Online catalogue

Eastern Promises is a new section of Anifilm, mapping the remarkable work created on Europe’s eastern borders. For obvious reasons, this year’s first stop explores Ukrainian animation. In the last seven years or so, Ukrainian filmmakers have started to appear increasingly often in the selections of prestigious festivals. They are also successful online as in addition to films, they often focus on gif art, jingles, music videos etc.

One of the most prominent representatives of this trend is our juror, Stas Santimov. This programme includes every music video and film he has ever made. When compared to others from the new generation of Ukrainian animators, his vision is probably the darkest, underscored by his passion for morbid and macabre sceneries. When his nightmares come to life, there’s naturally not much space for light colours and shades. But they have a place in the work of most of his peers, such as Oksana Kurmat and Mykyta Lyskov. Thanks to his masterpiece Deep Love, which has gained a new life in recent months thanks to its clear political undertones, he has become the standard bearer of new Ukrainian animation. One important figure, who has based her style on striking colours and wacky character stylisation, is US-based Nata Metlukh. She revels in bizarre and absurd situations distortedly reflecting our society. The biggest festivals have been screening her films for years (two of her films are competing in this year’s Anifilm competition). Anna Dudko, meanwhile, inclines to the use of nature motifs. Her older film and several films by other Ukrainian authors are included in our block for children. Slava Ukraini!