Ukrainian film festival announces winners (03/10/02)

Ukrainian film festival announces winners

KYIV - Domestic Ukrainian filmmakers took top honors in the second annual Our Blossom - Across the World Film Festival, a competition that emphasizes Ukrainian diaspora themes and experiences.

The three films document life across Ukraine's western borders in Ukrainian settlements in Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic states. Two of them address historical themes.

One film, by Petro Midrihana and Vasyl Riabunets of Rivne, offers a glimpse at life today for Ukrainians and their offspring who were forcibly moved onto lands in western Poland during Akcja Wisla, a resettlement program Polish authorities undertook in 1947.

A second winner, by television journalist Maksym Drabka considers Ukrainian life in the Baltic states and analyzes the problems the diaspora living there must confront.

This year's third laureate, by Kyiv filmmakers Vasyl Shenderovskyi, Nadia Dovhych and Anatolii Vasianovych, investigates the life of Ukrainian Czech expatriate and noted scientist Ivan Puli uj, and his contribution to the discovery of the X-ray.

The judges reviewed nine submissions in all before making their decision. No diaspora entries were received this year, which, according to the film festival's organizing committee was a major disappointment.

Ihor Vynnychenko, director of the Institute of Diaspora Studies, which organizes the festival, said that it is unfortunate that the event had not stirred more interest in the United States and Canada, or within any of the other diaspora communities.

"We thought we would get a reaction after last year's presentation, during which Ivan Drach said he would really like to see Yurij Luhovy's film on the issue of Ukrainian Canadians in World War I internment camps submitted, and more films from the West in general," said Mr. Vynnychenko.

While the lack of a monetary prize stifles interest in the competition - a problem Mr. Vynnychenko said he well understands - he said he believes that with time the level of participation will rise as filmmakers began to understand the value of showing their films in Ukraine.

The Institute of Diaspora Studies, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Ukraine-World Society, has organized the Our Blossom - Across the World competition for two years running as a vehicle to initiate more interaction between Ukrainians home and abroad. Last year's winning entries were shown during special screenings at cinemas throughout Ukraine and on the country's government television channel, UT-1.

Last year's winners included a movie on the life of Ukrainians in the ethnically Ukrainian Kuban region of Russia and a film documenting the history of the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization.

Filmmakers, amateur or professional, wishing to take part in the 2002 Our Blossom - Across the World competition are asked to submit projects having a Ukrainian narrative (dialogue can be in any language), no longer than 30 minutes in length, with at least 50 percent of the material directly related to the topic, "Ukrainians in foreign lands."

It is not necessary that the footage be of a highly professional level, only that it tell a story and have a definite beginning, middle and ending. Although the organizing committee would prefer that entries be on Super VHS or Betacam SP videotape in PAL format, they will accept other types of standard videotape.

Please send contest submissions to: Our Blossom - Across the World, Ukraine 01034, Kyiv, a/c 126.

For more information go to the Institute of Diaspora Studies website at: http://idd.ukrsat.com or phone 011-380-44-244-2911.

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