70 films will be shown at the Mykolaychuk OPEN Film Festival

The Mykolaychuk OPEN International Audience Film Festival has announced a full non-competitive program. A total of 70 films will be shown in Chernivtsi from June 14 to 21, including new and traditional sections of genre films and festival hits. This year, Mykolaychuk OPEN will host Ukrainian premieres of audience films from the Berlinale, Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, as well as genre gems from Ukraine and the world. We remind you that 1+1 media has become the general media partner.

"The Mykolaychuk OPEN non-competitive section is a kaleidoscope of experiences for every taste. This year we expanded our fantasy section because we realized that this way we would be able to give more discoveries to the audience. Therefore, now there is horror, a bright crime thriller, an ironic spy story and aesthetic fantasy. We also continue to explore Ukrainian genre cinema and this year we will show unique biographical films. In our opinion, biopics contribute to the study of our own history and culture and we have a good tradition of such films, which, unfortunately, was interrupted in the 2010s by a series of unsuccessful films. There is something that we are doing for the first time - these are targeted screenings for a children's audience. In the Mykolaychuk Kids section, you will be able to immerse yourself in the world of fantasy in every sense of the word, and a special program of activities for children will complement each screening," comments program director Alex Malyshenko.

Genre section “Under the Gemini Constellation”:

• “Reflection in a Dead Diamond” / Reflection in a Dead Diamond, dir. Hélène Catté, Bruno Forzani (spy thriller, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France, 2025, 87ʼ) is an ironic reinterpretation of spy thrillers, in particular, the line of films about agent 007, from a directorial duo famous for their unique visual style.
• “The Home”, directed by Matthias J. Skoglund (horror, psychological thriller, Sweden, Estonia, Iceland, 2025, 87ʼ) — the main character Joel returns to his childhood home. There, his elderly mother is waiting for him, who is about to go to a special institution where she will be taken care of. Soon, Joel begins to feel that something malicious and supernatural has taken control of her; 
• “Sew Torn”, directed by Freddie MacDonald (crime thriller, black comedy, USA, Switzerland, 2024, 96ʼ) — the main character, a seamstress, becomes entangled in her own web after stealing a briefcase from a drug deal gone awry. In a game of cat and mouse that becomes increasingly dangerous, her choices lead to radically different consequences;
• “Pink Moon: The 7th Ascension of Atabey” / LUNA ROSA: LA 7ª ASCENSION DE ATABEY, directed by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (dystopia, science fiction, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Germany, 2025, 113ʼ) — the directorial debut of the famous Puerto Rican musician about the fight against American colonialists in the future;

Hits program "Festival Finds":

• Familiar Touch, directed by Sarah Friedland (drama, UK, 2024, 90ʼ) is a tender film that won the prestigious Horizons award at the 81st Venice Film Festival. The film tells the story of living with a man with dementia, which is just beginning to change him; Inside, directed by 
• Charles Williams (thriller, prison drama, Australia, 2025, 104ʼ) is a film starring Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) about male friendship and the brutal order in prison, which participated in the Gothenburg Festival and Tribeca programs;

 

The new children's section Mykolaichuk Kids in partnership with the entertainment center "Country of Dreams":

• Maya, Give Me a Title, dir. Michel Gondry (adventure animation, France, 2025, 61ʼ) is a stop-motion animation that the Oscar-winning director, known for his film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, created with his daughter Maya. To stay close even at a distance, the girl and her father invented a special way of communicating. Every evening, the father asked his daughter: “Maya, give me a name.” Based on the girl’s ideas, the father created an animation for her every evening, and made her the main character. That’s how this film came about.

The film is suitable for children aged 8+.

• “Jura Korolevitch”, dir. Anton Goyda (fantasy, Ukraine, 2022, 100ʼ) — Ukrainian children's film tells the story of Dzhura-Ivanko, who on his 16th birthday learns that he is the son of King Yuri the Brave and must lead a decisive battle against Evil. The usurper of the throne, Egert, who treacherously and with the help of magic killed Yuri, wants above all to get rid of the heir in order to become the absolute ruler. And the only thing that allows the world of Good to win is Ivanko's ability to listen to his heart, to commit desperate and sacrificial acts. The film stars Maksym Samchyk and Taisiya-Oksana Shchuruk ("The First Swallows"), Vyacheslav Dovzhenko ("Cyborgs", ("House "Word": An Endless Novel"), Alina Kovalenko ("Train on December 31"), Vitaliy Saliy ("BozheVilny"), Volodymyr Rashchuk ("Border Guards") and others.

The film is suitable for children aged 10+.

