Ukrainian Film and TV Groups Urge Boycott of Russian Media and Business Ties

Revered Ukrainian actress Oksana Shvets has been killed in a Russian rocket attack on a residential building in Kyiv, according to the Young Theater where she was part of the troupe. She was reportedly 67.

The Berlin International Film Festival has joined fellow events including Cannes and Venice in saying it will not ban Russian movies at the next edition of its fest, but will block official Russian delegates.

A group of theater owners from giant Regal to independent cinemas have signed on to screen Ukrainian director Oles Sanin’s 2014 feature film The Guide starting Friday with proceeds going to relief efforts for the war ravaged country.

Naman Ramachandran Seven senior figures of the Ukrainian film industry, including 84-year-old doyenne Ada Rogovtseva, have spoken out against the Russian invasion of their country and have joined the numerous calls for a boycott of Russian culture. Ada Rogovtseva, actor (“Taras Bulba”), professor at the National University of Culture. Remains in Ukraine.I volunteer at home.

J. Kim Murphy The Kyiv-based Molodist International Film Festival has penned an open letter to the film community calling on other festivals to join in a boycott of Russian films as a response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces.The festival’s statement cites an ongoing effort by modern Russia to “separate culture from politics” and to “[use] that same culture to distract the West from Russia’s wars, human rights violations, censorship and persecution of political dissidents.”“There are Russian filmmakers and intellectuals who have been truly vocal in their dissent and criticism of Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine throughout these years, and we know some of them personally,” the statement reads.

EXCLUSIVE: The biggest Ukrainian media organizations have penned an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging sanctions on all Russian TV channels.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are continuing to support Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Volcano director Roman Bondarchuk, Valentyn Vasyanovych (Atlantis) and Nariman Aliev (Homeward) explaining their reasoning.“Ukrainians are defending their freedom and right to exist,” Bondarchuk recently said in a statement obtained by The Guardian, while also criticising opera singer Anna Netrebko who cancelled performances at the Met in New York.“We need help. It is necessary to limit the influence of Russian culture in the world.

Seven Ukrainian filmmakers, who are remaining in the country as Russia continues its invasion, have spoken out about their experiences on the front line of the war in their country. Directors Valentyn Vasyanovych, Roman Bondarchuk, Nariman Aliev, Maryna Er Gorbach , Antonio Lukich, Alina Gorlova and producer Darya Bassel have all called upon the international film and television community to issue cultural sanctions against Russia.

Ukrainian actor Pasha Lee was killed on Sunday in Irpin, under shelling by Russian forces occupying the city located west of Kyiv, according to local reports. The TSN television news service and the Odesa International Film Festival said the actor (who is also referred to as Pavlo Li and Pasha Li) was 33.

The three key side events of the Cannes Film Festival – Critics’ Week, ACID and the Directors’ Fortnight – will not be joining the boycott of Russian cinema.

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The Co-Founder of the Ukrainian Film Academy has been named Jury President for this year’s Series Mania.

The Cannes Film Festival has taken a position on the war in Ukraine, and will bar Russian delegations at its 75th edition this May. "As the world has been hit by a heavy crisis in which a part of Europe finds itself in a state of war, the Festival de Cannes wishes to extend all its support to the people of Ukraine and all those who are in its territory," reads a statement released on Tuesday.