Razom for Ukraine and the American Literary Translators Association

Published: August 26, 2026

Razom for Ukraine and the American Literary Translators Association

Announce Joint Venture

August 26, 2026—Razom for Ukraine and the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) are excited to announce the establishment of two new programs. Through this new partnership, ALTA will administer the Razom Mentorship for Decolonial Translation and the Razom Ukrainian Translation Award.

“This partnership with ALTA marks an important step in building lasting infrastructure for Ukrainian literature in translation,” said Anna Solovei, Interim Connect Program Director at Razom for Ukraine. “Ukrainian voices have too often been filtered through frameworks that obscure or diminish them. By centering decolonial approaches to translation and investing in both emerging and established translators, we hope to help create a more accurate, more resonant space for Ukrainian—and other historically marginalized—literatures in English. We’re grateful to ALTA for their partnership and expertise in bringing these programs to life.”

“We’re delighted to enter into partnership with Razom for Ukraine, whose work we so admire, to offer this mentorship and award,” said ALTA Executive Director Katrine Øgaard Jensen. “We’re humbled by the trust shown in our organization to administer these new programs: one to foster the next generation of literary translators, and one to recognize the excellent work of our colleagues. We are excited to begin work on these initiatives.”

The Razom Mentorship for Decolonial Translation will foster emerging literary translators working with literature from historically marginalized regions and languages, through a dedicated mentorship stream that pairs emerging translators with experienced mentors, with a different regional or language focus each year. This mentorship will be offered annually starting in 2027. Applications for the first year of this mentorship, which will offer a focus on Ukrainian-language literature with mentor Dominique Hoffman, open next week, on September 1, 2026.

The Razom Ukrainian Translation Award will sustain and recognize excellence in literary translation from Ukrainian and other languages of Ukraine into English. This award will be judged and awarded annually starting in 2027. Submissions will open, alongside the other awards ALTA administers, in mid-January 2027.

Razom for Ukraine is a leading U.S.-based nonprofit organization working to build a secure, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine. Founded in 2014, Razom (“together” in Ukrainian) supports urgent needs in Ukraine while investing in long-term solutions across health, civil society, advocacy, and culture. As Ukraine’s future has global implications, Razom strengthens trauma care systems, supports local leaders and communities, and connects Ukraine to the world. For more information, visit razomforukraine.org.

The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) is a nonprofit arts membership association that provides programs and professional affiliation to the literary translation community: individual translators, academic institutions, presses, and others working in literary translation. The annual ALTA conference and year-round events are structured around the creation of high-quality art. ALTA also administers awards to recognize excellence in translation and provides fellowships and mentorships to support emerging translators. For more information, visit literarytranslators.org.

Razom for Ukraine Announces Fourth Annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival, Opening with US Premiere at Carnegie Hall

Published: August 18, 2026

Razom for Ukraine Announces Fourth Annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival, Opening with US Premiere at Carnegie Hall

NEW YORK, NY, August 18 — Razom for Ukraine today announced the return of its Ukrainian Cultural Festival (UCF), a celebration of Ukrainian arts and culture across New York City, running October 18 through November 6, 2026. Now in its fourth year, UCF spans performing arts, cinema, theater, and literature, and continues Razom’s mission of connecting American audiences with Ukrainian voices, artists, and institutions.

The festival opens on October 18 at Carnegie Hall with the US premiere of “Steel, Violet, Rage,” a Concerto for Piano Four Hands and Orchestra by Ukrainian composer Oleh Bezborodko, believed to be the first piano four hands concerto ever written by a Ukrainian composer. The piece is inspired by a poem by Maksym Kryvtsov, a Ukrainian soldier and poet who was killed in the war shortly after writing it. The concerto will be performed by the Shelest Piano Duo alongside the Brandywine Valley Symphony Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Michael Hall, in partnership with the Alexander & Buono Foundation. A donor reception follows the performance. Tickets available at Carnegie Hall event page.

Throughout the festival, Razom Cinema partners with DCTV and QUAD Cinema to present a curated weekend of Ukrainian film programming from October 22 through 26. Highlights include the opening night screening of “Sanatorium,” directed by Gar O’Rourke, and a slate of features and documentaries exploring war, resilience, identity, and community, several developed in partnership with Ukrainian film festivals including Linoleum, Docudays, and Sunny Bunny. The cinema weekend also features a screening of the documentary “Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story” with a special appearance by documentary subject and punk music legend Eugene Hütz.

On October 26, Dash Arts (London) presents a workshop of “The Reckoning,” a bilingual documentary style theater piece developed from verified witness testimony gathered by The Reckoning Project, ahead of its North American tour. The workshop is produced in New York in partnership with ArKtype, the original producer of the Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival.

The festival’s literary programming includes “Poet as Witness” at Poets House on October 28, featuring Ukrainian poets and soldiers Lesyk Panasiuk and Yaryna Chornohuz alongside their translators, and a program on Lesia Ukrainka as “The Modernist Playwright America Has Yet to Discover” at the New York Public Library on October 30. The event features a reading of excerpts from Ukrainka’s two renowned plays “The Blue Rose” (1896) and “Cassandra” (1908), and a panel discussion exploring what possibilities Ukrainka’s fierce and psychologically charged work offers for the contemporary American theater artists and how her plays can be reimagined today.

