The opening of the 14th “Austrian Film Week” festival took place at the ‘Zhovten’ cinema in the capital; the festival will run in Kyiv until May 27 and will subsequently be held in Lviv, Chernivtsi, and Dnipro, the embassy told the agency.
” “In the current very difficult situation for Ukraine, celebrating artistic expression and organizing cultural and social events is an important contribution to the ongoing struggle for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” noted Robert Martin Müller, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Ukraine, during the opening ceremony.
The festival was organized with the support of the Austrian Embassy in Ukraine in collaboration with Arthouse Traffic and with the participation of the general partner, AMIC ENERGY. The opening was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, as well as former German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen, representatives of charitable and public organizations, including Dignitas, the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, the Ukrainian Catholic University, and the Superhumans Center.
The film festival opened with the historical drama Sisi and I, directed by Frauke Finsterwalder and starring Sandra Hüller in the lead role. The film was previously screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The organizers announced that the festival will traditionally include a charitable component: proceeds from ticket sales will be doubled by AMIC ENERGY and directed toward supporting patients at the Superhumans Center. Special screenings for visitors to the center are also planned as part of the event.
“Today, as Ukraine is going through extremely difficult trials, culture and art take on special significance… Ukraine’s greatest strength is its people: brave, talented, and unbreakable,” noted Gintaras Maciauskas, CEO of AMIC ENERGY in Ukraine.
The festival program includes five films—participants in international film festivals, including the Venice International Film Festival and the Locarno International Film Festival:
— Sisi and I;
— Rose;
— The Loneliest Person in Town;
— The Bloody Countess;
— Indian Summer.
The “Austrian Film Week” festival is held in Ukraine every year and introduces Ukrainian audiences to contemporary Austrian cinema.
