Ukraine's Film Industry Set To Rocket Onto The World Stage
By Robert Thomas
ODESA, UKRAINE - Canada's and Saskatchewan's film industry might be half a world away from Ukraine but it’s effect on film in this country is being heard loud and clear.
At the recent Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF) held July 10 – 21, 2019 Michael Baser head of writing at the Vancouver Film School as well as Barbara Stoll from the school presented master classes in screenwriting and pre-production respectively.
Film making is serious business and the topic of lively discussion in Odesa
The pairs appearance in Odesa is part of a growing trend of Canada taking a major role in developing and supporting the Ukrainian film industry.
Odesa, with its now largely defunct Odessa Film Studios, made such classics as Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 classic Battleship Potemkin is starting to re-emerge as a big player in film.
The baby carriage scene from Battleship Potemkin - image courtesy Odessa Film Studios
The industry, dominated by a growing pool of young and eager talent, is at the present time going through a renaissance that is showing up in more and better quality Ukrainian films.
Films which in Ukraine's cinemas are up against the big Hollywood blockbusters. Films however Ukrainians are starting to attend in growing numbers.
Asked about what the biggest impediment was to the growth of the Ukrainian film industry Baser responds “money.”
“I have heard this is an emerging industry here. That there is a history of film but I have also heard it has been very difficult for people to find their film making identity. But I think there is great interest and desire to do so and it is emerging. I think the industry is becoming more that is what I think,” Baser told MJ Independent in an exclusive behind the scenes interview.
Baser, who wrote for such shows as Full House, Maude and The Jefferson’s, played a dual role in Ukraine. Not only did he give a presentation but he was out on a recruiting drive for the internationally known Vancouver Film School.
Anna Palenchuk is one of those budding new film talents in Ukraine heading to the Vancouver Film School - whose credits include being the Ukrainian co-producer of the first ever co-produced film in the country. In 2012 she was the Ukrainian co-producer of the Germany/Serbia/Ukraine film Eastaglia.
The development of film in Ukraine post Soviet Union was dominated by Russian funded and Russian language productions with further distribution in Russia the trend only changing eight years ago.
“Besides, it was a lack of governmental funding for cinema in Ukraine, and only a few films were funded through the year, and independent filmmaking was absent. However, everything has changed after the Revolution of Dignity. Only eight years ago the foundation of Ukrainian cinema was increased, and the system of pitching was forced into an application,” Palenchuk said.
Palenchuk, who also heads the independent Kyiv film production company 435 Films in Kyiv, sees the Ukrainian film industry on the verge of taking off.
Anna Palenchuk, who heads Kyiv's 435 Films, sees the growing Ukrainian film industry set to take off and Canada is part of the equation
A main component set to fuel Ukraine's projected role in filming and co-producing Hollywood blockbusters is the Ukrainian film tax credit which has passed in the Rada but just not enacted according to Palenchuk.
“The bordering countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Hungary had a great developing of the cinema industry because they fix tax credits or a so-called cash rebate, which was launched by Hollywood production companies. So it was reflected in the development of the quality of cinema itself. Currently, we have another situation in Ukraine. We have a development of cinema due to the fact that we have a certain proportion of governmental funding, we also have tax rebates in regulations, but it is not enacted. We're expecting that it will be brought into action in a year — rather then we'll have Hollywood and other productions moving in,” she said.
Despite the drive towards Hollywood and the potential of blockbusters being filmed in Ukraine there are moves to not only market into but also involve Canada's film industry as well.
“Yes, it (Canada) is a very potential market for the Ukrainian industry. Now we have signed the third co-production treaty between Ukraine and Canada, so very soon we will have Ukraine-Canadian films.”
Saskatchewan with 13 percent of its residents listing themselves of Ukrainian descent. according to the last census, and with Ukraine being the fourth largest pool for newcomers to the province is seen as a potential market as well as co-production partners.
On a personal note the Vancouver Film School is playing a role in Palenchuk's own cinema development.
“Now I'm passing a screenwriting program at the Vancouver Film School, so my main goal is to fulfill the film about Kazymir Malevich, a famous painter with a Ukrainian origin, that was fighting against the system. I think that such kind of the story at the beginning of 20th century will be engaging in Canada as well.”
As part of the OIFF industry meetings were held which allowed Ukraine's film industry to not only network with itself but network with foreign cinema industry players. This year's networking sessions featured increased foreign interest largely based upon the soon to be enacted Ukrainian Film Tax Credit.
Swedish film producer David Herdies said he had made valuable contacts at the OIFF industry meetings but producing a feature in Ukraine was dependent upon “finding the perfect people to film with” and the tax system.
“It all depends whether it makes sense or not financially and who the team would be,” Herdies said.