The Association of Ukrainian Producers (OUP) has allocated $40.000 to make short films about Ukraine and invites debutant directors and screenwriters from Poland.

OUP will create the documentary project "Ukraine That Surprised Us." It is planned to shoot four 10-12-minute documentaries together with Polish documentary-makers. The association undertakes to organize the filming process on the territory of Ukraine, if required by the script. The collection of ideas will last from May 23 to July 1, 2022.

OUP expects ideas from young documentarians, in particular, debutants and film students, and wants to help them convey their thoughts to the audience. In particular, on the following topics: How did they see the Russian-Ukrainian war? What surprised them about Ukraine and Ukrainians? And how did the war affect their lives and worldview? And also - how do they see the development of Ukrainian-Polish relations, analyzing the experience of the past and present?

"This war not only entered the home of every Ukrainian, but also affected the whole world," said Daria Legoni-Fialko, co-founder of the OUP. “Ukraine and the unprecedented courage of the Ukrainian people surprised everyone. And now, more than ever, I want to give the floor to the younger generation: people who see this world differently, who are open to everything new and focused on the future."

The Ukrainian producers created the association to shoot documentary projects about the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. The association includes Ukrainian film and TV producers with experience in the production and distribution of audiovisual content. These are Volodymyr Borodyansky, Viktor Mirsky, Daria Legoni-Fialko, Alla Lipovetska, Iryna Zarya, Maryna Kvasova, Ihor Storchak. The initiative of the producers is private. Each of the founders made a personal monetary contribution of 1 million hryvnias. Now the producers are actively negotiating with partners and expect to have a movie ready in the middle of summer.