Opening of the 16th Odesa International Film Festival at Parkovy

For the second year in a row, the official opening of the Odesa International Film Festival will take place on September 24 at Parkovy CEC.

See how OIFF unfolded at Parkovy last year: 

15th OIFF at Parkovy

The festival runs through October 4. It is the key event for national cinema, hosting premieres of the most anticipated Ukrainian films and the debuts of emerging talent.

The program focus is “art-mainstream”: films of high artistic quality that remain accessible to a wide audience. In the non-competition lineup, audiences will be the first to see international festival hits in the “Festival of Festivals” section, as well as art-house standouts soon to be released in Ukraine in the “Gala Premieres” section.

The competition slate includes the National Ukrainian Competition and the International European Competition. The industry block is presented by the Film Industry Office, featuring pitching sessions and special out-of-competition screenings.

The 16th Odesa International Film Festival will also present a special retrospective marking the 80th anniversary of Wim Wenders—one of the most influential European directors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The program spans the key stages of his career, from experimental cinema to profound philosophical reflections on the nature of art, memory, and time.

Selection Committee:

• Oksana Volosheniuk — Chair of the Board of the Union of Film Critics of Ukraine; lecturer at the Department of Film Studies, KNUTKiT named after I. K. Karpenko-Karyi; expert in media literacy programs of the Academy of Ukrainian Press; author of film criticism and film studies works; member of FIPRESCI and the Board of the National Film Critics Award “KINOKOLO.”
• Ivanna Diadiura — CEO of IDAS INTERNATIONAL FILM; TV projects lead, producer and film critic; producer of the films “Haytarma” (2013), “Alien Prayer” (2016), “Cyborgs” (2017), “We Are, We Are Near” (2019), “Hold Me” (2020), “Grey Bees” (2024).
• Ihor Sukmanov — program consultant, film scholar, publicist, festival organizer and journalist; member of the European Film Academy and FIPRESCI; founding member of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy; consultant and selection committee member of the goEast Wiesbaden Film Festival and the Berlinale Forum.
• Alik Shpyliuk — program consultant and selector; art director of the Ukrainian Film Academy; OIFF program consultant; member of the Expert Commission of the State Film Agency of Ukraine and the Council for State Support of Cinematography; Secretary of the Board of the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine; member and expert of the European Film Academy; expert for EURIMAGES and the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation; FIPRESCI member; Honored Cultural Worker of Ukraine; Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters.
• The Program Department Coordinator is Nadiia Rokytianska — creative director, screenwriter, and producer of social impact campaigns and documentary films; graduate of Serhiy Bukovsky’s Documentary Film Workshop.

As a sign of gratitude and respect, OIFF is launching a free festival pass for military personnel. Ukrainian service members will be able to attend all festival screenings, take part in masterclasses, and freely visit all events of the professional Film Industry Office section without the need to reserve tickets. In addition, any military member may attend any festival screening without a pass—subject to seat availability and upon presenting ID.

Details and registration: https://new.oiff.com.ua/defenders

This year, the festival pursues a charitable goal in partnership with the Children of Heroes Foundation: 20% of all ticket sales will be donated to support children who have lost one or both parents due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

See you at Parkovy!