marie Mahe / France / 74’
• "In Perpetuo" / Federico Barassi / Italy / 2024 / 87’
• "Riverboom" / Claude Baechtold / Switzerland / 2023 / 99’
• "Tack" / Vania Turner / Greece / 2024 / 96’
• "Who am I Smiling for?" / Eeva Mägi / Estonia / 2023 / 61’
• "Ride the Line" / Ihor Volochii / Ukraine / 2024 / 70’

Teen Screen:

• "Young Hearts" / Anthony Schatteman / Belgium / 2024 / 97’
• "Winners" / Soleen Yusef / Germany / 2024 / 118’
• "Blue Sky Jo" / Patrice Sauvé / Poland, Canada / 2024 / 103’
• "Arnold Cautious and The Happiness Stone" / Arto Halonen / Finland / 2023 / 89’
• "The Chaos Sisters feat. Penguin Paul" / Mike Marzuk / Belgium, The Netherlands / 2023 / 98’
• "Reinas" / Klaudia Reynicke / Switzerland, Peru, Spain / 2024 / 104’
• "Gina" / Ulrike Kofler / Austria / 2024 / 98’

This comprehensive list includes all films from the full-length, student, short, documentary, and Teen Screen competitions at the 2024 KIFF "Molodist."