Winners of 53rd “Molodist” Kyiv International Film Festival Announced in Kyiv
The Grand Prix was awarded to “Honeymoon,” directed by Zhanna Ozirna (Ukraine, 2024).
“Captivating beams of light filtering into a small apartment. Exceptional actors reveal deep human emotions, accompanied by sounds emerging from beyond the frame. A piercing, sensitive love story set against the backdrop of haunting explosions,” shared this year’s jury head, director Mohammad Rasoulof, in his remarks on the film.
The film received the “Scythian Deer” award and a cash prize of $5,000. The Grand Prix was sponsored by the national lottery operator “Loto-Zabava.”
The award for the Best Full-Length Film in the International Competition went to “All We Imagine as Light,” directed by Payal Kapadia (France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg, 2024).
This film received the “Scythian Deer” award and a $2,000 cash prize from the Yuliia Ihnatchenko Charitable Fund.
The award for Best Short Film in the International Competition went to “We Want to Live Here,” directed by Alexandrina Turcan (Ukraine, 2023), which also received the “Scythian Deer” award and a $2,000 prize from the Molodist Festival.
“We became deeply emotionally connected to the characters in this film. It tells the story of children who survived harrowing weeks of occupation. Each character has their own perspectives and interests, yet they are united by a shared desire for a free and independent Ukraine,” the jury shared from the stage.
The award for Best Student Film in the International Competition was shared by two films ex aequo: “Like a Butterfly,” directed by Iris Gerschon Nagar (Israel, 2023), and “Basia: Three Short Stories,” directed by Mateusz Pietrak (Poland, 2023).
“In the Student Films competition, we were lucky to discover two films that were somehow related to each other.
One film is a portrait of an older woman preparing herself for the farewell from life. She is still full of life but at the same time, she is very much conscious of her age and shares this consciousness with others.
The other film portrays an older man who is definitely not ready to let go. Despite his age, he remains a youngster. He is a hippie lost in time, like a butterfly. His daughter made a very loving portrait of her father and indirectly also of her mother.
In our aging civilizations, both films offer alternative perspectives on the process of getting old. There are many ways to age - and our two films show two of them. At the same time, the movies are both extremely loveable portraits of two human beings.
Therefore we have decided to split the Award for Best Student Film between the Israeli ‘Like a Butterfly,’ directed by Iris Gerschon Nagar, and the Polish ‘Basia: Three Short Stories’ directed by Mateusz Pietrak,” stated the jury.
The winners received the “Scythian Deer” award and a $2,000 prize sponsored by Kyivstar TV, a film and television platform.
A Special Mention in the International Student Film Competition was awarded to two films. The first, “The Chaos She Left Behind,” directed by Nikos Kolioukos (Greece, 2023):
“We were struck by the emotional journey through the intimate and complex relationship between father and daughter. The director immersed us in this story, making us care about the character from the very first moments,” the jury commented.
The second, “Fish River Anthology,” directed by Veera Lamminpää (Finland, 2024):
“We were impressed by the film’s brilliant concept, humor, professional execution, and deep understanding of the short film form, as singing fish in a supermarket offer us insights into the world we live in.”
The main jury for the festival, evaluating the International Competition comprised of Full-Length, Short, and Student Films sections, included:
- Mohammad Rasoulof – independent filmmaker, director (Iran);
- Albert Wiederspiel – film scholar and manager (Germany);
- Marija Kavtaradze – director and screenwriter (Lithuania);
- Anastasiia Karpenko – theater and film actress (Ukraine)
- Maksym Asadchiy – film producer (Ukraine)
The Audience Award and “Scythian Deer” went to the competition film “Oysters Silence,” directed by Marcos Pimentel (Brazil, 2024).
The winner of the Documentary Competition was “Flowers of Ukraine,” directed by Adelina Borets (Poland, Ukraine 2024). In their statement, the jury shared:
“It was a tough job, many brilliant films describing the troublesome yet sometimes wonderful reality we all share. But one film finally emerged that somehow united all the qualities of documentary filmmaking.
Telling a story that both shows the beauty of being here and the dangers we will have to overcome for this beauty not to wither into a nightmare, a film with a main character with all the courage, the fighting spirit and the ability to despite the horrors of war to keep the beauty of life alive, even in the darkest of moments.
The award for Best Documentary Film goes to ‘Flowers of Ukraine’ by Adelina Borets.”
The film won the “Scythian Deer” and a $2,000 monetary prize from Molodist.
Two films received Special Mentions in the Documentary Competition: Tack directed by Vania Turner (Greece, 2024), and What Did You Dream of Last Night, Parajanov? directed by Faraz Fesharaki (Germany, 2024).
Regarding Tack, the jury commented:
“It takes a lot of will to win. It takes a lot of bravery to start fighting against an overwhelming adversary.
To be a winner for a female athlete sometimes you have to strive not for medals but justice.
This is a film about the will for justice told with respect. It shows how much pain a person who was abused has to live through, and a way to somewhat heal the trauma, that can also show the way for others.
The storytelling style is straightforward, and the use of animation is clever.”
On What Did You Dream of Last Night, Parajanov?:
“‘Do you love me?’ This basic question echoes through a lousy video call connection. We can barely see a picture, but we understand the dear dynamics of a family divided by politics. The humor and underlying critique add warmth and depth, and a clever, revelatory ending to the first act shows maturity in the making of a first feature.
With the ‘Shahed’ drones flying over our heads almost every night, we're also happy to see another side of Iranian society, and now we know what it really means to put up a curtain.”
