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38TH KYIF IFF MOLODIST – FIRST PRESS RELEASE

Kyiv IFF Molodist (18-26 October 2008) held the first press conference dedicated to the 38th Festival announcing the programs and special events of this year’s edition.

Mila Novikova, program director of the Festival commented on the programs of Molodist-2008:
«This year’s festival will see some important changes. First of all, these concern requirements to the films submitted for student and short films competitions, which can now be both film and digital sources. Last year many films have been rejected because of this requirement and we believe this year’s rule will bring even more fresh films. The step is essential for Ukrainian filmmakers who will now have more possibilities to present their talent at Molodist.
Approach to the choice of best Ukrainian film of the Festival has also changed. Now not only films from “Ukrainian Panorama” will be eligible, but all national films from any Molodist program.
Another parallel competition (renewed this time) will be the program of gay and lesbian films “Sunny Bunny”. Few years ago the program was held at Molodist in cooperation with the similar project of Berlinale – Teddy Award. This year we are also expecting guests from Berlin and competing for the prize of this section will be films from any festival program that correspond to the theme».

The quantity of films will somewhat decrease compared to previous year, yet up to 300 films are planned for screening, whereof 60 in the three traditional competition programs (12 in feature films and 20 to 25 in both short and student films competitions).

Over 500 films have been submitted for festival selection today and some 500 more have been recommended by Molodist selection committee as a result of attending festivals around the world, making it over 1000 films with the application deadline still open until July 1st.

Competition program of the Festival will consist of the three categories:
• Student Films
• First Professional Short Films
• First Full Feature Films

Films in Competition will be judged by the following juries:
• Main international jury of the Festival
• FIPRESCI Jury
• FICC Jury
• Ecumenical Jury
• Jury of the section «Panorama of Ukrainian Cinema 2007-2008»
• Jury of the section «Sunny Bunny»
• Audience Jury, where all the spectators of the festival will be able to take part

The Main Jury shall award the following prizes:
• Grand Prix for the best film of the competition «Scythian Deer» 10.000$ (sponsored by Loto Zabava);
• Prize for the best full feature film 5000$;
• Prize for the best short film 2500$;
• Prize for the best student film 2500$;
• Yves Montand Best acting prize 1000 Euro (sponsored by the Embassy of France in Ukraine).

For the main international jury of Molodist-2008, Ukrainian Stepan Koval (winner of Molodist, Berlinale and numerous other festivals for his “Tramway No.9”) and great Russian actress Alla Demidova have confirmed their participation.
 
But there will be plenty to see in non-competition programs too:

Retrospective of Jeanne Moreau dedicated to 80th anniversary of the actress is an event that many film festivals would have an honor to hold. The talks are being held now over the visit of the actress who is a known supporter of young cinema and an active traveler too.

Retrospective which is not as popularized, yet not less interesting will be the program of great Belgian director Andre Delvaux, which is most likely be presented by daughter of cinematographer.

Traditionally one of the most interesting will be the program of new French films. Of the national programs the cinema of Serbia should be noted, which Emir Kusturica himself has been invited to present.

Special program Prague Spring 68 dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the events will show a series of outstanding documentaries as seen by both Czech and Soviet witnesses.

Another special event will be screening of documentary dedicated to assassination of Anna Politkovskaya. A round table on connections between cinema and media is planned to follow the screening.

Non-competition program of the Festival will include:

• Panorama of Ukrainian Cinema 2007-2008
• Festival of Festivals
• French Cinema Today
• Cinema of Serbia
• Long Nights of Short Films (Germany, Italy)
• Andre Delvaux Retrospective
• Andrzej Wajda Film School program
• Century of the Great (to the 60th anniversary of the State Film Fund)
• Alain Delon Retrospective
• Jeanne Moreau Retrospective
• Program of gay and lesbian films Sunny Bunny
• Special night Anna Politkovskaya
• Special program Prague spring 68
• And other special programs and events

Kyiv IFF Molodist and company Kinoforum Ukraine will hold Molodist Film Market for the fourth time.

Traditionally Kyiv Talent Campus will be held within the framework of the Festival with workshops and master-classes by leading figures of the world cinema especially for young filmmakers

Festival center will for the second time be located at Cinema Kyiv, where all competitions and working press-conferences will be held as well as a major part of non-competition programs.

Ceremonies of Grant festival opening and closing will be held in National Palace Ukraine on 18 and 26 October.
Two special projects will be held before the start of the Festival

One of them – competition for the best script of this year’s animated festival trailer – was announced by general director of Molodist Maksym Ilyashenko and head of PSG section of Hewlett Packard Ukraine Andriy Astashov.