UCF closes on November 6 at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Recital Hall with a performance by the Kyiv Lysenko State Music Lyceum Chamber Girls Choir together with the Westchester Children’s Chorus. The former is one of Ukraine’s premier youth choral ensembles and an international competition winner with past performances in Vatican City and at the Berlin Philharmonie. Both choirs take the stage side by side for the national anthems of Ukraine and the United States, followed by their own programs.

“We invest in culture because it’s essential, not optional. Razom’s cultural work – sharing Ukrainian arts, culture and stories – helps the world understand the real Ukraine; its creativity, resilience, and humanity.” – Ania Solovei, Razom Connect Interim Director

Tickets and full programming details are available at ucfnyc.org.

Media inquiries can be directed to Hannah Goldshlack-Wolf at hannah@wildkatpr.com (+19173302046).

About Razom:

The Chornobyl Legacy: Honoring the 40th Anniversary of the Disaster

Published: April 26, 2026

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, a milestone recognized by the United Nations as International Chornobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. On April 26, 1986, the explosion at Reactor No. 4 in Soviet-controlled Ukraine became the world’s worst nuclear accident, unleashing a torrent of radiation that forever altered millions of lives and reshaped global consciousness.

Four decades later, history does not remain in the past. The Razom team has curated a selection of essential cultural works that have helped the world process this trauma. Through the lens of cinema, art, and literature, these creators ensure that Chornobyl is never forgotten. They remind us that while the Zone may be silent, its story is still being written.

Performing Arts

Archaeological Opera: Chornobyldorf

Created in 2020 by composers Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko, Chornobyldorf stands as arguably the most internationally acclaimed contemporary Ukrainian performing arts work on the subject of nuclear catastrophe.

Framed as an “archaeological opera,” it depicts the descendants of humanity navigating a post-apocalyptic world. Wandering among the ruins of nuclear power plants, abandoned churches, and decaying galleries, these survivors attempt to piece together the fragments of a lost civilization through surreal performance rituals.

Watch

The Chornobyl Songs Project

Released via Smithsonian Folkways, the project – titled Living Culture from a Lost World – is a monumental effort to recreate centuries-old Polissian village traditions. The collection features harvest songs, wedding melodies, and ancient church carols, all reconstructed from field recordings made just before the 1986 disaster forced these ancient communities to abandon their ancestral lands.

By breathing new life into these “captured” sounds, Ensemble Hilka ensures that the cultural identity of the Polissia region survives, even as the villages themselves remain empty.

Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Music

Literature

In “Chornobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe,”Plokhy draws on recently declassified sources to chronicle the 1986 explosion. He “mercilessly chronicles the absurdities of the Soviet system” (Wall Street Journal), tracing the disaster to the flaws of authoritarian rule and a regime that prioritized economic goals over human safety. It remains a vivid, empathetic tribute to the firefighters and scientists who extinguished the nuclear inferno.

Plokhy continues this narrative in his latest book, “Chernobyl Roulette.” He recounts the harrowing 35-day Russian occupation of the plant during the 2022 full-scale invasion. This “real-life thriller” follows the Ukrainian staff held hostage who worked grueling, weeks-long shifts to prevent a new catastrophe. From the veteran foreman Valentyn Heiko to the workers who maintained safety under the shadow of Russian tanks, Plokhy sounds an urgent alarm about the unprecedented dangers facing nuclear sites in wartime.

Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl by Markiyan Kamysh
Translated by Hanna Leliv & Reilly Costigan-Humes

Since the 1986 disaster, Chornobyl has remained a forbidden wasteland that exerts a magnetic pull on “stalkers” – illegal adventurers who treat the barbed wire as a pilgrimage. Markiyan Kamysh offers a “gonzo” guide to this dystopian reality, introducing readers to the thieves, police, and romantic utopists who inhabit the Zone despite its toxic legacy.

Featuring photographs that may be the last images of the site’s desolate beauty before the 2022 Russian occupation, Kamysh’s brash and bold prose captures Chornobyl’s timeless, alien elegance.

Buy and read

Chornobyl, Life, and Other Disasters: A Graphic Memoir
By Yevgenia Nayberg

In this salient and slyly funny graphic memoir, Yevgenia “Genya” Nayberg recounts her childhood in 1980s Ukraine. As Genya dreams of attending a prestigious art school, she navigates the absurdities of Soviet control, the paranoia of the Cold War, and systemic antisemitism. Her world shifts forever on April 26, 1986, when a neighbor is called to a town she’s never heard of: Chornobyl. It is a deeply personal story of artistic perseverance and a rare glimpse into the life of the Soviet intelligentsia during a national catastrophe.

