Ukrainian Film Academy urges boycott of Russian films

Kateryna Khoroshchak, editor-in-chief of Pravda Life

Members of Ukraine’s Film Academy have issued a call to boycott Russian films. 

The Film Academy is calling on the Council of Europe to exclude Russia from EURIMAGES, the European Cinema Support Fund.

According to the Academy’ press release, "At a time when countries are applying economic and political sanctions, Russia continues active participation in the fields of culture. As a result, they spread not only propaganda and distortion of facts, but also contribute to the increase in appreciation towards Russian culture - the culture of the aggressor state, which started a groundless and unprovoked war in the centre of Europe. Even the mere presence of Russian films in the programmes of world cinema festivals creates the illusion that Russia holds the same values as the civilised world. "

The cultural figures are calling on:

The Council of Europe - to exclude the Russian Federation from Eurimages and from among the countries-participants of the European convention on joint cinematographic production

Festivals  - not to accept in either competitive or non competitive programmes, films which were produced in the Russian Federation or in cooperation with it.

The International Federation of the Association of Film Producers (FIAPF) - to revoke FIAPF accreditation  of the Moscow International Film Festival.

Film producers - to terminate any business with business entities of the Russian Federation, not to transfer intellectual property rights to any films to the territory of Russia and to terminate all contracts with them.

Distributors - to take into account, that under contracts concluded on the territory of the Russian Federation, that films are illegally distributed on the legal territory of Ukraine, namely: on the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories of the Donbas.

The European Association of Audiovisual Producers (CEPI) and the European Association of Commercial Film Producers (CFP-E) -  to call on the members of the association to stop any cooperation with audiovisual producers supporting the aggression against Ukraine.

Members of the Ukrainian Film Academy also call for a boycott of Russian cinema.