01.10 | 12:00 (UA), UNIT.Core B.8

A discussion with producers who started their path in animation after working with live-action and documentary: what triggered their shift and which first steps they took in animation; which skills from live-action and documentary production proved to be most transferable, and what had to be learned from scratch; how preparing a materials package for an animated project differs from traditional pitch decks; and which risks they have already navigated and what tools they used to mitigate them.

01.10 | 13:00 (UA), UNIT.Core B.8

Yevhen Ihnatiuk, Creative Director at Creative Practice, will talk about how combining animation, design, and editing makes learning more expressive and easier to understand, and about a design system as the “skeleton” of all products. He will also explain how an understanding of editing helps designers—and how design helps editors—and why the education of the future is not just content, but a holistic multimedia experience.

01.10 | 12:00 (UA), UNIT.Core B.8

The lecture will open with a screening of the short film “The Shyness of Trees,” a nominee for this year’s Student Academy Awards. Following the screening, Sofia Chuykovska will give a detailed walkthrough of the animation filmmaking process, speak about her studies at GOBELINS, l’école de l’image, and share insights into teamwork.

02.10 | 10:00-16:00 (UA-EN), UNIT.Verse B.12

A networking event focused on education, ethics, market realities, and AI. We’ll open with the presentation “Animation: A Guide to the Profession” plus a discussion of market realities in Ukraine; then move to the results of a professional ethics study (Yaroslav Belinsky, Design for Ukraine) and insights on integrating AI into arts education (Yevhen Sannikov, FILM.UA Group). After a break comes “A Child’s Eye View of AI: Why children can and should shape the future of AI innovation and policy,” sharing takeaways from the Children’s AI Summit by Dr Mhairi Aitken, Senior Ethics Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute; and we’ll close with “Crafting Tomorrow: AI, Talent, and Animation,” on the synergy between AI tools and skills development in the industry, by Zoltan Batho (Breda University of Applied Sciences)

02.10 | 14:00 (UA), UNIT.Core B.8

What is risography, and how did artists "discover" RISO for art? How riso animation comes to life—from flipbook to music video; why it’s compelling and how it connects to early cinema; the unique RISO aesthetic with notable examples and practical tips; and an overview of a riso-animation lab in Kyiv.

02.10 | 15:00 (UA), UNIT.Core B.8

We will discuss the specifics of a production designer’s work in an animated film—from creating the visual world to the aspects of collaborating with directors and the team—together with Ukrainian legend Eduard Kyrych. The conversation will be moderated by Mykyta Lyskov; we’ll touch on lesser-known films, production choices, and the balance of authorship. We’ll watch and discuss the following films as case studies: “Why Does the Rooster Has Short Pants” (1966), “Girl and Hares” (1985), “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” “Eneida” (1991), “Father’s Lesson” (1986), “The Man Who Could Fly” (1968), “The Adventures of the Cossack Aeneas” (1969).

03.10 | 12:00 (EN-UA), UNIT.Core B.8

In this presentation, we will show how Blender, one of the most innovative open-source software tools available, has become essential in the 3D animation pipeline at B-Water Animation Studios. It's a versatile tool that is lightweight, simple, and easy to understand. For the company, open-source software provides a strategic solution by significantly streamlining processes from pre-production to post-production, optimizing rendering times and overall performance.

03.10 | 13:00 (UA), UNIT.Core B.8

An auteur puppet-animation project for children aged 4–7, where emotions become a doorway to a magical world. The team will share their process—from researching the psychology of emotions to bringing it to life in puppets and sets, and to the producing strategies behind the project.

03.10 | 13:00 (EN), UNIT.Verse B.12

Swifts, loss, jugglers and... an old man promising to flood Tallinn? All of this can be seen in a special screening of student works by the Estonian Academy of Arts! In addition to the four films, you will also have an online meeting with the directors.

03.10 | 14:00, UNIT.Core B.8

We’ll discuss differences in style and trends, how production pipelines are built across markets, and how approaches to portfolios and job hunting diverge. We’ll also discuss why working with production references isn’t always that easy for Ukrainian artists—and what to do about it.