Buy and read

The Post-Chornobyl Library
By Tamara Hundorova
Translated by Hanna Leliv & Reilly Costigan-Humes

Tamara Hundorova explores how the Chornobyl disaster not only marked the end of the Soviet Union but also birthed a new era of Ukrainian literature. Using the “Post-Chornobyl Library” as a metaphor, Hundorova analyzes how the 1990s generation used postmodernism, irony, and “apocalyptic carnival” to process nuclear trauma. This scholarly work tracks the decolonization of Ukrainian culture as writers broke totalitarian taboos, filled historical gaps, and liberated themselves from a fractured past to enter a new, globalized landscape.

Buy and read

Cinema

Chornobyl: Chronicle of Difficult Weeks, 1988
Volodymyr Shevchenko

On April 26, 1986, reactor four at the Chornobyl nuclear power station exploded, releasing a massive radioactive cloud over Northern Ukraine and Belarus. The danger was kept secret from the public. Only two film crews, including one from the Ukrainian studio of chronicle and documentary films (Ukrkinokhronika) led by director Volodymyr Shevchenko, managed to get access. They arrived on May 14, 1986, and spent the next hundred days documenting the efforts of firefighters, engineers, military personnel, and dosimetrists dealing with the aftermath of the explosion.

Streaming

Ten Years of Alienation, 1997
Serhii Bukovskyi

Originally filmed as a series of daily dispatches for the 10th anniversary of the disaster, this documentary explores the physical and emotional state of the Zone. Bukovskyi captures the life of the “settlers” – those who refused to leave their homes despite the radiation – showcasing a deep-rooted Ukrainian connection to one’s birthplace.

Heavy Water: A Film for Chornobyl, 2007
David Bickerstaff & Phil Grabsky

Based on Mario Petrucci’s award-winning poetry, this moving film bypasses technical details to focus on the human cost. Unflinching archival footage of the ghost-town Pripyat is woven with location shots from inside the destroyed reactor, giving voice to the liquidators and families who dealt with the disaster at ground level.

Trailer

The Gateway, 2017
Volodymyr Tykhyi

Blending horror with magical realism, this film follows a family living illegally in the Exclusion Zone. Led by the mystic grandma Prisya, who claims to befriend mythological creatures, a supernatural warning of an impending catastrophe disrupts the family’s quiet, dystopian life.

Trailer

Special Operation, 2026
Oleksiy Radynskyi

An “almost disembodied” examination of military logic, this film uses CCTV footage from the 2022 Russian occupation of the Chornobyl plant. By documenting the reckless military base established at the radioactive site, Radynskyi presents each shot as forensic evidence of a modern war crime and nuclear terror.

Trailer

Photography & Visual Arts

Ukrainian photojournalist Igor Kostin created the photo story “Chornobyl” in the wake of the accident at the power plant on April 26, 1986. Over the course of a year, he documented the aftermath of the disaster, enduring radiation exposure that was five times above the permissible limit. His work received recognition at the World Press Photo competition in 1987.

Ukrainian photojournalist Viktor Marushchenko was among the first to break through bureaucratic barriers to document the Chornobyl tragedy. Over the decade, he persistently returned to the exclusion zone, recording life there despite the unimaginable circumstances. In 2001, his extensive Chornobyl archive was included in the central exhibit of the 49th Venice Biennale, curated by Harald Szeemann.

Maria Prymachenko was a Ukrainian folk artist known for her naïve art. A self-taught painter from the village of Bolotnia, near Chornobyl, she began her career with embroidery and gained international recognition later on. Friends recalled that Maria had nightmares about the impending disaster before the fourth reactor explosion. The tragedy deeply influenced her art, particularly in her magical beasts. Furthermore, her family suffered personally as her nephew, Valerii Khodymchyk, a station worker, was killed during the accident, and she dedicated several paintings to his memory.

Untitled project from Chornobyl, Maksym Dondyuk

Since 2016, Maksym Dondiuk has been working on “Untitled Project from Chernobyl,” a photographic research project that combines his images with archival materials found in the Chornobyl restricted areas. This series explores memory, territory, atomic energy, and nature. Initially reflecting on the emptiness of abandoned land, Dondiuk’s work evolved into a deeper investigation of the past, revealing fragments of life in the Chornobyl area before the nuclear disaster, including old films, photographs, postcards, and letters exposed to nature and radiation.

Painting and monumental art

The Chornobyl disaster significantly influenced a generation of Ukrainian painters from the late 1980s to the 2000s, leading to the emergence of dystopian art reflecting nuclear pollution. Notable artists include Heorhii Senchenko, Yurii Nikitin, Oleksandr Roitburd, and Khrystyna Katrakis, who used various techniques from iconography to postmodern collage.

One remarkable piece is Aleliaksandr Kishchanka’s tapestry “Chornobyl,” gifted to the United Nations to commemorate international cooperation after the explosion. The exclusion zone has also become a canvas for street artists, with abandoned buildings in Prypiat attracting both anonymous graffiti and renowned muralists.

Notable works include Guido van Helten’s mural inspired by Ihor Kostin’s photograph of a liquidator and Pantonio’s mural of blue rabbits.

