Drama Starring Anastasiia Pustovit and a Berlinale Winner Featuring Juliette Binoche: Mykolaichuk OPEN Announces International Competition
Eight films from around the world will compete for the “Iron Mykolaichuk.” The winners will be determined by audience voting and an international jury.
The fifth edition of the Mykolaichuk OPEN Audience Film Festival announces its international feature competition. This year, the lineup includes 8 films from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Mexico, China, Brazil, Romania, and Cyprus.
Among the films competing for the main award are hits from prestigious international festivals — Berlinale, Rotterdam, Sundance, Tribeca, and Annecy. The competition winner will be determined through audience voting, and the winning film will receive $1500 and the Iron Mykolaichuk statuette. The films will also be evaluated by a professional international jury, which will be announced soon. The general media partner is 1+1 media.
The International Feature Competition includes:
— “Queen at Sea” (United Kingdom), dir. Lance Hammer — a Berlinale award-winning drama featuring Juliette Binoche in one of the key roles. At the center of the story are Amanda (Juliette Binoche, “The Taste of Things”) and her stepfather Martin (Tom Courtenay, “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”), who find themselves on opposite sides of a difficult moral dilemma. Is Leslie (Anna Calder-Marshall, “Wuthering Heights” 1970) — Amanda’s mother, whose dementia is steadily progressing — still capable of making critical decisions about her own life? And if not, who has the right to decide her fate: her husband, daughter, or a state institution?
— “Our House is on Fire” (Ukraine), dir. Olesia Biletska — a drama about the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The film tells the story of Sofia (Anastasiia Pustovit, “Silent Flood”) — a young Ukrainian singer trying to conquer Los Angeles. She returns to Kyiv for the first time in four years just as the great war begins. This forces her to face an impossible choice between career and home, safety and love.
— “People and Meat” (South Korea), dir. Yang Jonghyeon — a feel-good movie from the Tribeca 2025 program. Woo-sik and Hyeon-jun, two elderly men surviving by collecting recyclables, meet Hwa-jin, a vegetable vendor. They are united by shared hardships: poverty, loneliness, and constant hunger. Together they devise a daring plan — to dine on expensive meat at restaurants and run away without paying. Their small series of adventures not only brings them joy and strong friendship, but also restores their lost taste for life.
— “Rock, Weed and Wheels” (Mexico), dir. J. M. Cravioto — a mockumentary based on real events about the Mexican Woodstock from the Guadalajara Film Festival 2025 program. At the center of the story are two friends, Justino and El Negro, who wanted to organize car races and a small concert in order to pull off the deal of a lifetime. But things do not go according to plan, and their little adventure and lack of experience write them into history as the organizers of the largest concert in Mexican history — the Avándaro Festival.
— “Heart of Darkness” (France, Brazil), dir. Rogério Nunes — an animated adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s novel. Nunes filters the work through a decolonial lens and relocates the events to Brazilian favelas in the near future. Marlon, a young local police lieutenant, is tasked with finding Captain Kurtz — a mysterious figure who disappeared under unclear circumstances during a police raid. Marlon must complete his mission by boat alongside Sergeant Medeiros — an officer with questionable moral principles. Together they embark on a dangerous journey through the marginalized outskirts of Rio.
— “Now I Met Her” (China), dir. Lucy Xiao — an eccentric comedy from the Rotterdam Film Festival 2026 program. Shiyi never knew his mother — until his 18th birthday, when he suddenly discovers her diary. Its pages reveal the funny and romantic adventures of this woman. Immersing himself in the story, Shiyi uncovers a secret that completely overturns everything he once believed…
— “3 Days in September” (Romania), dir. Tudor Giurgiu — a wedding drama from Rotterdam 2026 by the founder and director of the Transilvania International Film Festival in Romania. The film follows Bianca, whose world shatters when her fiancé’s lover bursts into their wedding. The film’s central sequence was shot in a single take lasting over 60 minutes.
— “Hold Onto Me” (Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, USA), dir. Myrsini Aristidou — a summer family drama from Sundance 2026. This is the story of 11-year-old Iris, who enjoys her freedom while spending her days on the streets with her older friend Danae. But everything changes when the girl learns that her father Aris, long estranged from the family, has returned to town for his father’s funeral.
“Every year we watch hundreds of films to select only a few that will compete for audience attention and the hearts of the jury at Mykolaichuk OPEN. This year, the selection includes films from eight different countries, covering a huge range of themes and stories. From a sports-and-music adventure to family dramas of varying emotional intensity,” comments the festival’s program director Alex Malyshenko.
Earlier, Mykolaichuk OPEN announced the Berlinale 2026 winner “Yellow Letters” by İlker Çatak. As part of the national short film competition, 18 Ukrainian films will be screened, and on Ivan Mykolaichuk’s birthday audiences will have the chance to see the legendary “Babylon XX” featuring the festival muse Taisiia Lytvynenko.
The Mykolaichuk OPEN Audience Film Festival will take place from June 13 to June 20 in the city of Chernivtsi with the support of the Chernivtsi City Council and the Ivan Mykolaichuk Cultural and Artistic Center.
Festival passes are already on sale: full and student options available.
Visual materials
Supported by: Chernivtsi City Council, Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, State Film Agency of Ukraine, Ivan Mykolaichuk Cultural and Artistic Center, Bukovyna Film Commission
General sponsor: Vodohrai Construction Company
Festival sponsors: MTA, Grico Group, DAR Group & Partners, Nataliux
General partner of the industry section: AMO Pictures
Partners: Ukrposhta, [Ne] Khustka, Divergent Agency, Grand Royal, Panskyi Dvir hotel and restaurant complex, Kamerton store, Bukmusic recording studio, Chernivtsi National University, Spider Media media production.
General partner of Mykolaichuk Kids: Kraina Mriy
Gift sponsor of Mykolaichuk Kids: MTA
Hospitality partners: Bartka restaurant, Bacara Coffee, Ciabatta, Syto bakery, Daddy Cool bar, Park restaurant, QUARTER flowers, TEMO restaurant.
General media partner: 1+1 media
Festival information partner: Suspilne Broadcasting (Suspilne Culture, Radio Culture, and Suspilne Chernivtsi).
Media partners: C4 Media Holding, UP. Culture, Village, Kyivstar TV, Shpalta, Radio 10, ACC Media Agency, Bukovynska Khvylia 100.0 FMA, Chornyi Lotos.
