The 16th Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF) wrapped in Kyiv on 4 October with the announcement of this year’s winners during the closing ceremony. Having taken place in the Ukrainian capital for the second year running, the festival ran for 11 days (24 September-4 October), and screened 113 films across its competition and out-of-competition sections. Alongside the European and National Competitions, audiences also enjoyed special showcases such as Focus on Poland, Festival of Festivals, Gala Premieres, and retrospectives on Wim Wenders and Carlos Saura.

The European Competition jury – composed of Gyda Velvin Myklebust, head of New Nordic Films at Haugesund; director Denis Tarasov; film critic Irena Kaciałovič; producer Peter Rommel; casting director Piotr Bartoszek; producer Serhii Lavreniuk; and director Juris Poškus – awarded the main Prize for Best European Feature Film to Six Days in Spring [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Pavlo Ostrikov
scheda film]. The movie also won the festival’s main Audience Award, also known as the Grand Prix, and the director received a Golden Duke statuette and a cash prize of UAH 75,000 (€1,550).

The National Documentary Competition jury, featuring directors Aliaksei Paluyan, Katalin Moldovai, Konrad Szolajski, Taras Tomenko and Hugo Rosák (head of the Industry Office at Karlovy Vary IFF), selected A Simple Soldier by Artem Ryzhykov and Juan Camilo Cruz as Best Ukrainian Feature Documentary. The film was awarded the Golden Duke and a cash prize of UAH 75,000 (€1,550). Furthermore, the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) jury, consisting of Ukrainian critics Dmytro Sydorenko, Ihor Kromf and Serhiy Trymbach, also honoured A Simple Soldier with its Award for Best Ukrainian Feature Documentary. The Special Jury Diplomas in this section went to Dad's Lullaby [+leggi anche:
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The festival’s Film Industry Office also held its pitching awards ceremony. In the Development section, the jury awarded UAH 40,000 (€825) each to Arkadii Nepytaliuk’s Golden Leggings, produced by Regina Maryanovska-Davidzon, and Ivan Orlenko’s Entangled, produced by Charlotte Krüger.

In the Work in Progress section, the top prize of UAH 80,000 (€1,650) went to Serhiy Bazhenov’s Every Death Diminishes Me, produced by Inna Lastochkina. StarLight Media offered a package of services to Alla Mitiukova’s Sequela, while Kira’s Dream by Denis Kolesnikov received marketing support from StarLight Creative as well as a post-production sound package (Dolby Atmos and 5.1) from Cinema Sound UA Production, valued at USD 3,500 (€3,000).

The full list of winners at the 16th Odesa International Film Festival is as follows:

European Competition

Best European Feature Film
Six Days in Spring [+leggi anche:
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Special Jury Diploma
U Are the Universe [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Pavlo Ostrikov
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National Documentary Competition

Best Ukrainian Feature Documentary
A Simple Soldier - Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz (Ukraine/USA/UK)

Special Jury Diplomas
Dad's Lullaby [+leggi anche:
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Music of Being - Gennadiy Chernomashintsev (Ukraine)

FIPRESCI Award - Best Ukrainian Feature Documentary
A Simple Soldier - Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz

Audience Award – Grand Prix
U Are the Universe - Pavlo Ostrikov

Film Industry Office Awards

Development Awards
Golden Leggings - Arkadii Nepytaliuk (Ukraine/Germany/Poland)
Producer: Regina Maryanovska-Davidzon

Entangled - Ivan Orlenko (Ukraine/Germany/Poland)
Producer: Charlotte Krüger

Work in Progress Award
Every Death Diminishes Me - Serhiy Bazhenov (Ukraine/Netherlands)
Producer: Inna Lastochkina

Special Awards
Sequela - Alla Mitiukova (Ukraine)
Producer: Oleksii Yeroshenko

Kira’s Dream - Denis Kolesnikov (Ukraine)
Producer: Andrii Kornienko