The female gaze in Ukrainian cinema and literature

Published: March 13, 2026

Culture is the mirror of a nation’s soul, and throughout history, Ukrainian women have played a central role in shaping it. Over the years, particularly in recent times, they have used literature and film to navigate trauma, document diverse experiences, and shed light on their incredible resilience and unwavering strength.

The female gaze in Ukrainian cinema and literature always serves as a powerful force. The works in our curated selection address significant issues, including the tension between tradition and modernity, historical trauma, and personal development. They shed light on women’s experiences and challenge our views on masculinity, relationships, and cultural heritage.

By exploring this list, we invite you to gain a deeper understanding of the richness of Ukrainian culture, along with themes of identity and memory.

LITERATURE

Cassandra by Lesya Ukrainka
translated by Nina Murray

A dramatic poem by Ukraine’s most prominent woman writer, reimagining the myth of the Trojan prophetess Cassandra – a woman condemned to speak the truth and never be believed. The work becomes a powerful reflection on prophecy, power, and moral courage – themes that resonate strongly with modern Ukraine.

Buy and read

Olena Stiazhkina, a contemporary Ukrainian writer and historian from Donetsk, explores questions of national identity, war, and occupation in her work. Forced to leave her hometown after Russia’s occupation in 2014, she writes from lived experience in both fiction and nonfiction.

In Ukraine, War, Love: A Donetsk Diary (2020), translated by Anne O. Fisher, Stiazhkina offers a deeply personal account of the early days of Russia’s invasion and a deeply intimate portrait of her city and its people.

Her novel Cecil the Lion Had to Die (2024), translated by Dominique Hoffmann, traces Ukraine’s modern history through the lives of several families in Donetsk, reflecting the country’s path to independence and Russia’s later attempt to take it away.

Both books offer powerful insights into the history and experience of Ukraine’s eastern region.

Dasein: In Defence of Presence by Yaryna Chornohuz
translated by Amelia Glaser

A testimony from the front lines of Russia’s full-scale invasion written by a woman who is at once a corporal in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a volunteer paramedic, a Marine, and one of Ukraine’s most celebrated poets.

Buy and read

My Women by Yuliia Iliukha
translated by Hanna Leliv

An urgent and poignant collection of stories of women confronted by the countless brutalities of war. It locates the voices and devastating experiences of those who have been silenced, those who have lost loved ones, those who have fought and persevered, and those who have broken down.

Buy and read

Women and War Letters from Ukraine to the Free World edited by Aurélie Bros

How would you communicate the realities of living in a warzone to someone who has never had this experience? Thirty Ukrainian women, ages 10 to 72, answered this question in letters that emanate power, depth, pain, strength, and resilience.

Buy and read

Sweet Darusya: A Tale of Two Villages by Maria Matios
translated by Michael Naydan and Olha Tytarenko

In a remote Hutsul village in the Carpathians, Darusya – considered a mute “holy fool” by her neighbors – lives with excruciating head pain and a mysterious inner life. Across three interconnected timelines, Matios traces her story from WWII through the Soviet era to the early 2000s, exploring trauma, love, survival, and the everyday magic of rural life.

Buy and read

Looking at Women Looking at War by Victoria Amelina

A diary, a war crimes account, and a tribute to women on the frontlines, the book has been called an instant classic and a searing portrait of resistance and humanity.

Buy and read

Cinema

Traces, 2026
Alisa Kovalenko & Marysia Nikitiuk

From 2014 to 2023, six Ukrainian women, survivors of sexual violence and torture, share their experiences. Traces reveals their resilience and solidarity, transforming their testimonies into an act of remembrance and justice.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: soon

Cuba and Alaska, 2025
Yegor Troyanovsky

Two female medics in Ukraine’s army, whose lives are captured via phone and body cam footage, navigate the chaos of war with bravery, humour and friendship.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Butterfly Vision, 2022
Maksym Nakonechnyi

Returning home from the front line after being held captive for two months, soldier Lilia (29 y.o.) discovers that she is pregnant after being raped by her warden. Will she manage to survive this trauma and save the child in a society that is not ready to accept either of them?

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Nice Ladies, 2024
Mariia Ponomarova

With the recent escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the seemingly unbreakable bond of a vibrant cheerleading team of 50+ year old women called “Nice Ladies” is challenged. They face impossible choices between motherland and grandmotherhood, between staying and leaving.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Forever Forever, 2023
Anna Buryachkova

Kyiv, late 1990s. Tonia transfers schools to escape violence, only to find herself drawn into a restless group of teenagers testing the limits of love, friendship, and cruelty. Between first desires and reckless games, she falls for the charismatic Zhurik while longing for Sania, caught in a swirl of emotions where innocence and danger intertwine. No one escapes unscathed.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Arte.tv

The Earth is Blue as an Orange, 2020
Iryna Tsilyk

Single mother Anna and her four children live in the front-line war zone of Donbas, Ukraine. While the outside world is made up of bombings and chaos, the family is managing to keep their home as a safe haven, full of life and full of light. Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, motivating them to shoot a film inspired by their own life during a time of war.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Ivan and Marta, 2022
Serhiy Bukovskyi

Ivan Dziuba was a literary critic, publicist, and a “symbol of Ukrainian sixtiers.” Lina Kostenko recalls him as a person who always had the courage to speak the truth. As the initiator of the famous protest against the mass arrests of Ukrainian intellectuals during the premiere of Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Serhiy Parajanov, alongside Vasyl Stus and Vyacheslav Chornovil, and as the author of the landmark book Internationalism or Russification?, he inevitably drew close attention from the KGB.

