15 screenings and 2 industry events at Zhovten and Budynok Kino — day two of the 55th anniversary “Molodist.”
Why today is the day to come:
- The entire International Student Film Competition in one day. Three blocks — ST1, ST2 and ST3 — cover all 16 student films, the format “Molodist” was founded on in 1970.
- Two world premieres: the documentary Seven Circles of Hell and the concert film Gothic Is Serenity.
- A second screening of the opening film — LIVIN’, an anthology about Ukrainian life during the full-scale invasion.
- Marilyn Monroe on the big screen — George Cukor’s Let's Make Love in the Century retrospective.
- Award winners from Tallinn, Locarno, Cannes and the Student Academy Awards — in the Documentary competition, Teen Screen and the student blocks.
Films of the day
11:30 · LIVIN’
Opening film · Ukraine, 2026, 115’
- Six novellas about a war that has become everyday life — a mosaic portrait of Ukraine today.
- From the writer of Bullmastiff, Yevhen Matviienko — the best short film of the “Molodist” International Competition in 2021.
13:15 · Leleka
FORMA · Canada, France, Spain, Ukraine, USA, 2025, 91’
- The road home: Sasha, a Ukrainian displaced person living in Paris, travels to a village to honor her grandmother’s memory.
- Rebels with a Cause competition at Tallinn Black Nights, 2025.
14:00 · The Newcomers
Teen Screen, free admission · Mexico, Spain, 2026, 80’
- An adventure for teens aged 14–16: three kids and their dog Nube find out what is poisoning their rivers.
- Pardo for Change special mention at Locarno.
14:30 · Days of Wonder
Documentary competition · Finland, Denmark, Norway, 2025, 87’
- 34 years of secret art: the director uncovers the archive of her uncle Markku.
- Best Film at Doc@PÖFF in Tallinn (2025) and winner at DocPoint in Helsinki (2026).
15:30 · Seven Circles of Hell
Special Event · Germany, 2026, 94’
- World premiere: a Ukrainian servicewoman and five fellow soldiers on the hell of the front line and the return to civilian life.
15:30 · Association “Debut”
Special Event · Ukraine, 1988–1993, 101’
- Three debuts in one session: The Death of the Gods by Andriy Donchyk (based on Dovzhenko’s diaries), A faded sakura in my garden, you walk past me again by Oleh Chornyi, and The Border Under Lock and Key by Serhii Lysenko.
16:30 · Adult Supervision
Scandinavian panorama · Sweden, 2026, 108’
- A school trip spins out of control: three fathers, their teenage daughters and a remote island.
- Sweden’s Oscar submission and the directing debut of novelist Alex Schulman, starring Gustaf Skarsgård and Fares Fares.
18:00 · Brother Verses Brother
FORMA · USA, 2025, 91’
- One night, one take: twin brothers search San Francisco for their poet father; the whole film is a single improvised shot.
- The Gold family plays itself, with Francis Ford Coppola as executive producer.
- Premiered at SXSW 2025; Herbert Gold, a friend of Allen Ginsberg, died in 2023 at the age of 99.
19:00 · Hirnyk
Special Event · Ukraine, 2026, 68’
- Leave or stay: civilians in Donbas and the volunteers who evacuate people and rescue animals.
19:00 · A Song Without Home
Documentary competition · Austria, Denmark, Georgia, USA, 2026, 75’
- A new life in Vienna: young trans woman Adelina after 11 years of isolation in a Georgian village.
- Jury honorable mention in Thessaloniki, screened at CPH:DOX.
20:00 · Let's Make Love
Century · USA, 1960, 119’
- Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand in George Cukor’s comedy about a billionaire who plays himself in a stage show.
- Cameos by Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby and Milton Berle, Monroe singing “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” and an Oscar nomination for the score.
21:00 · Gothic Is Serenity
Midnight Special · Ukraine, 2026, 50’
- World premiere: a concert film about seven Ukrainian gothic bands, made from 2005 archive footage.
- By Natalia Ilchuk, winner of the 2023 “Molodist” national competition.
Student competition
16 films in three blocks · Zhovten, Hegemon Hall
ST1 · 13:00: Bitter Kiss, "Vaterland" Or A Bule Named Yanto, Restricted Area, The Flowers of Malva, Shutterspeed.
ST2 · 18:15: The Bright Hours, Reminiscence, White-Knuckle Summer, The Bistro, Rabbit Heart, Sundown.
ST3 · 20:30: Kamathipura Express, Un verre de souvenir, La Forma Cannibale, Meat, C'est La Vie.
- Award winners: "Vaterland" — Canal+ Award in the Critics’ Week section at Cannes 2026; Kamathipura Express — Bronze Medal at the Student Academy Awards.
- About Ukraine: The Flowers of Malva (a grandmother hides the war from her granddaughter) and Iryna Melnychenko’s Reminiscence, about her father, an animator from Kyiv.
Events of the day
House of Cinema, Blue Hall · in Ukrainian · registration required
- 14:00 · 🎬 Ukrainian Film: New opportunities for the development and promotion of Ukrainian cinema — Andriy Osipov (Ukrainian State Film Agency) on state support and promotion of Ukrainian cinema; moderated by Andriy Khalpakhchi. Register
- 16:00 · Presentation: Film Project Development: Support Opportunities of the EU Creative Europe Program — Mykola Ulianov and Oleksandr Khodakivskiy on the MEDIA 2027 calls and how to apply, plus Q&A. Register
