What makes a successful film release? How can a producer prepare for the theatrical and online premieres of their film, and what should they expect from working with distributors and streaming platforms? On June 10, during this yearʼs Docudays UA, holders of the DOCU/PRO industry accreditation will find answers to these questions.
Weʼll start the day with a lecture by film journalist, Mykolaichuk OPEN program director and communications expert Alex Malyshenko, focusing on the theatrical distribution of documentary films in Ukraine. The discussion will cover local distributors, how producers can evaluate distributor offers or analyze release results, and how to effectively prepare for a film release. And of course, weʼll explore why audiences do — or donʼt — show up to see a film.
Later the same day, weʼll examine case studies of four documentary films that achieved the highest box office results in 2024–2025. Denis Ivanov, CEO and founder of Arthouse Traffic, will speak about the distribution strategy behind the Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol (dir. Mstyslav Chernov), which had three theatrical runs. Communications expert Mariya Kravchenko will share insights on planning and executing the promo campaign for Summertime in Ukraine (dir. Volodymyr Tykhyi, Anastasiya Tykha, and Hanna Tykha), and whether Ukrainian audiences are really tired of war-themed films.
Olena Hapeyeva, head of theatrical distribution at Green Light Films, will present the case of Us, Our Pets and the War (dir. Anton Ptushkin) and share her thoughts on whether the success of this release can be replicated with other documentaries. Producer Maksym Serdiuk of KNIFE FILMS! and Nadia Korotushka, head of distribution at Film UA, will talk about the factors behind the box office success of Yaremchuk: The Incomparable World of Beauty (dir. Artem Hryhorian).
The day will conclude with a panel discussion on the online distribution of documentary films, featuring representatives from streaming platforms Takflix (Nadia Parfan, Founder), Megogo (Valeriia Tolochyna, Global Chief Marketing Officer), Sweet TV (Yuriy Povoroznyk, Head Of Content and General Producer), and Kyivstar TV (Marina Kaplun, Head of Content). Among other topics, the discussion will touch on which Ukrainian documentaries resonate with online audiences and which projects platforms will prioritize in the near future.
All events will be moderated by Alex Malyshenko.
Access to the events is available with a DOCU/PRO industry accreditation (accreditation is open for purchase until May 25). Stay tuned for upcoming DOCU/PRO announcements on the website. Learn more about the program here.
The events will take place at KINO42 cinema, with an option to join online.
Photo: Stas Kartashov
The 22nd Docudays UA is held with the financial support of the European Union, the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, International Renaissance Foundation. The opinions, conclusions, or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, the governments, or organisations of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies exclusively with the authors and editors of the publication.
