Odessa International Film Festival

The conference will be held on July 18 within the framework of the Film Industry Office

Starting from the 2018 edition, the Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF), will host a unique conference format called Cinema: Backstage. By introducing this platform, it will be ensured that all topical issues under debate in the international film industry are also clearly understood and strategically echoed in Ukraine and beyond, including all he Eastern Partnership countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova – (EaP). 

The inaugural edition of the conference is scheduled for July 18^th and focuses on the widely discussed topic of Gender Equality in the audiovisual sector under the title: “Cinema: Backstage – Gender Equality – Myth and Reality”.

Hosted by Tamara Tatishvili from Georgia, the participants of the conference will be guided through the European and international policy framework of Gender Equality. They will have a chance to hear individual interventions and critical opinions from true champions of the topic; such as: Roberto Olla, Executive Director of the Council of Europe Film Fund EURIMAGES; Hanna Slak, Representative of the European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA); Eric Garandeau, Consultant and Adviser to the Minister of Culture of France; and Kate Kinninmont, Chief Executive of Women in Film & TV, UK.

As an added value, the key findings of a brand-new report on the creative sector and gender issues covering Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine will be presented by Iryna Prokofieva, Culture Bridges Programme Manager, Gender Research Coordinator of the British Council, Ukraine.

The second part of the conference will host a strong creative experts’ panel. Co-moderated by Tamara Tatishvili and Kate Kinnimont, the participants of the second part will put the previously presented framework of policies into practical dimensions. Furthermore, the panel is aiming to better analyse what a Gender Equality Agenda actually means in reality, how vital is it and how it could be applied both in Ukraine and the region. Key professionals like Julia Sinkevych, General producer of OIFF, co-founder of Ukrainian Film Academy, producer; Yaroslava Kravchenko, founder of Wild Theatre, public figure, activist from Ukraine; Ewa Puszczynska, award-wining producer from Poland; Nana Janelidze, established film director from Georgia; Hanna Slak, established director from Slovenia and Darya Zhuk, emerging director from Belarus, will form the panel.

Film Industry Office will run from 17 to 20 July during the 9^th Odesa International Film Festival (13 – 21 July).