Competition Programs | Ukrainian competition
UNIT.Verse | B.12

02.10

04.10

12+

Despite the war, Ukrainian animators have continued to create and share new stories, both at home and abroad. This collection of 14 short films highlights a range of techniques — from hand-drawn animation, sand, and collage to 3D, AI-assisted processes, and hand-painted film layered over archival footage. Blending classical storytelling with more experimental approaches, these works explore themes like love, home, peace, technology, war, and human rights — often through a mix of drama, humor, and the unexpected. Some films are reflective, others playful, and many sit somewhere in between. Together, they offer a vivid snapshot of contemporary Ukrainian animation.

Please note that the Ukrainian competition and New Faces are combined into one screening.

The total running time is 80 min.

  • COO-RAGE
    Alina Milkina

    Netherlands, Ukraine | 02:15 | 2024

    Urban pigeons are seen as pests, as rats of the sky. They are rudely chased away and their nests are removed. When a group of pigeons hears that the mayor promises housing for everyone, they decide to submit a petition at the town hall. But first, they have to get past the evil janitor.

  • Miles and Flowers
    Danny Volosozhar

    Ukraine | 04:50 | 2024

    A buddy road trip movie about two guys just trying to escape the horrors of war on a journey that might be their last shot at survival. One is desperate to save his family, while the other is seeking redemption for his past.

  • Misundershood
    Iryna Sosimovych

    Ukraine | 07:44 | 2025

    Through the story of Oleksa, a young man with undiagnosed autism, the film explores the impact of war on those often overlooked. Oleksa’s defences collapse in the face of unimaginable challenges, leading him to lose everything — only to gradually rediscover trust and human connection.

  • POLINA
    Liza Merzliakova

    Czech Republic, Ukraine | 03:05 | 2025

    A short documentary film that follows its protagonist and artist, Polina, as she navigates the complex process of coming to terms with the experience of sexual violence. Polina moves through her grief in a fragmented, non-linear way — at times denying what she has endured, yet holding onto a sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the experience that, even in its darkness, led to finding herself.

  • Ermine
    Kateryna Kozak

    Ukraine | 07:44 | 2025

    A fluffy ermine was leaping through the white snow, admiring his beautiful fur. But when he tried to show off his splendour to the other animals, he discovered that he was invisible to them. Determined to be seen, our little fellow decides to take matters into his own paws and find a place where he can shine like never before. And so, the adventure begins. What could possibly be wrong with being so bright?

  • The Only One to Care
    Kateryna Omelianenko

    Ukraine | 07:58 | 2025

    Since the start of the invasion on 24 February 2022, many people were forced to leave their homes in search of safety. However, not everyone had the mobility as they were responsible not only for their own survival, but also for caring for a loved one with disabilities — someone who could not manage alone.

  • A Trip Through the Eyes of Those Who Survived and Want to Change the World
    Valerii Hrysha, Oleksandr Hoisan

    Ukraine | 08:30 | 2025

    In 1906, the Miles Brothers made the film "A Trip Down Market Street", documenting Market Street in San Francisco before a major earthquake. After the catastrophe, the authors documented the street once again. Subsequently, the new film was called "A Trip Down Market Street After the Fire", becoming a tragic reflection of the city after a natural disaster and accompanying fires. In 1974, the structuralist filmmaker Ernie Gehr reprinted the Miles brothers's film in a slow version and called it "Eureka". 

  • Dreamtracks
    Margaryta Winkler

    Ukraine, USA | 02:23 | 2025

    A train hums along the tracks, a mind drifts off.

  • Creativity sucks
    Maria Paikhel

    Ukraine | 02:49 | 2025

    An artist, once praised for her creativity in childhood, now feels lost in the real world. Her work no longer stands out among her peers. Self-doubt creeps in as she battles imposter syndrome and burnout, feeling stuck while everyone else seems to move forward.

  • Struktura Shchastya - Hvylya
    Oleksii Tsymbal

    Ukraine | 03:57 | 2025

    In a terrifying future where everything is so artificial that even people seem fake, the main character longs to break into something real. What begins as mere dreams soon turns into action—especially once the system identifies him as a threat.

  • Jarred
    Maryna Yanul

    Ukraine | 04:34 | 2025

    Every day, a peculiar creature lives safely inside her jar, following the same routine — a life marked by quiet rituals and the reliable arrival of a daily pizza delivery. But one sunny day, a mysterious guest appears, drawn by the glint of sunlight on her glass shell.

  • Music in the Pocket
    Veronika Kostyuk

    Ukraine | 02:27 | 2025

    A narrative of memories from an old musician who lived through creating music, expressing his deepest moments of growth, exploration, love, passion, war, and the birth of new life.

  • Little Red Riding Hood
    Sofiia Komarova

    Ukraine | 01:00 | 2025

    An interpretation of the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood, expressed through a continuous metamorphosis of images in an abstract environment.

  • Life in between
    Iryna Lytvynova

    Ukraine | 03:55 | 2025

    A cheerful artist wakes up to the reality of war. She tries to escape to a quiet haven, only to be met by her own destructive emotions. This is a story about struggle — and strength.