Ukrainian cinema causes sensation at film festival in Canada

Ukrainian films are attracting a lot of attention from audiences and critics at the Toronto International Film Festival.

This was reported by Oleh Nikolenko, Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

"This week, I have heard many words of admiration from film festival participants for Ukrainian directors, actors, and producers who, despite the war, manage to create high-quality films. In response to such words, we urge them to support Ukrainian projects, allocate grants and funding, and invite our films to festivals. And most importantly, to be global ambassadors of a just peace for Ukraine," Nikolenko said.

He added that several Ukrainian films are being presented at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, including “To Victory!” by director Valentin Vasyanovich and “The Simple Soldier” by Artem Ryzhikov. “It was in Toronto that the international premiere of ”To Victory!" took place. It is extremely important that the vast majority of the audience at the premiere was of non-Ukrainian origin. We are talking about film experts, critics, film industry leaders, and ordinary Canadians. This is an effective channel for conveying information about Ukraine and the challenges associated with Russian aggression," the diplomat noted.

Nikolenko also called on Ukrainian directors to submit their works to the festival's program in 2026. “This is a unique platform for cultural diplomacy. And we, as the Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto, will continue to make efforts to ensure that Ukraine's voice continues to be heard at one of the world's largest film festivals,” he assured.