Through all the anxieties and repressions associated with his dissident activities, his wife Marta stood by his side. Together they spent 62 years. Ivan and Marta is a tender story of their relationship and Ivan’s active civic stance, told by his wife, who was his steadfast support and the love of his life until the very end.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Unavailable, 2018
Nikon Romanchenko

Lyuba works at a pastry shop. Her son is in the war zone and out of communication. The mother goes in search of her son in a territory unknown to her.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Intercepted, 2024
Oksana Karpovych

Juxtaposed with images of the destruction caused by the invasion and the day-to-day life of the Ukrainian people who resist and rebuild, the voices of the Russian soldiers – ranging from being filled with heroic illusions to complete disappointment and loss of reason, from looting to committing more horrible war crimes, from propaganda to doubt and disillusionment – expose the whole scope of the dehumanizing power of war and imperialist nature of the Russian aggression.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Blindfold, 2020
Taras Dron

Julia, a young MMA fighter, lost her fiancé in the war. She quits the sport and starts a new relationship to free herself from the role of the war hero’s widow, which is imposed on her by the environment.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix, dafilms

Diary of a Bride of Christ, 2022
Marta Smerechynska

For the young girls who choose to become the brides of Christ, their lives are full of His love. The nuns see its manifestation in everything – the removal of their hair and the renunciation of their names. 12 new Ukrainian future nuns take the cross in a remote village in Transcarpathia, near the border between Ukraine and Romania.

A large-scale celebration of the 20th anniversary of the serving of the Argentinean congregation in Ukraine. Hundreds of nuns from all over the world are at a meeting in Rome. And days of absolute silence and intimate personal stories from the nuns about the emergence of their vocation. What is it like to be a bride of Christ?

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

A Portrait Against the Background of Mountains, 2019
Maksym Rudenko

Deep in the mountains, a photographer, Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit, photographed people and the place where she lived for many years. After her death, a box with thousands of her negatives was found. This finding marks the start of the mysterious journey in search of the present and the past, as reflected in the photo negatives discovered by chance.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: dafilms

My Dear Theo, 2025
Alisa Kovalenko

Ukrainian volunteer soldier, filmmaker, and mother Alisa Kovalenko creates a testament to the power of love in the time of war – by balancing frontline routines, the horrors of the battlefield, and tender poetic letters to her little son, Théo.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: coming soon

Plai. A Mountain Path, 2021
Eva Dzhyshyashvili

This is the story of people who have saved more than they lost under the pressure of our ambivalent present, which has mixed up all the laws of earth and heaven. Their strength and weakness is their love: for their land, for their neighbours. They are both dissident and obedient at the same time, like the mountains.

They rebel against the injustices of life and bravely take all the blows of fate. To the human eye, the Malkovych family is lost among beautiful and harsh nature, but in fact, they are in a place where harmony and love, passed down through generations, have ruled since the beginning of time.

Watch the trailer
Streaming: Takflix

Razom Congratulates Ukrainian Films in the Running for the 98th Academy Awards

Published: December 17, 2025

On December 16, 2025, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the official shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards, marking one of the major milestones in the 2026 Oscar season. Razom Cinema celebrates the achievements of all filmmakers whose works were part of this season, with particular recognition for films that amplify Ukrainian voices and stories connected to Ukraine.

This year’s shortlists reflect a wide range of timely, socially resonant, and artistically accomplished works, underscoring the continued global relevance of cinema rooted in lived experience and cultural truth. Over the years, Razom Cinema has supported films that center Ukrainian perspectives and bring stories from Ukraine to international audiences.

As the 2026 Oscar race moves forward, we want to congratulate all filmmakers whose work has been recognized by the Academy, acknowledging not only the honor of being shortlisted, but the dedication, creative excellence, and impact that led to this moment.

Final Oscar nominations will be announced in January 2026, with the Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 2026. Our team collected the list of this year’s contenders to give you a deeper insight into the top films from and about Ukraine that made it to the Academy nomination, take a look below!

Animated shorts: I Died in Irpin (dir. Anastasiia Falileieva)

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, 2024

At the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Falileieva and her boyfriend leave Kyiv to visit his parents in Irpin. The city becomes a battleground, but the danger is not only outside the house.

‘On February 24th in the morning, my boyfriend and I decided to go from Kyiv to Irpin to see his parents. It is hard for me to recall the chronology of those days. My mind blocks and minimises all the memories, erases them, but the only thing I know for sure is that every day, everything rapidly becomes worse.’

Animated shorts: Bound (dir. Masha Ellsworth)
USA, Ukraine, Germany, 2024

Against a backdrop of pastoral beauty, Ivanko and Galya must navigate a maze of miscommunications and pride, leaving them to question whether their love can truly blossom.

