On September 4-5, 2021, the X All-Ukrainian Documentary Film Festival “Poltava-Doc” took place in Poltava. The jury and the audience watched more than fifty documentaries on environmental issues. The main location for the festival was the cinema “Wizoria Kolos”.
51 works by 35 creators were presented in two nominations. This number of films has not yet been seen at the film festival. The second day’s viewing program included the winning works of previous years and one non-competitive film. Contestants from the cities of Zhytomyr, Poltava, Tiachev, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Kherson, Mykolaiv presented their own creative works. The duration of the films was 15-20 minutes, but there also were ones of shorter duration – 6-8 minutes.
The jury of the festival includes:
- Head of the jury: Mykhailo Tkachuk, documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, winner of the Vasyl Stus Prize and Shevchenko Prize in 2008, director of the studio “Zapovit”, diploma holder of the Human Rights International Festival, member of the Ukrainian Film Academy (Kyiv);
- Yevhen Zhenin, film critic, TV presenter, member of the Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers, honorary cultural worker of Ukraine, editor, creative producer of feature films, member of the jury, head of the jury of national and international festivals (Odesa);
- Oleksandr Sakva – Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, author of screenplays for films of “Kyivnaukfilm” film studio, author of more than 600 publications on theater and cinema, author of three monographs (Kyiv);
- Andrii Mykhailyk, director, journalist, lecturer at the Institute of Journalism at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, member of the Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers, cinematographer of documentaries (Kyiv);
- Mykola Sichkar, Director of “Kinovideoprokat” (Poltava);
- Nataliia Smoliar, ecologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, head of the regional organization of the Ukrainian Society for Nature Protection (Poltava)
This year’s festival was a jubilee, as it was held for the tenth and last time.
“This year the organizing committee of the Festival is holding the Tenth Jubilee Ecological Documentary Film Festival “Poltava-Doc”! This will be the last Festival that will warm our souls,” – was announced on the festival’s website.
According to Nataliia Smoliar, a scientist of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, who was a member of the festival jury in 2012, her personal participation in educational events such as the film festival, is an additional opportunity to draw human attention to global environmental issues and nature conservation. Last year the lecturer became the winner of the Olena Bayrak First Prize, this year she presented her own book about the preservation of rare spring flowers of the Poltava region and co-authored a publication about the botanical reserve “Drabynivka”.
“For twelve years, our festival has been making its way through the Poltava film desert. Finally, we have reached a fairly respectable age – ten years! Some have departed from cinema during this time, some have gone to eternity, but there are those who have been with us on this thorny road for a long time and are still with us! Every year we meet with you and do it with joy and curiosity. Our esteemed professional jury will not miss a single shot, not a single word. Here, festival participants can compare their own grounding level and attend master classes by professionals. Cinema holiday continues. It is communication, opening of oneself and friends. Never leave cinematography! Let’s create them together for the benefit of our Ukraine!” – wished the director of the “Poltava-Doc” Festival Oleksandr Kalashnyk.
Before the award ceremony, participants and guests were shown a film about the history of the festival “Poltava-Doc Retrospective”.
Lecturer of the Department of Fine Arts of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, ceramic artist, sculptor Serhii Zhuravlov, who created the symbol of the festival “Poltava-Doc”, was presented with a special award of the jubilee festival.
The winners of the All-Ukrainian Ecological Documentary Film Festival “Poltava-Doc” were works in the following nominations:
- “Man and Nature” – the film “Wheel” by Denys Zozulia (Poltava), a film about cycling through the colorful Gogol region;
- “The Art of Living” – the film “More than a Game” by Kostiantyn Kholodniak (Kremenchuk), the film tells about a person’s perception of computer games – from entertainment to professional sports.
The first place in the nomination “Man and Nature” for 10 years is the film “Cavaliers” (by Viktor Bulyha).
The first place in the nomination “The Art of Living” for 10 years is the film “Wedding Loaf” (by Dmytro Vovk).
The All-Ukrainian Ecological Documentary Film Festival “Poltava-Doc” was held to promote new films about people and nature that surrounds them, to highlight the environmental values of the Poltava region and its problems. Among the priorities of the festival were the intensification of the work of amateur filmmakers, education of patriotism, raising their professional level and preserving the natural environment. The film event promotes respect for folk traditions, preservation of the environment and discovers new names and talents of the Poltava region.
Festival was organized and conducted by “Poltava-Doc” Public Organization and a prize recipient of international film festivals Poltava Studio “GAMMER” with the assistance of the “Regional Center for Folk Art and Cultural and Educational Work” of Poltava Regional Council and with the support of the Ukrainian State Film Agency, Department of Culture and Tourism of Poltava Regional State Administration.
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
