Netflix and a network of institutions renewed for the 4th year their partnership supporting Ukrainian filmmakers and the country’s film industry affected by the war. A new, bigger round of 20 grants of $15.000 each will be distributed by the Ukrainian Film Academy to support films during the post-production stage. House of Europe, together with New York Film Academy are also opening applications for an online, intensive course on practical aspects of managing post-production processes.

This is already the fourth edition of the initiative, which has from the beginning consistently supported Ukrainian filmmakers with mentorship, capacity building, new opportunities and financial support. It is also the second year that the program is offering support for the post-production stage of feature films — a crucial phase in bringing stories to audiences.

The joint initiative has led to several Ukrainian films receiving international festival recognition and distribution. For example, the film Militantropos, directed by Yelyzaveta Smit, Alina Gorlova, and Semen Mozhovyi, was selected for the prestigious Quinzaine des Cinéastes program at the Cannes Film Festival. Daughter, directed by Yehor Olesov, and The Glass House, directed by Taras Dron, premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival. Songs of Slow Burning Earth, directed by Olha Zhurba premiered at the Venice Film Festival while the film U Are the Universe, directed by Pavlo Ostrikov, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

These initiatives, supported by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, offer financial assistance to Ukrainian artists for the creation of new films and the post-production of existing feature projects. Over the last three years, 200 industry professionals have received stipends for creative purposes; education and mentoring have been offered to over 850 Ukrainian filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers, and others in the creative community. Script development grants distributed through the Ukrainian Film Academy strengthened a total of 73 film projects while 10 advanced films got financial assistance to complete post-production.

“The full-scale Russian invasion has created unprecedented challenges for Ukrainian cinema. Film studios and shooting locations have been damaged or destroyed, creative teams have been forced to suspend dozens of projects, and many talented industry professionals have temporarily abandoned their specialized work or left the country. We are deeply grateful to Netflix, the Ukrainian Film Academy, House of Europe, and the New York Film Academy for their consistent and systematic support. This collaboration is not merely financial assistance; it is a powerful signal of faith in Ukrainian culture and its future. The focus on post-production is particularly valuable, as the final stage of filmmaking often becomes the most challenging under the limited funding conditions of wartime. Thanks to these grants, Ukrainian films will be able to complete production and reach audiences”, said Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communication of Ukraine.

“Even as Russia’s war rages on, Ukrainian filmmakers keep creating — telling honest, moving stories the world needs to hear. Through our flagship House of Europe program, we’re proud to support the fourth round of this initiative, delivered in partnership with Netflix, the Ukrainian Film Academy, and the New York Film Academy. Together, we're up-skilling the industry, helping filmmakers to bring powerful stories to life and enabling their cinematic vision to reach completion,” said Katarína Mathernová, EU Ambassador to Ukraine.

This year, to support the professional development of Ukrainian film and television creators and help advance their projects, the initiative includes the following:

A program run by the Ukrainian Film Academy, offering grants for post-production of $15.000 each to 20 Ukrainian feature-length fiction and documentary films. Applications will be evaluated by five independent international experts: producer and director Helen Lõhmus (Estonia), creative producer Ioanina Pavel (Romania), producer Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik (Poland), screenwriter and producer Jani Pösö (Finland), and producer and President of the Slovak Film and Television Academy, Katarína Krnáčová (Slovakia). The call for applications is open until June 6, 2025.

House of Europe, in partnership with New York Film Academy, will deliver a comprehensive post-production course and film festival strategy workshop. Targeted at industry professionals, Participants will take part in a two day intensive training, which will focus on practical aspects of managing post-production processes and include a Q&A with a special industry guest. The course will also feature a workshop on film festivals strategies and best practices. Applications can be submitted by June 5, 15.00 Kyiv time.

As in the previous years, any Ukrainian artist may apply for participation in the initiatives regardless of their current place of residence. The continued collaboration between partners will create more opportunities for artists to gain new skills and grow their careers in the film and television industries on an international level.