This year, the Ukrainian Film Festival in Alberta (UFFA) will showcase a selection of contemporary films about Ukraine in Edmonton and Calgary. These critically acclaimed films have received international recognition and won numerous awards.
Over two weekends, festival-goers will have the opportunity to experience some of the most outstanding works of contemporary Ukrainian cinema.
The UFFA is co-organized by the Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies and the Forum for Ukraine Studies, an analytical publication project of the Contemporary Ukraine Studies Program at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. The festival is held in cooperation with the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre at MacEwan University and with financial support from the City of Calgary.
About the film: This unique film authentically explores and depicts the touching stories of Ukrainian newcomers in Alberta who escaped Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Over the timeframe of a year, the film crew followed four Ukrainian families, each representing a different facet of modern Ukrainian society. The film delves into themes of identity, cultural expression, community integration, and acts of solidarity, capturing the personal experiences of these individuals as they navigate their new lives in Canada.
About the Film Crew:
Oleksandr Pankieiev is the president of the Alberta Ukrainian Film Festival and the Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Forum for Ukrainian Studies, an initiative of the Contemporary Ukraine Studies Program at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Ukrainian culture, folklore, ethnography, media, and history and has directed several ethnographic films.
Steven Brese graduated from the University of London, Heythrop College, with an MA in Contemporary Ethics in 2011 before pursuing a career in media production. He worked in television for four years in Ukraine before returning home to establish himself as a visual storyteller in Edmonton, Alberta. Steven films, edits and directs and has a deep desire to highlight stories of individuals who have the power to inspire others.
Olena Goncharova is a development manager and Canadian correspondent for the Kyiv Independent. Previously, she joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, and became its Canadian correspondent in June 2018. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Olena has an MA from the Institute of Journalism at the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.
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For more information, head to: ukrfilmfestival.com
Contact us: info@ukrfilmfestival.com
