According to the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project, a panel discussion titled “The Ukrainian Film Industry: Sustainability, Distribution, and International Opportunities,“ dedicated to the development of the Ukrainian film market during the war, international distribution, and prospects for cooperation with the global film industry, the State Film Agency reports on its Facebook page.
”Despite the war, Ukrainian audiences continue to return to movie theaters and support local cinema. This creates not only cultural resilience but also a real market for Ukrainian cinema,” noted Andriy Nogin.
According to the NGO “UkrKinoFest,” participants in the discussion included Andriy Osipov, head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema; Nataliia Movshovych, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine; Andriy Nogin, General Producer of UnitedContentHUB and Head of the NGO “UkrKinoFest”; Kateryna Nahorna, International Sales Manager at FILM.UA Group; Valeria Sochivets, Co-founder of “Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema”; and Serhiy Lavrenyuk, General Producer at Solar Media Entertainment. The discussion was moderated by director and producer Ksenia Bugrimova.
During the discussion, participants discussed the state of Ukrainian commercial and auteur cinema, changes in audience preferences amid the war, new international distribution models, and the integration of the Ukrainian film industry into the global market.
In particular, Kateryna Nahorna presented the “Local for Local” international distribution model for Ukrainian-language releases abroad, targeting Ukrainian audiences outside the country. Case studies included “Mavka: The Forest Song,” the franchise “The Christmas Express / December 31st Express,” and the film “Mavka: The True Myth.”
“The Local for Local model demonstrates that Ukrainian cinema today has a global Ukrainian-speaking audience that can exist outside the bounds of traditional distribution,” Nagorna emphasized.
Valeria Sochivets highlighted the importance of supporting Ukrainian auteur cinema and the role of international festivals in maintaining the visibility of Ukrainian stories around the world. She also cited the example of the film “La Palissade” by director Philip Sotnychenko, which was presented at a number of international festivals.
Serhiy Lavrenyuk spoke about his experience collaborating with international studios, notably Lionsgate, and Ukraine’s potential as a creative and production partner for the global market.
“For major international companies, Ukraine today is not only a source of compelling stories but also a creative industry partner with talent, experience, and strong production capabilities,” Lavrenyuk noted.
The panel discussion was part of a series of industry events at the Ukrainian Pavilion in Cannes. The pavilion was organized by the NGO “UkrKinoFest” with the support of the Ukrainian State Film Agency.
As reported, the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival discussed the promotion of Ukrainian cinema at international festivals. Also, Ukraine opened a national pavilion at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.
In addition, Ukraine and Lithuania signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of cinema during the Cannes Film Festival.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1169392.html
Serbia hopes that Ukraine will confirm its participation in the specialized exhibition Expo 2027 Belgrade following the visit of a Ukrainian government-business delegation to Serbia, said Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“The invitation is open, and we respect the motives of each individual country, but we sincerely hope that following the visit of the Ukrainian government-business delegation to Serbia, Ukraine will become the next, 138th country to confirm its participation in Expo 2027 Belgrade,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to Chadezh, participation in the exhibition would be beneficial for the Ukrainian economy, as it opens opportunities to showcase the potential of Ukrainian companies and technological capabilities, strengthen bilateral government and business relations, and foster contacts with international partners.
“EXPO 2027 will be not only an exhibition but also a global platform for bringing together countries, companies, investors, and new ideas for development. Therefore, I believe that Ukraine’s presence would be important, especially in the context of the country’s recovery, attracting investment, and establishing new partnerships with the international business community,” emphasized the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Serbian companies are interested and have the potential to participate in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, particularly in transportation infrastructure, energy, residential construction, and industrial facilities, said Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“Once the war ends, Ukraine will become Europe’s largest construction site, and Serbian companies are interested and have the potential to participate in the restoration of transport infrastructure, energy and residential facilities, as well as industrial enterprises,” Čadež said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, the potential for cooperation includes construction companies, manufacturers of building materials, manufacturers of transformers for the energy sector, manufacturers of agricultural machinery, as well as companies that possess technologies for the restoration and modernization of industry.
Čadež noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has already expressed Serbia’s readiness to participate in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction—specifically in rebuilding one or two cities or a small region.
