Cannes Film Market Adds to Ukraine in Focus Program – Global Bulletin

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran The Cannes Film Market has added to its previously announced Ukraine in Focus program, which will provide Ukrainian filmmakers and producers with networking, pitching and co-financing opportunities over two days during the Cannes Film Festival, on May 21 and 22.

A panel discussion titled “Ukrainian Cinema: From Surviving to Thriving Again: How the Global Film Community Can Come Together to Support the Country’s War-Torn Industry” will take place on May 21.In addition the market has confirmed the full endorsement and patronage of Ukrainian Films Now, an initiative promoted by EAVE, First Cut Lab, and When East Meets West, which aims at gathering a pool of European regional and national film funds to support Ukrainian films at a late post-production stage to complete the final financial gap. “We hope that these initiatives will allow Ukraine’s cinema and audiovisual industry to not only survive in the challenging context, but to thrive and continue to make new films visible and accessible to an international audience.

Today, our focus is on Ukraine and tomorrow. We will also do all we can to ensure that our partner territories can keep their national cinema production and distribution alive no matter the challenges,” said Jérôme Paillard and Guillaume Esmiol, executive directors of the market.Meanwhile, the world premiere of “We Are Still Here” has been set as the opening night gala presentation at next month’s Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19).

Conceived as a rebuttal of colonialization, the film is a “First Nations celebration,” with eight interweaving stories by ten directors from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.