Final Days of the 16th Odesa International Film Festival: Premieres, Documentary Testimonies, and the Closing Ceremony

The tenth and eleventh days of the 16th Odesa International Film Festival became the culmination of an eleven-day celebration of cinema that combined premieres, profound documentary storytelling, and bold experiments by filmmakers from around the world.The final days offered audiences an opportunity to immerse themselves in sincere personal stories, large-scale artistic projects, and films that challenge our perception of war, memory, and nature — while also marking a time to summarize results and honor the best works.

The tenth day opened the “Through Friends’ Eyes” program, featuring three films:Viktor by Olivier Sarbil, Temporary Shelter by Anastasia Bortuali, and The Longer You Bleed by Ewan Waddell.

The “Art of Trauma” program presented Mykhailo Karpenko’s film We’re Fine — a documentary telling the story of the installation I’m Fine, which represented Ukraine at last year’s Burning Man.In addition, viewers had the opportunity to talk with the Ukraine Witness project team about the challenges and goals of presenting Ukrainian artistic initiatives at international events.

A special highlight was the “All Creatures Great and Small” program, which showcased a unique project — Checkpoint Zoo, directed by Joshua Zeman.

The culmination of the tenth day was the Closing Ceremony of the 16th Odesa International Film Festival, during which the winners were announced, competition results were summarized, and once again the power of cinema was celebrated — as a tool of unity, remembrance, and inspiration.

The eleventh day marked the final chord of the festival program.Within the “All Creatures Great and Small” section, two more films were presented:No Shade in the Forest by Volodymyr Tykhyi, who continues to explore the coexistence of humans and nature in times of trial, and Animals in War, created by Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, Andrii Lidahovskyi, Maksym Tuzov, Oleksii Mamedov, Sviatoslav Kostiuk, Yuliia Shashkova, and Ivan Sautkin.(Unfortunately, the screening of this film was interrupted by an air raid alert during the previous evening’s Closing Ceremony.)

The final screening of the festival was the documentary A Simple Soldier — winner of the National Documentary Competition — directed by Artem Ryzhykov and Juan Camilo Cruz.The film, which moved both the jury and audience with its honesty and powerful storytelling, became a symbol of the final day and a reminder of cinema’s essential mission — to preserve truth and memory.

Thus, the 10th and 11th days concluded the 16th Odesa International Film Festival — eleven days of cinema that united daring premieres, powerful documentary testimonies, industry events, and heartfelt audience emotions.

The Odesa International Film Festival was supported by:

Ukrainian State Film Agency

The European Union and Creative Europe Desk Ukraine

Adam Mickiewicz Institute “Instytut Adama Mickiewicza”

Polish Institute in Kyiv

German Films

In partnership with the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine

Official Sponsor – ARARAT

Official Automotive Partner – BMW Ukraine

General Partner of Film Industry Office – UPHub

Official jewelry partner - Carrera Y Carrera General

Technological Partner -Hisense