Ukrainian Film Festival
Australia 2026
TBA
About Us
Ukrainian Film Festival Australia will run for the first time in 2026.
We are screening 9 films across 5 Australian cities.
Our primary goal is to promote modern Ukrainian cinema in Australia and to show you different aspects of Ukrainian life on screen. We want to highlight the stories of identity, resilience, creativity, and human connection.
Our programme has been designed to appeal to a broad audience, including film lovers, arts patrons, professionals, students, the
Ukrainian Australian community, as well as other cultural diasporas in Australia.
You don’t need to be of Ukrainian heritage or have an extensive film knowledge to enjoy our selection – these are made in a universal language of film.
Our team members have previously organised screenings of Kherson, Human Safari in Melbourne, Uki Movie Club, Christmas Express, Okean Elzy: Stormwatch and Mavka. The Real Myth screenings in Sydney.
The festival is presented by the Ukrainian Arts Council of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in Australia, the Ukrainian Council of NSW the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria, Ukrainian Community of Queensland, the Association of Ukrainians in South Australia.
For those wishing to support Ukraine, UFFA proudly directs donations to the AFUO Future Ukraine and Defend Ukraine appeals. Please use the button below to see more details.
2026 Program
Slovo House. Unfinished Novel
120 minutes
2021
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine
Slovo House is a story about a generation of Ukrainian artists persecuted by the totalitarian system, unfolding against the backdrop of one of the largest genocides of the 20th century – the Holodomor.
Cuba & Alaska
93 minutes
2025
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine / France / Belgium
Leaving their civilian lives behind, two young Ukrainian women enrol in the army as military paramedics. There they find violence, pain and sadness, but also friendship, love and dreams of a life without war.
Both Alaska and Cuba volunteered for military service and work as partners in the same unit, serving in the middle of the war-torn, desolate East Ukraine. Despite being very different, they became close friends. Director Yegor Troyanovsky filmed their lives since the summer of 2022, capturing both moments of respite and joy during rotations and the stark horrors of war, where battles against death and the loss of comrades cast long shadows.
Timestamp
125 minutes
2025
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine / Luxembourg / Netherlands / France
Keeping schools open in Ukraine is an attempt to recreate at least some of the normal life they had before the war — until February 24, 2022 (and in some regions even earlier, in 2014). Without interviews, narration and reenactments, TIMESTAMP provides an insight into how the war is affecting the daily lives of students and teachers. The film has a mosaic-like structure: it explores how a school functions in-person and online in these terrible times, both on
and off the frontline, how day-to-day life is intertwined with constant danger.
Us, Our Pets and The War
79 minutes
2024
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine
Amid violence and war, Ukrainian citizens are coming together to rescue animals that have been left behind by those forced to flee. From cats and dogs in abandoned buildings to lions and tigers in the nation’s zoos, extraordinary rescue efforts are underway to bring them to safety. The film is a tribute to the very best of the human spirit despite the horrors of war. Directed by Ukrainian YouTuber Anton Ptushkin.
Queens of Joy
90 minutes
2025
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine / France / Czech Republic
Amidst the maelstrom of war in Ukraine, three drag queens -Diva Monroe, Marlene, and Aura- refuse to abandon their homeland. Instead of fleeing, they choose to fight: for freedom, the LGBTQ+ community, and their very existence. From the glamour of the show to the brutality of war, the film follows their lives – filled with loss, fear, as well as indomitable courage. Marlen grapples with old wounds, Diva Monroe finds herself once more, and Aura fights for a place both in the army and onto the stage. A charity drag show they organize to support Ukraine turns into a symbol of unity and resilience. The film is a story of self-discovery, love, hope, and the power to find joy even in the darkest of times.
Sanatorium
90 minutes
2025
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine
At a decaying Soviet-era health resort near Odesa, visitors seek wellness through unconventional treatments, from mud baths to electric therapy, while pursuing personal connections during a quiet summer season.
2000 Meters to Andriivka
107 minutes
2025
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine
A Ukrainian platoon’s mission: traverse a heavily fortified mile of forest to liberate a strategic village from Russian forces. A journalist accompanies them, witnessing the ravages of war and the growing uncertainty about its conclusion.
The Way Home
17 minutes
2024
English / Ukrainian
Australia
After Stalin ordered the forced collectivisation of all the farms in 1930s Ukraine, Maxim, a humble cucumber farmer, rebels. He is arrested by local authorities and shipped off to forced labour camps of Siberia. In a bid to survive and return to his family, he steals away in the dead of night and begins the 1,000km journey home.
* Melbourne & Sydney only — screening immediately before Porcelain War
Porcelain War
87 minutes
2024
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine
Under roaring fighter jets, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay behind. Defiantly finding beauty amid destruction, they show that although it’s easy to make people afraid, it’s hard to destroy their passion for living.
U Are the Universe
90 minutes
2024
Ukrainian (English subtitles)
Ukraine
After Earth explodes, Ukrainian space trucker Andriy Melnyk becomes the last person in the universe until he receives a call from Catherine, a French woman on a distant space station. Despite the obstacles, Andriy decides to find her.
*This film selection is applicable to Melbourne and Sydney. Program in Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra may differ. Check ticket links to see the exact film list for your state.
© 2026 Ukrainian Arts Council of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations. All rights reserved.
Celebrating Ukrainian cinema and culture in Australia.