• Generations. Ukrainian short films of the Mykolaychuk Kids section are a series of films about children, or created by children under the supervision of adults. The films create a three-dimensional portrait of the modern young generation. The block will show films by Marysa Nikityuk and the "Voices of Children" Charity Fund - "Generations", the Public. Broadcasting film "Life is a Naive Art" by Olesa Morhunets-Isayenko and the film Teen Angst, which was filmed by teenagers about their lives after emigration, which was curated by Inga Pylypchuk.
• Special screening of the film “How to Train Your Dragon” — the festival will host a special screening of the film with a short lecture on the mythological nature of dragons. According to the plot of the film, on the harsh island of Tup, where Vikings and dragons have been fighting a fierce battle for centuries, an unexpected friendship is born. Hiccup — a young inventor and heir to the tribal leader — finds an ally in the one he has been taught to beware of all his life.

The film is suitable for children aged 12+.

As part of each Mykolaychuk Kids screening, children will find a lot of different entertainment and activities — a thematic master class in sand animation, games with animators, a bubble, pixel and science show, quizzes and games, as well as photo shoots with fairy-tale characters.

Retro program “Ukrainian Biopics” — a section inspired by this year’s festival slogan “A Person in the Center of History”:

• “Taras Shevchenko”, directed by Petro Chardynin (Ukraine, 1926, 80’) — the first Ukrainian biopic about Taras Shevchenko, which marked the beginning of the formation legendary image. At the time of creation, the picture was one of the most valuable productions: for the first time, specialists in history, ethnography, and literary studies were involved in preparing for the filming of the film. The screening will be accompanied by the live accompaniment of the Honored Artist of Ukraine, soloist of the Chernivtsi Philharmonic named after D. Hnatyuk - Lilia Holomenyuk.
• "Grygoriy Skovoroda", dir. Ivan Kavaleridze (Ukraine, 1958, 89') - an artistic interpretation of the image of Grigoriy Skovoroda, embodied by the legend of Ukrainian cinema Ivan Kavaleridze. Skovoroda here is a rebellious philosopher and champion of the church, but even behind Soviet ideological clichés, the strength of his personality could not be hidden.
• "Unconquered", dir. Oles Yanchuk (Ukraine, 2000, 104’) is a biographical action drama that tells about the struggle of Roman Shukhevych against German troops and NKVD units. The film managed to capture and convey all the complexity of the then political situation for the Ukrainian insurgent army. The film is part of a series of films about Ukrainian heroes shot by Oles Yanchuk in the 1990s-2010s.
• “Bohdan Zynovy Khmelnytsky”, directed by Mykola Mashchenko (Ukraine, 2006, 117’) is a historical epic film that tells about one of the most difficult moments of the liberation war of the Ukrainian people against the rule of noble Poland (1648–1657) - the Battle of Zbarazh. Led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the Cossack army took the town of Zbarazh under a tight siege. The Polish nobility, led by the fierce enemy of Ukraine, Yarema Vyshnevetsky, found themselves trapped: food supplies ran out, famine and disease set in. Yarema sent dozens of messengers to the Polish King with pleas for military aid, but none of the messengers could break through the Cossack siege.

Also in the retro section of Mykolaychuk OPEN there will be a special screening of the film "Dudariki" from 1980 with Bohdan Stupka in the lead role. This film is a story about the adventures of a shepherd who, with his songs and extraordinary voice, charms everyone he meets on his way: strict commissioners, bandits, composers and, finally, a beautiful fisherwoman.

Earlier, the festival announced the documentary section "Unfiction", which included "Time Strip" by Kateryna Gornostay, "Songs of the Land That Burns Slowly" by Olga Zhurba, "With Love from the Front" by Alisa Kovalenko, "2000 Meters to Andriyivka" by Mstislav Chernov and Sarah Jessica Parker's production work about the ballet production with the participation of veteran Oleksandr Teren - "The First Row".

And the "Gala Premiere" program includes four films that will be released in Ukrainian distribution after the premiere at Mykolaychuk OPEN. Among them is Ari Aster's new film "Eddington," a musical starring Tilda Swinton from Oscar-winning director Joshua Oppenheimer's "The End", the anime "Colors Inside" and the directorial debut of actress Eva Viktor "Forgive Me, Girl" from this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Earlier, the Mykolaychuk OPEN festival announced competition programs, where Ukrainian short films and international feature films will compete for "Iron Mykolaychuk".

The national short film competition will show 23 Ukrainian films, and the international competition includes new films with Emma Mackie, Isabelle Huppert and the Czech candidate for the Oscar. Traditionally, on Ivan Mykolaychuk's birthday, viewers will be able to watch a scanned and previously unavailable film - "And in the Sounds Memory Will Respond..." about Mykolay Lysenko with Olga Sumska in the role of his beloved.

The screening schedule will be available soon. Audience passes are on sale now, and tickets for individual screenings will be available soon.

The Mykolaychuk OPEN Audience Film Festival will be held from June 14 to 21 in the city of Chernivtsi with the support of the Chernivtsi City Council and the Ivan Mykolaychuk Cultural and Art Center.