‘Bound’ was screened as a part of the Ukrainian Cultural Festival cinema program in October 2025 in NYC.

For more information: masha-makes-movies.com/bound

Documentary feature: 2000 Meters to Andriivka (dir. Mstyslav Chernov)
Ukraine, United States, 2025

Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.

‘2000 Meters to Andrrivka’ was screened as a part of the Ukrainian Cultural Festival cinema program in October 2025 in NYC. Razom Cinema partners with Mstyslav Chernov and the PBS producing team supporting their ongoing distribution for educational purposes through our Ukraine on Campus program.

Streaming: Youtube or PBS website starting Nov. 25th
Follow for more updates: 2000meterstoandriivka.com

Documentary feature: Sanatorium (Dir. Gar O’Rourke)
Ireland, Ukraine, France, 2025

Despite a war close by, mud treatments and electro-therapies continue at Kuyalnik Sanatorium near Odesa in southern Ukraine, where a small group searches for love, healing & happiness.

Streaming: BBC Storyville & MUBI
For more information: garorourke.com/portfolio/sanatorium

Documentary feature: Viktor (dir. Olivier Sabril)

Viktor, a young Deaf man in Kharkiv, watches warily during the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai films and raised on stories of war, he dreams of becoming a warrior but is repeatedly denied when he tries to enlist. Eager to find purpose, Viktor embarks on a quest to find his place in the midst of a war he cannot hear.
“Viktor” was screened as a part of the Ukrainian Cultural Festival cinema program in October 2025 in NYC.

For more information: viktorfilm.com

Documentary feature: Checkpoint Zoo (dir. Josh Zeman)
United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine, 2024

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the world watched in horror as cities came under relentless fire. But few knew of the quiet heroism unfolding just outside Kharkiv, where the Feldman Ecopark Zoo sat between advancing Russian forces and the Ukrainian defenders.

More than 5,000 animals were trapped in the crossfire – helpless, frightened, and in desperate need of rescue. Against impossible odds, a small team of zookeepers and volunteers risked their lives day after day to save these creatures.

This is not just a story about animals. It is about humanity, resilience, and the Ukrainian spirit of defying destruction with compassion and courage.

Razom Cinema was able to host a special screening of Checkpoint Zoo at the Ukrainian Action Summit in DC before the theatrical release in the U.S. – connecting advocates to the story so that they can bring it to their communities and support the film in the theaters.

For more information: checkpointzoo.com

Narrative short: Rock, Paper, Scissors (dir. Franz Böhm)

Ivan and his father, operating a small hospital at the frontline, are tested when a platoon of Russian soldiers approach their building, forcing them to make a difficult decision in order to protect their patients and their own lives.

The film features Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Rudyndkyi and won the 2025 BAFTA for Best British Short Film.

For more information:

rockpaperscissorsfilm.com

whoshere.co.uk

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for announcements on how to catch these films and more! In the meantime, we urge you to connect with your local theaters, art institutions, and other locations where you could potentially host a screening of one of these films (or reach out if you’re looking for more). Watch the films, bring your friends, and take it to social media to make noise around them!

Razom Cinema Grant Report: Porcelain War’s Journey to the Oscars 2025

Published: June 16, 2025

In 2024, after securing the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category, Porcelain War began its extraordinary journey across screens, cities, and continents—bringing with it a message that resonates beyond the theater walls. With the crucial support of Razom Cinema, the film reached audiences around the United States, while uplifting the voices of those at the heart of the story.

Co-directed by Slava Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo, Porcelain War tells the poignant story of artists in Ukraine resisting invasion through creation, not destruction. This powerful narrative struck a deep chord with viewers, leading to a screening run that spanned more than 100 film festivals and over 100 theatrical screens globally.

Thanks to Razom Cinema’s grant, Slava Leontyev and one of the film’s lead heroes, artist Anya Stasenko, were able to attend screenings and discussions in-person throughout the United States. From intimate community screenings to prestigious Academy-hosted events, Slava and Anya brought Ukrainian voices into the room—reminding every audience member of the urgent need to support Ukraine’s cultural and human resilience.

Their travels brought them to cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Washington D.C., where they presented the film at a bipartisan Congressional screening. During the Oscar campaign, their journey continued with repeated visits to key cities, where they met with Academy members and press alike to advocate for the film—and for Ukraine.

The support of Razom Cinema came at a critical moment. With this partnership, Porcelain War not only reached audiences in person—it achieved the incredible milestone of being shortlisted and ultimately nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. This recognition was more than just cinematic—it was a call to action and a spotlight on Ukraine’s continued fight for freedom, dignity, and culture.

