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The 17th Odesa International Film Festival (27 August – 4 September, Kyiv) presents its International Competition Programme, featuring feature-length films from Europe, North and South America. This year’s selection brings together works by male and female directors exploring the lives of women across different eras. The stories presented in the programme examine women’s emotional experiences in different parts of the world, portraying them not only as strong and courageous, but also as sensitive and loving.
As part of the Competition Programme, an international jury will select the winner of the Best International Feature Film award. Its director will receive the festival’s main prize — the Golden Duke statuette. In addition, the Grand Prix of the festival will be determined by audience vote among the films in the National and International Competition Programmes. The winner will also receive a Golden Duke statuette and a cash prize of UAH 75,000.
Brother (Brat), 2025, Poland, Czech Republic, dir. Maciej Sobieszczański
A story about a woman and a family facing trials in a world of violence, unfulfilled ambitions and growing chaos. Fourteen-year-old Dawid takes care of his younger brother and tries to live up to the expectations of his mother, who is determined to escape her toxic past and start a new life without her imprisoned husband. Despite his talent and strong character, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the boy to maintain control over his everyday life, torn between school, home and the streets. The situation becomes even more complicated when Konrad enters their lives — the only adult Dawid truly trusts. This is only the beginning of a turbulent series of events that could ultimately either destroy the family or save it.
Black Money for White Nights (Черни пари за бели нощи), 2025, Bulgaria, Greece, dirs. Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov
Marina (60), a midwife, and her husband Gosha, a railway dispatcher, have spent years collecting small bribes in order to afford a trip to St. Petersburg to experience the White Nights. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sudden disappearance of the travel agency office — along with their savings — shatter all their dreams, as well as their illusion of control over their lives. The lies that have sustained their marriage come to the surface, and the couple sets out in search of the remnants of their dignity.
A Second Life, 2025, France, dir. Laurent Slama
Paris. July 2024. Elizabeth, an American woman exhausted by the isolation caused by her hearing impairment, takes any job she can find in order to extend her visa. While working as an Airbnb concierge, she meets Elijah, a client from California. Thus begins a great adventure across the city and a search for her place in it. The film was shot during the Paris Olympic Games.
Invisibles, 2025, Canada, dir. June Schif
Elizabeth, a burlesque performer and sex worker, loves her job, but years of keeping her profession hidden make her question whether things should change. Her next client turns out to be a man with a disability. This encounter opens up a new world for Elizabeth and prompts her to rethink sexuality and the needs of people with disabilities, their visibility in society, and, at the same time, the visibility of sex workers.
Ungrateful Beings (Nevděčné bytosti), 2025, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland, France, Slovakia, Croatia, dir. Olmo Omerzu
During a holiday on the Adriatic coast, David desperately tries to reconnect with his children, who live with their mother, while 17-year-old Klara is also struggling with an eating disorder. Falling in love with a local boy brings back her appetite — until the boy is forced into hiding after coming under police suspicion in a murder case. The exhausted girl ends up in hospital, while her parents find themselves in a situation where any means of saving her seems justified.
Cloistered Sister (Sorelle di clausura), 2025, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Spain, dir. Ivana Mladenović
If you want something badly enough, the whole universe will be on your side, won’t it? Stella, an educated woman unable to hold down a job, falls in love with a famous Balkan musician after seeing him on television. Her passion turns into an obsession, taking over her life, and now she must meet him. Vera, a budding musician and one of the singer’s possible lovers, promises to help Stella meet her idol and, moreover, rescue her from a poor rural life. Their two worlds collide when Vera brings Stella to Bucharest, where she runs a company selling sex toys and lubricants.
Feels Like Home (Itt érzem magam otthon), 2025, Hungary, dir. Gábor Holtai
Rita, an ordinary but lonely woman, becomes the victim of a kidnapping. Her kidnappers, the Árpád family, are convinced that she is not Rita but Szilvi, a girl who once ran away from their family. Rita eventually realizes that the only way to escape is to become the person they believe her to be. Taking on another woman’s identity, she gradually learns more about the Árpád family and realizes that her own life is at stake.
Hot Water, 2026, USA, dir. Ramzi Bashour
An odyssey of a Lebanese mother and her American son as they drive across the vast landscapes of the United States to find his father. The journey reveals the differences and connections between them, while the poetic visual style of Ramzi Bashour’s feature debut challenges conventional ideas of home and belonging against the backdrop of America’s boundless landscapes.
Heysel 85, 2026, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, dir. Teodora Ana Mihai
Before the 1985 European Cup final, a confrontation erupts between Liverpool and Juventus fans. Chaos engulfs Brussels’ Heysel Stadium: people die in the stands, while in the administrative offices below, the mayor’s daughter and a journalist find themselves at the centre of a dilemma — whether to follow professional protocol or their own humanity.
Flies (Moscas), 2026, Mexico, dir. Fernando Eimbcke
In an apartment building opposite a major hospital, Olga leads a strictly regimented life without any attachments. But financial difficulties prompt the elderly woman to rent out a room in her apartment to a stranger, marking the beginning of an unexpected friendship with the tenant’s nine-year-old son. Against Olga’s wishes and plans, her carefully controlled world begins to change.
Tell Everyone (Kerro kaikille), 2026, Finland, dir. Alli Haapasalo
1898, Southern Finland. Amanda, a rebellious adventurer, arrives on a sanatorium island where “inconvenient” women are sent. Deprived of her freedom, she is forced to adapt to a new life in confinement. Failed attempts to escape bring her closer to the other girls. Amanda even falls in love with a local fisherman, but the divide between the patients and the island’s inhabitants seems impossible to overcome.
Tell Me What You Feel (Powiedz mi, co czujesz), 2026, Poland, dir. Łukasz Ronduda
Patrick, a young artist from a poor family, discovers an art project that allows people to exchange tears for Polish zlotys. Surrounded by the sobbing of others, he cannot shed a single tear. He meets the project’s founder, Maria, an art therapist from a wealthy family. A relationship develops between them, filled with conversations about trauma, fears and parents. Where it will lead is revealed in this film by a curator of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, based on a true story.
The Bitch (La Perra), 2026, Chile, Brazil, dir. Dominga Sotomayor
On a remote, windswept island off the coast of Chile, Silvia makes a living collecting seaweed and leads a quiet life with her partner. The arrival of a stray puppy named Yuri brings light into her everyday life. But when the dog suddenly disappears, Silvia is forced to confront the trauma of her childhood once again. The film’s four-legged star, Yuri, a rescue dog, became the winner of the Palm Dog at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and has found a new family.
Three Days in September (3 zile în septembrie), 2026, Romania, dir. Tudor Giurgiu
The groom’s mistress bursts into the pre-wedding preparations, forcing a stunned Bianca to flee from everything and embark on a solitary journey to a resort town during the off-season. A tourist train takes her away from her past life and towards a night of rebellion, unexpected encounters and adventures. And with the first rays of sunlight, a new vision of her future awaits her. The film is directed by the founder and president of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF).
Festival passes for the 17th Odesa International Film Festival can be purchased via the link: https://new.oiff.com.ua/choose-your-pass-2026