The OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival team announces the start of the application process for the VI edition on February 03, 2025.
Those interested can submit their films through the FilmFreeway platform until June 30, 2025.
We expect films focused on ethnography, folkloristics, anthropology, history, everyday life, problems and hopes, culture, national traditions and habits, notable events and personalities, etc. and the so-called “post-ethnography”. "OKO" is a symbiosis of honoring traditions, learning new things and searching for current forms and trends, both in the national cultures of Ukraine and Bulgaria, and in the cultures of the whole world.
Traditionally, we will hold screenings and special events in two countries – Ukraine and Bulgaria. But this year, for the first time, OKO will have an official opening ceremony and screen part of the program in Kyiv.
Tetiana Staneva, the director general and founder of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival, shared her expectations: “I was warned that the most difficult thing is to hold the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th editions, because the enthusiasm is waning, and the problems, lack of finances and challenges are increasing. And I have to admit, it is true. The further we go, the greater the challenge. Yes, we were born in the year of the pandemic, and then a full-scale war, and it has never been easy or enough for us. And there were more and more temptations to quit, or at least put it on hold. But we continue. Each time in a new format, in which we are still looking for the best one. This is the 6th time. This time it is much bigger, a Ukrainian-Bulgarian festival. We are looking forward to the new format, in which we will unite the two capitals of Ukraine and Bulgaria - Kyiv and Sofia and the festival's hometown, the city of Bolhrad. Culture is what unites us, and cinema is the most powerful tool for influencing and highlighting the problems and pains of the planet. And to diagnose its diseases and bandage its wounds is what we need now!”
The sixth edition of the OKO IEFF will take place in-person:
September 5 - 14, 2025 – Ukraine:
September 5 - 10, 2025 – Kyiv (the opening ceremony and screening of the first part of the program);
September 12 - 14, 2025 – Bolhrad (screening of the second part of the program, the closing ceremony and awarding of the winners of the national NASHE OKO program and the OKO SHORT program).
- October 3 - 11, 2025 – Sofia, Bulgaria (screening of the entire program and awarding of the winners of the international OKO GLOBAL program).
YuriІ Dimchoglo, Honorary President of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival, emphasizes the multicultural nature of the festival: “The mission of our festival, in particular, is to attract tourist and investment potential to Bessarabia. With the new experimental format of the Ukrainian edition - the opening ceremony and half of the festival in the capital, and the second part and the closing ceremony with the award ceremony in Bolhrad - we are fulfilling this mission in full. We will bring the atmosphere of the multicultural Odesa region to Kyiv and invite everyone to the closing ceremony in Bolhrad! Yes, OKO is a powerful multicultural dialogue not only between countries, but also between regions and national communities of Ukraine.”
OKO IEFF will be held online with the support and using the technical capacities and resources of the Film Festival's partners - VOD and OTT services MEGOGO (Ukraine) and Neterra.TV (Bulgaria):
- September 5 - 15, 2025 - Ukraine;
- October 3 - 31, 2025 - Bulgaria.
Denіs Budanov, the program director of the OKO Film Festival, reminded us of the principles of film selection: “Last year's fifth anniversary festival had an unprecedentedly large program, which is a great result on the one hand, but on the other hand, it was a little bit beyond our capabilities. Therefore, the previous edition's performance provided us with the best practices and, most importantly, experience to stabilize the number of films and the program. As before, we left room for the “post-ethnography” factor to attract a new viewer, let's say, from another “bubble” who still associates ethnography exclusively with “natives and aborigines, round loaf and embroidered shirts”. So we will break stereotypes and look for unusual and, most importantly, interesting films about us, about people. And, of course, we will show them. And award them. And the award in cinema is not only the jury prizes, which is also important, but also the sincere love of the audience.”
Program and sections
The competition program of the VI edition will cover such sections as: OKO GLOBAL, NASHE OKO, OKO SHORT.
OKO GLOBAL (FICTION, NON-FICTION) – International feature film competition. Here we accept films with a running time of 41 minutes or more (including titles). Films produced in any country of the world (including Ukraine and Bulgaria) are eligible for the selection process.
NASHE ОКО – The Ukrainian-Bulgarian feature competition of non-fiction and/or documentary films with a running time of 41 minutes or more (including titles). Feature films created by Ukrainian and Bulgarian productions and/or directors who are citizens or residents of Ukraine or Bulgaria; films made in co-production or films whose authors and copyright holders officially indicate Ukraine or Bulgaria as the country of production are eligible for the selection process.
OKO SHORT – Short film competition. The selection process is open to films produced in any country of the world, of any genre, direction and style that correspond to the theme of the Film Festival.
The Film Festival Program Department independently determines this part of the Film Festival program. The Organizers invite films to participate in the out-of-competition section on its own initiative, and can also offer such an option to films that were submitted to the competition sections, but for one reason or another did not pass the selection for the competition sections and programs. Applications for participation in the out-of-competition program may be also accepted through the FilmFreeway festival platform or by alternative means.
Premiere policy and special conditions for films in competition sections
To participate in the competition, we accept films that were created or had their first public screening no earlier than January 1, 2023.
Applicants can have any festival and theatrical distribution and public screenings, including VOD and OTT services and public access to streaming platforms and video streaming websites. However, preference is given to applicant films for which the screening at the Film Festival will be the premiere in Ukraine and/or Bulgaria, and/or which have not had any theatrical or other form of distribution or public screenings other than film festivals, or a limited number of public screenings.
We do not allow films whose production is incomplete before the date of the event, parts of films, separate series of series (unless a part of the series is a separate film and is distributed as a separate audiovisual work), audiovisual content intended for social networks, music videos to participate in the competition sections. However, in extraordinary cases, the program department may make an exception to this rule.
Also, we do not consider works created with the participation of representatives of the aggressor country (the Russian Federation), in particular by persons residing in the aggressor country (or with the involvement of such persons); persons who support Russian military aggression against Ukraine and oppose the territorial integrity of Ukraine, etc.
In extraordinary cases, the Film Festival may make an exception to the “release” rule and add to the competition films whose first public screening and/or production took place no earlier than January 1, 2022.
Application form and key dates for acceptance and review
The general deadline for film submissions via the FilmFreeway platform is February 03, 2025 - June 30, 2025.
* until March 02, film submission is free for all sections and programs;
* from March 03 to June 30, the festival may set a festival fee for film submissions, taking into account the “Regular” gradation and the “Last Call” extra deadline.
The Film Festival's program department reviews applications until July 1.
Applicants must provide the Film Festival with all the necessary materials by July 15.
In some cases, the organizers may offer other deadlines and alternative ways of submitting/receiving materials, film copies, etc. by mutual agreement of all interested parties, which is agreed on a case-by-case basis. The Film Festival also reserves the right to use alternative methods of accepting applications, searching for and inviting participants to participate in the Film Festival in any programs and sections.
More details about the rules of the VI International Ethnographic Film Festival “OKO” can be found in the Regulations and the Statute on the official website.
OKO important details:
Festival website: https://www.okofilmfest.com.ua/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okofilmfest
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/okoieff/
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