03.10 | 16:00 (EN-UA), UNIT.Core B.8

A deep-dive conversation with producer Ron Dyens on making FLOW—from first spark to festival screens—tracing how the initial vision evolved and how early producer input shaped the film’s scope, partners, and pipeline. Dyens will detail how a wordless narrative reshaped scheduling, previs, editorial rhythm, and the feedback loops between creative and production teams, while preserving Gints Zilbalodis’s auteur voice within a larger international crew.

04.10 | 10:00 (UA), UNIT.Coworking B.9

An honest talk about the journey of building a career in the animation industry: how to strengthen your confidence and know your worth. Tory is an animation production designer whose core focus is creating fantastical worlds and shepherding them through the pipeline. She is currently an Art Director at Disney Animation.

04.10 | 12:00 (UA), UNIT.Coworking B.9

A conversation with Mykyta Lyskov about the production of his short "Kyiv Cake", the support of the legendary Priit Pärn, and how Mykyta became the first foreign director to receive funding from the Estonian Film Institute.

04.10 | 12:00 (UA), UNIT.Verse B.12

SKELAR is a technology venture builder creating IT businesses. In our reality, design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a tool that serves the product and the metrics—in other words, the business outcomes. That’s why it’s worth speaking with the creative community not only about trends, but about impact—and answering the questions people rarely ask directly: how do you tell "animation a designer likes" from animation that drives growth? why knowing After Effects alone does not mean an easy way in into motion design in tech? what kind of design works in performance marketing? and what do frames that actually increase conversion look like?

04.10 | 13:00 (UA), UNIT.Coworking B.9

Click on Repin, "squish" Shevchenko, peek behind Malevich’s "Black Square". In a traditional gallery you are not allowed to touch the paintings; in a virtual gallery—you have to! UAart is the art of a new era, a fusion of classical painting and technology, where "UA art" is about Ukrainian art, and "You are art" means every visitor can become an artist and literally touch world-famous canvases. At the presentation, the team will talk about UAart’s concept and mission and share some production secrets.

04.10 | 14:00 (UA), UNIT.Coworking B.9

Mary Yanko is a director, screenwriter, animator, and artist who studied academic drawing in Ukraine and animation in France. In her practice, she combines traditional animation with contemporary experimental technologies. During the masterclass, Maria will share her signature animation technique and explain how it can be implemented in both documentary and fiction cinema, using her current project—the short animated film “Kateryna”—as a case study.

05.10 | 12:00 (UA), Budynok Kino (Light Blue Hall)

In 2027, Ukraine will mark the 100th anniversary of the release of the first Ukrainian animated film, "The Tale of the Straw Bull," directed by Vyacheslav Levandovsky. To prepare for this milestone in a systematic and dignified way, Dovzhenko Centre and LINOLEUM Festival are initiating a working-group meeting and invite representatives of the industry, studios and educational institutions, festivals, and research communities to share ideas and contribute to a joint action plan. During the meeting, we will gather proposals and aim to outline a roadmap for anniversary activities in Ukraine and abroad.

05.10 | 14:00 (UA), Budynok Kino (Light Blue Hall)

An honest discussion about what drives directors, producers, and festival programmers crazy: “Why didn’t you select my film?”, “Can you wait three more weeks—I’m making it just for your festival,” DMs with requests and demands, silence in response, or, on the contrary, frame-by-frame nitpicking. We'll talk about the pains of producing and directing — from the inability to get approval to responsibility for budgets, texts, and character limits, as well as the boundaries and ethics of communication with the preselection team: do's and don'ts to help maintain respect, deadlines, and your nervous systems.

05.10 | 15:30 (UA), Budynok Kino (Light Blue Hall)

A talk for early-career directors and beyond. We’ll discuss what functions music serves in animation and when to bring a composer on board; how to work with references and revisions ethically and effectively; and what you should know about copyright and using third-party tracks. We’ll also break down the basic production pipeline—stages, timelines, and risks—and finish with a short Q&A discussing common cases.