“It was a great honor to have the support of Razom Cinema to help share our story of Porcelain War. With Razom’s generous help, we were able to travel around the United States and talk with thousands of people about the importance of preserving our culture and freedom in Ukraine and, ultimately, taking this story to the world stage at the Academy Awards. I am grateful to everyone at Razom for their trust and partnership. Slava Ukraini.” From Slava Leontyev and Anya Stasenko

We are honored to have supported this extraordinary film and its remarkable creators. As part of launching the Ukrainian theatrical release, Razom partnered with the Ukrainian distributor Arthouse Traffic to host a special screening of Porcelain War at Kyiv’s iconic Zhovten Cinema. Nearly 400 guests, partners, and friends of the organization gathered for the event. To present the film, Razom Cinema welcomed cinematographer Andriy Stefanov and one of the film’s central figures, Kateryna. This powerful evening not only celebrated the film but also continued Razom’s commitment to supporting the real-life heroes it portrays, by providing aid directly to their battalions.

Zhovten Cinema, Kateryna and Andriy in Kyiv (February 2025) presenting the film Porcelain War.

Thank you to Slava, Anya, and the Porcelain War team for your courage, your artistry, and your unwavering commitment to truth. And thank you to everyone who made this journey possible—including our community of supporters who believe in the power of cinema to change hearts and minds.

Razom Cinema Grant Report: Lesia Diak’s “Dad’s Lullaby” at Doc Fortnight 2025

Published: March 28, 2025

For the past 24 years, MoMA’s annual Doc Fortnight film festival has showcased bold new nonfiction and hybrid fiction films from around the world. Razom Cinema supported the North American premiere of Lesia Diak’s documentary Dad’s Lullaby, an intimate documentary following a Ukrainian veteran’s return home. Additionally, the film team hosted a special screening at Columbia University, bringing the film to a broader audience of students, scholars, and members of the Ukrainian community.

MoMA’s Doc Fortnight Festival

The selection of Dad’s Lullaby at Doc Fortnight, MoMA’s prestigious nonfiction film festival, provided an invaluable platform for sharing its deeply personal and urgent story. The diverse audience engaged with the film in a profound way.

Key points from conversations with the audience:

Many attendees, including those unfamiliar with the realities of war, expressed how the film deepened their understanding of the silent battles faced at home by veterans and their families.
Filmmakers encountered several U.S. viewers who voiced frustration and concern over their government’s stance, particularly its perceived alignment with Putin’s regime.

The presence of Nadiia Zinchuk, featured in the documentary, at the North American premiere of Dad’s Lullaby on March 3, 2025, was significant for multiple reasons. As the wife of Serhiy Zinchuk, a Ukrainian war veteran struggling to reconnect with his family after years of trauma, Nadiia brought a personal and emotional layer to the event. Her participation allowed the audience to understand the Zinchuk family’s current struggles, providing a deeper connection to the film’s themes.

The film explores universal themes of love, loss, and healing—drawing from both the Zinchuk family’s experiences and Diak’s own. Nadiia’s willingness to share her perspective likely deepened the audience’s understanding of how war fractures familial bonds and how individuals like her navigate these challenges. Her participation in the festival marked a powerful testament to the relevance of the film in a world grappling with the human cost of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Razom Cinema sat down with the director Lesia Diak and Nadiia Zinchuk to talk more about their collaboration and the mission of this film.

Columbia University Screening

The screening at Columbia University provided a more intimate space for discussion, particularly with students and academics focused on human rights, trauma, and war studies.

Key takeaways from conversations with the audience:

Students drew parallels between the film and post-war reintegration challenges in Ukraine and other societies, including the U.S., fostering a meaningful conversation about global solidarity.
Academics in attendance discussed the importance of archiving such stories to ensure the human cost of war is not lost in political discourse.
The audience was deeply moved by Nadiia Zinchuk’s presence and appreciated her willingness to answer questions about the collaboration with the director. Her reflections on her name, which means “hope,” and her hope for a reunion with Serhiy, resonated strongly. Equally powerful were her insights into how her children are overcoming the burdens of war, finding strength and belonging through education.

From Lesia Diak: “The support from Razom for Ukraine allowed us to reach new audiences, spark critical conversations, and reinforce the necessity of storytelling in shaping historical memory. The premiere and screening not only raised awareness about the realities of war but also strengthened connections between us as Ukrainian filmmakers and the artistic and academic community in New York. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity and look forward to bringing Dad’s Lullaby to even more audiences worldwide. Thank you for believing in this story.”

RAZOM CINEMA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY “PORCELAIN WAR”

Published: November 26, 2024

Razom Cinema announced a new partnership with the powerful, award-winning documentary Porcelain War on the film’s North American theatrical release, which began on November 22, 2024 in New York and rolls out across North America. Earlier this year, the film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

“The message of Porcelain War fits perfectly with the mission of Razom and its programs, so our partnership creates a unique opportunity to combine forces and amplify the voices of those whose lives have been forever changed by the war,” says Polina Buchak, head of Razom Cinema. “The grant assures that the filmmakers will be able to travel with their film and share their stories from Ukraine first-hand with audiences and continue shedding light on Ukrainians’ bravery in their fight for freedom and dignity during Russia’s unjust, full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”

The story of the Ukrainians in Porcelain War reflects the extraordinary transformation of life in Ukraine, where art and war collide. An artist crafting delicate porcelain creatures one day, may find themselves on the battlefield the next, fighting for their freedom and dignity. Porcelain War offers audiences the opportunity to go behind the headlines and dive into the layered reality of Ukrainian life during wartime, shedding light on how ordinary civilians—teachers, engineers, artists—have become extraordinary heroes in the face of unimaginable challenges.