Maksym Ilyashenko: «Last year Molodist non-commercial trailer was presented for the first time and was a great success in itself. Even the Euronews reportage on Molodist has shown the entire of it. This time for creating festival trailer Molodist and Hewlett Packard are organizing competition for the best script, which will be implemented by animation director Artem Sukharev (author of last year’s trailer and winner of special mention of the international jury of Molodist-2007) using the Hewlett Packard graphic station. Analogical graphic stations are used by studio DreamWorks in making “Shrek”, “Madagascar” or “Kung-fu Panda”.
The winner will also receive special prize from Hewlett Packard, festival’s technical partner, and the trailer will be presented at a special event dedicated to Festival opening».

Andriy Astashov: «Support of Kyiv IFF Molodist is an example of the long-lasting worldwide initiative of Hewlett Packard in support of world cinema. This year HP has marked the fourth anniversary of co-operation with Cannes film festival again becoming general partner of the event. We hope that we will have similar long-lasting and fruitful co-operation with Molodist too and will do everything for the festival to develop and become even more interesting».

Competition for the best script of animated festival trailer will last until August 15 2008.

Main task:

Presenting a bright idea for animated trailer that will precede every festival screening. The theme shall be related to cinema and Molodist festival and may deal with personage of 38th edition – Baron Munchhausen.

Requirements:
• Trailer will last from 30 to 60 seconds
• Texts are accepted in Ukrainian, Russian or English
• Applying for participation can be not only Ukrainians, but also authors from other countries
• Texts of the script (1-2 pages) are to be sent before August 15 at the address pr@molodist.com

Selected scripts will be published at the festival web-site www.molodist.com for visitors voting. The list of competition participants will be posted too.

Trailer based on the winning script will be made by animation director Artem Sukharev (author of last year’s trailer and winner of special mention of the international jury of Molodist-2007) using the Hewlett Packard graphic station. Analogical graphic stations are used by studio DreamWorks in making “Shrek”, “Madagascar” or “Kung Fu Panda”.
The winner will also receive special prize from Hewlett Packard, festival’s technical partner.

Jury of the competition will consist of director Artem Sukharev, Denis Nikitenko (Kyiv IFF Molodist) and representative of Hewlett Packard.

Trailer will be presented at a special event dedicated to the opening of 38th Kyiv IFF Molodist.
 
For the first time the work of the Festival will include “Molodist FilmBoat Meeting” – special competition of co-productions whereat young cinematographers from Ukraine and neighboring countries will have possibility to present their film projects at the attention of the most influential European producers and funds that finance cinema production.

The launch of competition was announced by Maksym Ilyashenko: «For the first time Ukrainian filmmakers will have a chance to present their cinema projects to world’s leading film producers and find possibilities of due funding for their film, without leaving the country. Of all the applications submitted 10 to 12 will be selected for final presentation, which will be held during two days of Molodist at the festival boat. The project will also include special training program how to present a film project, with international trainers involved. Submission of applications for competition starts today! »

Requirements:

Territories:
1. CIS and Baltic states: Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
2. Some neighboring countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey
3. Other countries should there projects be related with mentioned territories
4. Other countries in case the projects are submitted by winners or participants of Molodist

Types: Full features and short films, fiction, animation, documentary and television films

Projects are to be suitable for international co-production.

 Priority will be given to:
1. Original projects
2. Projects with regional peculiarities that have big potential for realization
3. Projects with scripts ready (though to apply a synopsis is enough)
4. Projects with local financing of at least 30%
5. Projects presented by winners or participants of Molodist

Registration form available at the web-site of Molodist www.molodist.com from June 18 2008.
 Projects are submitted in English and comprise short description, synopsis of the film and approximate budget, which is to cover the maximum of one page altogether.
In exceptional cases the projects can be submitted in Ukrainian or Russian but should be translated into English if preselected.
Deadline for projects submission is August 15 2008.

The main prize will certainly be realization of the project, yet special prize from the jury will also be awarded, with monetary part of 5000$.

“Molodist FilmBoat Meeting” is held within cooperation of Kyiv IFF Molodist and TrainEASTFilm (Consortium for the Constitution of an East European Training Centre For Film Professionals: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and Latvia), organization to become regional link of the projects of MEDIA International program.

Molodist coordinator of the FilmBoat is Marina Orekhova. Projects are submitted at the e-mail  marina@molodist.com, or postal address of the Festival: Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist, 6, saksagansky str., Kyiv 01033 Ukraine.
Phone/Fax +38 (044) 461-98-03
 
37th Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist will be held from 20 to 28 October 2007

Honorary President of the Festival is the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko

Trustees’ Council co-chairmen are Gerard Depardieu and Hares Youssef (Hares Group)

Founders: 

Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine
Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports of Ukraine
Kyiv City State Administration
With the support of the National Union of Filmmakers of Ukraine

With the support of International Charitable Fund «Ukraine 3000»

General partner of the Festival HARES Group.

www.molodist.com