“Through contacts with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ukrainian Embassy in Belgrade, Serbian entrepreneurs are already expressing their readiness to contribute by supplying their products, for example, to meet the needs of the energy sector,” noted the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1169380.html
President of Serbia, RECONSTRUCTION, Serbian companies, UKRAINE
According to Serbian Economist, trade turnover between Serbia and Ukraine in 2025 returned to the level of the last pre-war year, 2021, and amounted to $442.2 million, said Marko Čadež, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
According to him, despite the initial shock following the outbreak of the war, mutual trade did not cease. In the first year of the war, it fell by 25%—to $339 million—but then began to gradually recover and can now be considered stable.
Serbian exports to Ukraine in 2025 amounted to $202.9 million, while imports from Ukraine totaled $239.3 million. About 900 Serbian companies continue to do business with Ukraine, 670 of which import Ukrainian goods.
“In the first quarter of this year, the growth trend continued—Serbian exports to Ukraine doubled compared to the same period last year, while Ukrainian exports to Serbia grew by 4.5%,” said Čadež.
The president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that the pandemic, followed by the war, demonstrated the high interdependence of the two economies. This is particularly true for supplies of Ukrainian raw materials and intermediate products for Serbian industry. According to Čadež, prior to the war, such supplies accounted for about 70% of Serbian imports from Ukraine.
Among the key Ukrainian goods for Serbia, he cited iron ore, coal, aluminum wire, and cellulose. Supply disruptions after February 2022 created problems for a number of Serbian industries, particularly metallurgy.
Serbian-Ukrainian trade continues to be dominated by raw materials, industrial products, and goods for the processing industry. Ukraine purchases mineral and chemical fertilizers, PVC flooring, paper and cardboard, automobile tires, as well as detergents and cleaning products from Serbia.
Ukraine has updated the rules governing international scheduled bus services, which include changes to the procedures and deadlines for opening or extending routes, according to a statement from the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.
“The changes are aimed at establishing rules for organizing international transport services for businesses and expanding the regular network of international passenger routes to ensure seamless, safe, and comfortable travel,” the release quotes Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine’s Recovery and Minister of Community Development Oleksii Kuleba as saying.
In particular, the changes provide for a 30-calendar-day period for reviewing route applications submitted via the online portal (opening, closing, changing, or extending a route). Provided that the feasibility of operating an international route is agreed upon with the foreign state, a decision will be made within 10 calendar days, and permits will be issued to carriers within five business days. Carriers will be given up to 20 calendar days to correct deficiencies in the applications and documents submitted via the online portal.
“The updated procedure also includes information on the number of slots at border crossing points for opening routes. This refers to the capacity to allow buses to pass at specific times,” the statement notes.
The Ministry of Development added that from now on, the approval period with neighboring countries will be up to six months, and with other countries—up to 12 months. In addition, every 12 months (instead of four months), the agency will verify the operation of international routes. Specifically, during the relevant period, the carrier must complete at least 30% of the trips specified in the permit. If this requirement is not met, the route permit will not be extended and the international route will be closed. It is noted that route performance verification is carried out based on data from the “eCherga” system.
Among other updates, new deadlines have been added for launching international routes. Specifically, from now on, the carrier must begin operating the route within 90 calendar days from the date the latest permit is uploaded to the carrier’s electronic account.
“Previously, this deadline was shorter, but now the Ministry of Development has approved a longer period so that carriers can properly prepare for the start of operations,” the ministry noted.
Among other changes, the regulations also provide for accounting for the total number of buses serving an international route in cases where several Ukrainian carriers are collaborating.
“The new procedure also includes sample documents, such as a schedule of drivers’ duty periods and breaks, a form for filling out the passenger list, and a form for transportation rates,” the ministry added.
The Ministry of Development noted that for the first time in 20 years, the procedure for organizing international transportation was updated in November 2024 as part of the reform of international bus transportation, where the main change was the digitization of procedures for managing international routes via an online portal.
There are currently over 480 businesses with majority Ukrainian capital operating in Serbia, including 161 companies and 320 entrepreneurs, according to Marko Čadež, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, citing data from the Serbian Business Registration Agency.
“Mostly in the fields of IT, consulting services, trade, and small business,” he said in an interview with the agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.
For comparison, Čadež cited data from pre-war 2021, when 202 Ukrainian companies and 117 entrepreneurs were operating in Serbia. According to him, about 40% of them were subsequently closed, but after 2022, a significant number of new registrations were recorded.
“Last year, for example, not a single company or entrepreneur was closed,” he noted.
The president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry added that Ukrainian business in Serbia is gradually shifting from traditional trade to digital and other knowledge-based services.
“The number of IT entrepreneurs, consulting firms, and design studios is growing year after year,” said Chadezh.
BUSINESS, IT, SERBIA, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UKRAINE