The film, shot in Ukraine by the subjects of the documentary, is set amid the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Three artists find

inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present and hope for the future.

Co-directed by Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo, with extraordinary footage from first-time cinematographer Stefanov, Porcelain War embodies the passion and fight that only an artist can put back into the world when it is crumbling around them.

Picturehouse will release the film across North America over the next few months. Make sure to visit the website, look up your city, and grab tickets to the screening: porcelainwar.url.film

For more information, check out the film’s website (porcelainwar.com) and follow their instagram page @porcelainwarfilm

DOC NYC: FESTIVAL GUIDE THROUGH UKRAINIAN EYES

Published: November 13, 2024

This fall season, DOC NYC is returning for its 15th annual edition, showcasing films at New York theaters like IFC Center, SVA, and Village East by Angelika. It’s the largest documentary film festival in the U.S. and Razom Cinema is proud to have two of our grantees being part of the line up. We invite you to join us in celebrating these powerful documentaries. Fill the theaters—this is an easy and meaningful way we can keep showing up for Ukraine. Our friends at DOC NYC have provided a discount code for you: DOCNYC_PTNRDISC_24.

AFTER THE RAIN: PUTIN’S STOLEN CHILDREN COME HOME

Deep in a forest by the Baltic Sea, a group of Ukrainian families come together to start the healing process with the help of golden retrievers and palomino horses at an animal therapy retreat. In the safety of the forest, the children’s memories of being illegally deported to Russia and their families’ struggles to rescue them are unraveled with the help of skilled and sensitive counselors. The joy and humor the children discover during their time in the forest make it easy to forget that their stories are the reason the International Criminal Court recently issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. Nearly 20,000 abducted children remain in Russian institutions.

In-Person Screening:
– Thursday, November 14, 2024 6:30 PM | IFC Center
Q&A with Director Sarah McCarthy, producer Olha Beskhmelnytsina and film subjects Inna Sidoruk, Yvgeny Matveii, Sviatoslava and Sasha Mezhevoy.
– Friday, November 15, 2024 4:00 PM | Village East by Angelika

Online Screening:
– Friday, November 15 – Sunday, December 1, 2024

More about the film: www.aftertherainfilm.com

Razom Cinema Grantee

PORCELAIN WAR

What is worth fighting for, if not culture? Three Ukrainian artists take up arms when Russia invades their country, but refuse to put down their drive to create. After enlisting to defend their beloved homeland, Slava, Anya and Andrey channel their art into their new roles on the front lines, and demonstrate their pride in the vibrancy, passion, and rich heritage of Ukraine.

In-Person Screening:
Friday, November 15, 2024 8:45 PM | Village East by Angelika

More about the film: www.porcelainwar.com

Razom Cinema Grantee

THE BASEMENT

Dark rooms, heavy doors. On the left are the names of the murdered, on the right those of the deceased. Children’s paintings and prayers, despair echoes off the walls. In March 2022, Russian troops invaded the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv Raion. The residents were locked in the basement of the school, packed tightly together, for 27 days. Among them 77 children, the youngest just six weeks old. Too little water, too little air. Some lost hope, others lost their minds. 51-year-old Olha kept a diary of the time as a testimony in case no one survived. When the Russian soldiers were driven out, the inhabitants rebuilt the village.

In-Person Screening:
– Sunday, November 17, 2024 6:45 PM | Village East by Angelika

Online Screening:
– Friday, November 15 – Sunday, December 1, 2024

Learn more about DOC NYC and the full festival lineup at www.docnyc.net.

Don’t Miss – Intercepted at Film Forum Until October 10, 2024

Published: October 8, 2024

“At once subtle and blunt… [Intercepted shows] the awful intimacy of the war in Ukraine” – The New York Times

Razom Cinema’s grantee, a critically acclaimed documentary Intercepted launched their American theatrical release with a Film Forum series of screenings this past Saturday, October 5th.

Our Cinema Impact Producer, Polina Buchak, had the pleasure of moderating a Q&A with the award-winning director Oksana Karpovych in the iconic Film Forum theater. The evening featured a screening of Intercepted, a powerfully crafted documentary providing a visceral account of the full-scale Russian invasion by exposing the intercepted phone calls made by Russian soldiers to their families from Ukraine.

Film Forum is renowned for its legacy of excellent film programming, which has lasted for more than half a century. The Razom Cinema team was elated to be part of the program, made even more meaningful in light of our prior support of its premiere at the prestigious “New Directors/New Films” in New York.

Thank you to everyone who attended and presented your questions to the director. If you have yet to see this new Ukrainian documentary, head over to https://filmforum.org/film/intercepted to plan your visit. Don’t forget to use our promo code RAZOMXFF

Intercepted by Oksana Kaprovych is playing at Film Forum in NYC now through October 10th.

Photos: Dinara Khairova