Kyiv International Short Film Festival (KISFF) is an annual festival held in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

and aimed at acquainting audiences with international

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

s. Latest movies, winners of international festivals, retrospectives of extraordinary figures and special attention to modern and classic Ukrainian movies all feature in the festival. KISFF also organizes projects and events to develop a diversity of short films in Ukraine.

History

The work on the Kyiv International Short Film Festival started in 2011 and it was held in spring 2012 for the first time. Since then, it takes place annually under any circumstances. The festival is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, with its main aim being to promote short films.

Mission

The festival's mission is an attempt to discover new forms and methods of film production in Ukraine and abroad, by developing national and international platforms for short films. The program also includes other screenings, classes, and meetings.

Past winners

The 2020 winner was a film ''Huntsville Station''. Throughout the film the audience is able to explore the concept of freedom and how it feels to be released after years of imprisonment. Shot from a distance, the viewer is able to observe a group of inmates waiting for a bus after being released from a penitentiary, and how they react to finally being free. A special mention went to the film ''Stay awake, Be ready'' that takes the viewer on an exciting yet trivial night out in Vietnam. The film ''How to Disappear'' also received a special mention, shot from the perspective of a

first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...

game. The film explored the theme of deserting whilst in a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

and was described by the jury as "humorous, surprisingly poetic and intelligent ode to deserters". The winner of the

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

competition in 2020 went to ''The Carpet'' by Natasha Kyselova for her beautiful cinematography capturing a teenage boy's coming-of-age moments of burgeoning love and friendships tested, set against the increasingly tense back-drop of escalating war. A special mention was awarded to ''Metawork'', created by Vasyl Lyah, "for the director's artistic vision and highly promising independent voice" His film depicted a young man tending to his garden, his creativity and care becoming a political act of survival and resistance in modern-day Ukraine.

Jury

The festival jury is elected by administration of the festival. Usually there are several foreign guests and representatives of Ukrainian cinema. The jury members are prominent directors, producers and filmmakers that have received international awards.

Regulations

According to the regulations, films whose language is not Ukrainian, English or Russian must have English subtitles. By submitting the film, the person is solely responsible for the film's observance of all necessary rights.

Competition program

The competition program consists of International and National programs.

Awards

The jury of the competition will present awards in three categories: Best Film, Best Director, Audience Award. In addition, the jury may award a ‘Jury Special Mention’.

International Competition Winner 2020

National Competition Winner 2020

Russia-Ukraine War

In the wake of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

, which escalated the

Russo-Ukraine War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...

, the Kyiv Short Film Festival requested that foreign cities screen Ukrainian short films to introduce

European culture The culture of Europe is rooted in its art, architecture, film, different types of music, economics, literature, and philosophy. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage". Definition ...

(especially

Ukrainian culture The culture of Ukraine is the composite of the material and spiritual values of the Ukrainian people that has formed throughout the history of Ukraine. It is closely intertwined with ethnic studies about ethnic Ukrainians and Ukrainian histor ...

) and raise funds for

humanitarian assistance Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...

during the war. It also called on a cultural boycott of

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

films due to Russia's

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imperialist Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

activity.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
2012 establishments in Ukraine Mass media in Kyiv Film festivals in Ukraine Short film festivals Annual events in Ukraine Recurring events established in 2012 Spring (season) events in Ukraine