Cinema City

Ukraine has had an influence on the history of the cinema. Prominent Ukrainian directors include Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Dziga Vertov and Serhiy Paradzhanov. Dovzhenko is often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers, as well as being a pioneer of Soviet montage theory and founding Dovzhenko Film Studios. In 1927 Dziga Vertov moved from Moscow to Ukraine. At the film studio VUFKU he made several avant-garde documentaries, among them «The Eleventh Year», «Man with a Movie Camera» and first Ukrainian documentary sound film «Enthusiasm ». Paradzhanov was an Armenian film director and artist who made significant contributions to Ukrainian, Armenian and Georgian cinema; he invented his own cinematic style, Ukrainian poetic cinema, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of socialist realism. Other important directors include Kira Muratova, Larysa Shepitko, Serhiy Bondarchuk, Leonid Bykov, Yuriy Illienko, Leonid Osyka, Vyacheslav Krishtofovich, Roman Balayan, Sergiy Masloboyschikov, Ihor Podolchak and Maryna Vroda. Many Ukrainian actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including Vira Kholodna, Bohdan Stupka, Sergei Makovetsky, Mike Mazurki, Natalie Wood, Danny Kaye, Jack Palance, Milla Jovovich, Olga Kurylenko and Mila Kunis. Immigrants from Ukraine were the parents of Serge Gainsbourg, Leonard Nimoy, Vira Farmiga and Taissa Farmiga, grandparents - Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvester Stallone, Kirk Douglas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg, Edward Dmytryk, Lenny Kravitz and Zoë Kravitz, illusionist David Copperfield, animator Bill Tytla. Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry has often been characterised by a debate about its identity and the level of Russian and European influence. Ukrainian producers are active in international co-productions, while Ukrainian actors, directors and crew feature regularly in Russian films. Successful films have been based on Ukrainian people, stories or events, including Battleship Potemkin, Man with a Movie Camera, and Everything Is Illuminated. The Ukrainian State Film Agency owns National Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Centre, film copying laboratory and archive, and takes part in hosting of the Odessa International Film Festival. Another festival, Molodist in Kiev, is the only FIAPF accredited International Film Festival held in Ukraine; the competition program has sections for student films, first short film, and first full feature films from all over the world. It is held annually in October.
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