The jury of the Documentary Competition at the 53rd Molodist Film Festival included:
- Tetyana Filevska – art manager, curator of art events, researcher of Malevych's work
- Viktor Nordenskiöld – documentary director, producer, cinematographer
- Jon Bang Carlsen – writer, performer, director
The film “Winners” by director Soleen Yusef (Germany, 2024) won the TEEN SCREEN competition, receiving a prize of $2,000 from the Molodist Film Festival.
Two other films received special mentions in TEEN SCREEN:
- Blue Sky Jo by Patrice Sauvé (Canada, 2024) for cinematography;
- Gina by Ulrike Kofler (Austria, 2024) for acting performance.
This year’s TEEN SCREEN jury consisted of young film students from the Kyiv House of Cinema Film School:
- Valeria Horbenko, age 10
- Zlata Kostiuk, age 12
- Kyrylo Pashchenko, age 14
- Kyra Truba, age 10
- Polina Deviatko, age 12
The winner of the National Short Film Competition is “Storks Always Come Home” by director Halyna Koziutynska (Ukraine, 2023). The jury commended the film "for poignant bravery to show the private life." The director received the “Scythian Deer” Award and a monetary prize of USD 2,000 from Ukrzoloto jewelry company.
Special mentions in the National Short Film Competition were awarded to:
- Additional Scenes by Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk (Ukraine, 2024), "for exploring a new reality through an experimental approach with actors."
- Territory of Childhood by Maryna Shkrabaliuk (Ukraine, 2024), "for innocence and tenderness that will endure death and darkness."
The National Short Film Competition jury for the 53rd Molodist Festival included:
- Alevtina Kakhidze — performance artist, illustrator, media creator, writer, curator, and educator.
- Nikon Romanchenko — director, screenwriter, editor.
- Stéphane Siohan — journalist, documentary film producer.
The Union of Film Critics of Ukraine jury at Molodist included the following members:
- Alik Darman — film scholar, curator, and head of the film club on Spaska Street
- Aliona Penzii — head of the film archive at the Dovzhenko Center, film critic, and cultural manager
- Kateryna Slipchenko — film critic and art historian
The jury awarded Additional Scenes by directors Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk (Ukraine, 2024) as the winner in the national competition of short films. They described it as "a meta-film that blurs the line between documentary and fiction, questioning where the actor ends and the character begins. Its contemporary form and dramaturgy highlight the connection between war and civilian life and the unsettling existence on the edge of reality."
The jury also gave a special mention to Sony DCR-TRV265E Digital8 Camcorder by director Henyk Zaiats (Ukraine, 2024) "for its experimental and rebellious form, centered on reflections about the essence of video and the camera, offering a poignant cultural observation on the evolution of Ukrainian society from the early 2000s to today."
The closing film of the 53rd Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist was Under the Volcano by Damian Kocur (Poland, 2024).
This year, the 53rd Kyiv IFF Molodist also showcased a selection of World and International premieres:
World premieres:
- Intercontinental director Salomón Pérez (Peru, 2024);
- Ride the Line director Ihor Volochii (Ukraine, 2024);
- Antarctica: War Diaries, director Volodymyr Khomko (Ukraine, United Kingdom, Switzerland, USA, 2024);
- Bouquinistes, director Tetiana Hanzha (Ukraine, Poland, 2024);
- Putin, director Patryk Vega (Poland, 2024);
- Malevych, director Daria Onyshchenko (Ukraine, Serbia, Italy, Switzerland, 2024);
- I Voted, director Tyler Mann (USA, 2024);
- In Perpetuo, director Federico Barassi (Italy, 2024);
International Premieres:
- Oysters Silence, director Marcos Pimentel (Brazil, 2024)
- Virgo, director Jakob Ivar Ekwall (Sweden, 2024)
- Treading Water, director Gino Evans (United Kingdom, 2024)
The festival was held with the support of the State Film Agency of Ukraine and the National Union of Filmmakers of Ukraine.
The festival's main media partner is 1+1 Media.
The symbol of the festival, the "Scythian Deer," is provided by the Kimberli Jewelry House.
The festival’s creative partner is McCann.
International Partners:
Embassy of Italy in Ukraine
Italian Institute of Culture in Ukraine
Embassy of France in Ukraine
French Institute
Polish Institute in Kyiv
Embassy of Norway in Ukraine
Embassy of Argentina in Ukraine
Embassy of Belgium in Ukraine with the support of the Delegation of Flanders in Poland and the Baltic States
The festival is financially supported by:
Goethe-Institut Ukraine
International Institute of Depth Psychology
Kyivstar TV Cinema and Television Platform
Ukrainian-Danish Youth House
Yuliia Hnatchenko Charitable Foundation
ILTA on Pechersk Automobile Center
Jewelry company “Ukrzoloto”
Full-cycle post-production studio Wizard
Water partner “Krayina”
Creative company “Silk Route”
Hospitality Partners:
Sky Loft Hotel
Italian restaurant “Casa Nori”
Restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine “Hlek”
Podil café-bakery “Tisto.Kyiv”
House of Cinema
Zhovten Cinema
Media Partners:
1+1 Ukraine TV Channel
Suspilne Broadcasting
Suspilne Culture
DTF Magazine
Detector Media
Hromadske
Livyi Bereh
Ukrainskyi Tyzhden
LiRoom – cultural info partner of Ukraine
Kinoman Division
Vechirniy Kyiv
Prokino
Svidomi
Proshokino
Marie Claire
Shlyager FM Radio
Business Radio
DJ FM Radio
Power FM Radio