The Ukrainian Film Academy has held the 10th edition of its Golden Dzyga Awards, with U Are the Universe by Pavlo Ostrikov emerging as the evening’s big winner. The film collected nine prizes in total, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay – all awarded to Ostrikov – therefore confirming its status as the most-awarded title of the ceremony. It also picked up Best Actor for Volodymyr Kravchuk, Best Original Score for Mykyta Moisieiev, Best Editing for Ivan Bannikov, Best Sound for Serhii Stepanskyi, Best Production Design for Vladlen Odudenko and Mariia Denysenko, Best Special Effects for Oleksii Hapon, Antonina Patramanska, Oleksandr Suprunovskyi, Yurii Bondarenko and Maksym Holovin, as well as the inaugural MEGOGO Audience Award.

The film follows the last remaining human in the universe, whose solitary mission unexpectedly changes when he receives a message from another survivor. Produced by Anna Yatsenko and Volodymyr Yatsenko, U Are the Universe has enjoyed a successful international festival run after its premiere in Toronto and continues to establish itself as one of the standout Ukrainian productions of recent years.

The Best Documentary Film Award went to 2000 Meters to Andriivka, directed by Mstyslav Chernov, which also earned Chernov and Alex Babenko the Best Cinematography Award. The Best Fiction Series accolade was bestowed upon Limited Fit, directed by Arkadii Nepytaliuk, while Easter Day by Mykola Zasieiev claimed the Best Short Fiction Film prize.

Acting honours were shared among several productions. Maryna Koshkina won Best Actress for the anthology drama Animals in War, while the supporting performance awards went posthumously to Vasyl Kukharskyi for Oxygen Station by Ivan Tymchenko, and to Irma Vitovska for Malevych by Daria Onyshchenko. Tetiana Lavrynenko received the Best Costume Design Award for Malevych, while Tetiana Tatarenko was awarded the Best Make-up Award for Grey Bees.

The remaining major awards were spread across a range of titles. Short film My Grandmother Is a Skydiver by Polina Piddubna was awarded Best Animated Film, In 769 km, New York by Sofiia Buhrii won Best Short Documentary, while cinematographer Artem Ryzhykov received the Discovery of the Year Award. Veteran filmmaker Serhii Bukovskyi was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Ukrainian Cinema.

Here is the full list of winners:

Best Film
U Are the Universe – Pavlo Ostrikov (Ukraine/Belgium)

Best Documentary Film
2000 Meters to Andriivka – Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine)

Best Animated Film
My Grandmother Is a Skydiver – Polina Piddubna (Germany, short film)

Best Fiction Series
Limited Fit – Arkadii Nepytaliuk (Ukraine)

Best Director
Pavlo Ostrikov – U Are the Universe

Best Screenplay
Pavlo Ostrikov – U Are the Universe

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Volodymyr Kravchuk – U Are the Universe

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Maryna Koshkina – Animals in War (Ukraine)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Vasyl Kukharskyi – Oxygen Station (Ukraine/Czech Republic/Sweden/Slovakia)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Irma Vitovska – Malevych (Ukraine/Switzerland/Italy/Serbia)

Best Cinematography
Mstyslav Chernov, Alex Babenko – 2000 Meters to Andriivka

Best Editing
Ivan Bannikov – U Are the Universe

Best Original Score
Mykyta Moisieiev – U Are the Universe

Best Production Design
Vladlen Odudenko, Mariia Denysenko – U Are the Universe

Best Costume Design
Tetiana Lavrynenko – Malevych

Best Sound
Serhii Stepanskyi – U Are the Universe

Best Make-up
Tetiana Tatarenko – Grey Bees (Ukraine)

Best Special Effects
Oleksii Hapon, Antonina Patramanska, Oleksandr Suprunovskyi, Yurii Bondarenko, Maksym Holovin – U Are the Universe

Best Song
"No Promises, No Forgiveness" from Well, Mom – Mykhailo Klymenko (ADAM) (posthumously, for the arrangement), lyrics and music by Serhii Lazo, performed by Mykhailo Klymenko (ADAM) and Uliana Zolkina

Best Short Fiction Film
Easter Day – Mykola Zasieiev (Ukraine)

Best Short Documentary Film
In 769 km, New York – Sofiia Buhrii (Ukraine)

MEGOGO Audience Award
U Are the Universe – Pavlo Ostrikov

Discovery of the Year
Artem Ryzhykov

Outstanding Contribution to Ukrainian Cinema
Serhii Bukovskyi