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From August 27 to September 4, Kyiv brought together representatives of the Ukrainian and international film industry, actors, directors, producers, partners and guests of the Odesa International Film Festival. The event was held under the slogan “Freedom is in Your DNA”, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence.
For the key ceremonial events of the OIFF – the opening on August 27 and the closing and awards ceremony on September 4 – Parkovy was chosen as the official partner venue of the OIFF and welcomed the event’s guests. The third floor of Parkovy was selected for the events, allowing several formats to be combined within one evening. Even before the ceremony began, guests were welcomed by stands and photographers on the first floor, creating their first introduction to the atmosphere of the festival.
The 17th OIFF partners also joined the events, including Work.ua, ARARAT, BRIGHT POINT Skalyha Foundation, UPHub, Peugeot and 1+1 Media, 1+1 Ukraine, Megogo, SLM and ICTV2, and the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF).
Their presence highlighted the scale of the festival, which brought together representatives of the film industry, business, media and the cultural community.
The central venue was the Convention & Concert Hall at Parkovy. This is where the event took place, bringing together guests and representatives of the film industry. The space made it possible to organize a full-scale festival event with a stage, lighting and auditorium seating.
The opening began with a minute of silence to honor the memory of fallen defenders of Ukraine and Ukrainian artists who lost their lives during the war. Representatives of the state, the State Film Agency of Ukraine, the diplomatic corps and the festival team addressed the guests. The musical continuation of the ceremony was a performance by the duo “Tonko.”
Over the course of nine festival days, audiences were presented with more than 80 Ukrainian and international films across 10 programs, while the National Competition brought together 13 Ukrainian feature-length films.
After the official part, guests continued the evening on the terrace at Parkovy. The open-air space became a place for communication, meetings with colleagues and exchanging impressions of the festival, allowing for a natural transition from the ceremonial part to a more relaxed atmosphere.
The gastronomic continuation of the evening was a cocktail reception by Parkovy Catering, combining a refined menu, delicate presentation and professional service, complementing the atmosphere of the events.
The combination of the Convention & Concert Hall, terrace and Parkovy Catering demonstrated the complex’s capabilities for hosting large-scale events, where all the key elements of an evening can be brought together within a single venue.
The awards ceremony gained particular symbolism from the “Golden Duke” statuettes themselves. The main awards of the 17th OIFF were made from recycled metal from shells and missiles – the festival’s traditional symbol acquired a new meaning and became a reflection of Ukrainian reality, resilience and strength.
The festival’s main award – the Grand Prix and the “Golden Duke” – went to Yuliia Honcharuk’s documentary “To Die To Live,” which was also recognized as the best Ukrainian documentary feature film.
In the Ukrainian fiction category, the winner was Valentyn Vasyanovych’s film “For Victory!”, while the best international feature film was the Finnish film “Tell Everyone,” directed by Alli Haapasalo.
Nine festival days of the 17th Odesa International Film Festival brought the film community together in Kyiv around cinema, meetings, premieres and professional communication.
For Parkovy, it was especially valuable to become the partner venue of such a large-scale event and welcome its guests. We thank the team of the Odesa International Film Festival for their trust and choice.
See you again very soon!
Read more about the OIFF at Parkovy in our previous articles.