Another round of support for Ukrainian filmmakers from Netflix, Ukrainian Film Academy and House of Europe

Netflix together with a network of institutions continue their partnership supporting Ukrainian filmmakers and the country’s film industry affected by the war. The Ukrainian Film Academy has announced 25 film projects that will receive $10,000 grants each supporting script development, plus tailor-made consultations and mentoring by EAVE with leading industry experts. Additionally, House of Europe together with New York Film Academy are now opening applications for special workshops for emerging and established scriptwriters and producers.

This new initiative will include a two-day screenwriting workshop covering content trends and different genres and a workshop for film producers, both of which will be open to both emerging and established Ukrainian screenwriters and producers. This part of the project is facilitated by House of Europe, an EU-funded programme fostering professional and creative exchange between Ukrainians and their colleagues in EU countries and the UK and the workshops will be conducted by New York Film Academy.

Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said: “We are confident that this collaboration of the EU-financed House of Europe and Netflix will amplify Ukrainian voices globally and give a powerful boost to the Ukrainian cinema. Amidst Russian military aggression, it is vital that the world hears not only about Ukrainians but also from Ukrainians. The battle is fought not only on the physical battlefield but also in people’s hearts and minds. European Union’s support for Ukrainian culture remains steadfast in both peace and wartime. It highlights EU’s commitment to cultural resilience and international solidarity with Ukraine”.

The applications for the workshops are now open until 17 June 2024 on the House of Europe website. Ukrainian screenwriters can apply for a dedicated workshop here while producers can submit their applications here.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Film Academy has announced the recipients of grants for script development. Due to the high level of projects submitted, Netflix has increased the number of grants awarded to 25, each going to a two-person team working on a feature film project. The full list of projects that will receive funding and mentoring is available on the Academy’s website, here.

These initiatives are part of the support for the Ukrainian film and TV industry by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity. Over the last two years 200 industry professionals have received stipends for creative purposes, and education and mentoring have been offered to over 650 Ukrainian filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and others in the creative community. With the support of Netflix, the Ukrainian Film Academy has now aided a total of 73 film projects with script development grants and a further 10 advanced film projects offering financial assistance to help with post-production.

About House of Europe

House of Europe is an EU-funded programme fostering professional and creative exchange between Ukrainians and their colleagues in EU countries and the UK. The programme focuses on different professional fields: culture and creative industries, education and youth work, social entrepreneurship, and media. This encompasses 20+ separate programme lines enabling to keep working despite the war, to carry out personal projects, or to enroll in courses, conferences, and internships in the EU and the UK. The programme funds cultural cooperation and literature translation between Ukraine and the EU and the UK, along with the revitalisation of cultural infrastructure. House of Europe supports the safeguarding of Ukrainian cultural heritage and the development of creative and educational start-ups. Various learning and matchmaking opportunities such as Digital Labs, workshops, discussions, conferences, and hackathons are offered. The programme is led by Goethe-Institut Ukraine.

About Ukrainian Film Academy:

Ukrainian Film Academy is a Ukrainian association of experts and professionals in the field of cinema and film production. It was founded in 2016 to support and develop modern Ukrainian cinema. As of 2022, the Ukrainian Film Academy includes more than 500 film professionals. Since 2017, the Ukrainian Film Academy has been holding the prestigious annual event Golden Dzyga Film Awards”, a Ukrainian national film award given for professional achievements in the development of Ukrainian cinema. The main symbol of the National Film Award is the “Golden Dzyga” statuette, which symbolizes the rapid and relentless development of Ukrainian cinema.

About New York Film Academy:

New York Film Academy (“NYFA”) is a leading film, media, and performing arts college that offers hands-on intensive undergraduate and graduate degree programs, certificates, and workshops across a multitude of areas of study in New York City, Los Angeles, South Beach/Miami, Gold Coast (Australia), Florence (Italy), and more. Its programs are accelerated and NYFA students can complete a four-year BFA degree in three years. Online program offerings are available and continue to expand with more programs being offered now more than ever. For more information, please visit nyfa.edu.

About EAVE:

EAVE, is one of the leading producers’ training programmes in Europe with a unique global network of over 2600 producers to date. Working with a worldwide network of partners we are involved in programmes for producers worldwide. Founded in 1988, our objectives are to provide professional training opportunities and to bring producers from different regions of the world together with the aim of facilitating co-production relationships. We believe that the support of independent voices, creative imagination and culturally driven companies within the global media industries is an urgent necessity in the 21st century. Through our work we aim to contribute towards the creation of strong networks of producers and to encourage the exchange of knowledge and skills which will strengthen independent production across the world.