25 Years of Queerness: The 4th SUNNY BUNNY Festival Opens in Kyiv

The evening began with a tribute to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Oleksandr Demenko, a veteran, Mariupol defender, head of the LGBTQ+ Military union, and festival ambassador delivered an opening speech. He called for a minute of silence to honor fallen defenders and civilian victims of russian aggression.

«Coming home from captivity, I felt happy that festivals, birthdays, and wonderful events are still a part of life in Ukraine. The idea that it’s ‘not the time’ for this is wrong. But we should always remember those we have to thank for the fact that these events can happen at all,»— said Oleksandr Demenko.

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This year SUNNY BUNNY celebrates its 25th anniversary.

In 2001, the program “Loving differently” appeared at the Youth International Film Festival. In 2007, it turned into the LGBTQ+ film competition “Sunny Bunny”. And already in 2023 SUNNY BUNNY has grown into a full-fledged film festival.

This year, SUNNY BUNNY celebrates its 25th anniversary. In 2001, the «Loving Differently» program debuted at «Molodist» KIFF. In 2007, it transformed into the «Sunny Bunny» LGBTQIA+ competition. By 2023, SUNNY BUNNY had transitioned into an independent film festival.

«I find it deeply symbolic that the festival became an independent event from its roots as a section of «Molodist» during the full-scale invasion. It happened precisely when we are fighting for our identity and the right to be ourselves, telling the world who we are and who we have been, while distancing ourselves from the aggressor. To me, great cinema is cinema that addresses complex issues with honesty. SUNNY BUNNY creates a space to explore themes that were once ignored or kept in the shadows,» — noted Nataliia Movshovych, Deputy Minister of Culture for European Integration.

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Head of the Ukrainian State Film Agency Andriy Osipov also joined with a welcoming address.

Andriy Khalpakhchi, Director of «Molodist» KIFF, shared the story of how SUNNY BUNNY first began.

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«You will see a 90s cinema retrospective. That was the era the topic of queerness evolved from a talking point into true cinematic art. While «Molodist» always showcased these stories, the inspiration for a dedicated festival came from Berlin. The Berlinale was the first major festival to launch an official program the Teddy Award which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was back in the 90s that we first felt the desire to create such a program in Ukraine. Turning this «Molodist» section into a fully independent festival was a step I felt was deeply important,» — noted Andriy Khalpakhchi, Director of «Molodist» KIFF.

The festival opened with the film «Prosecution» by former «Molodist» participant Faraz Shariat. The title earned the Audience Award in the Panorama section at the Berlinale and received a Teddy Award nomination this year. The screening was provided by KyivMusicFilm and supported by Goethe-Institut Ukraine.

«This story is about staring down fear, staying brave, acting in spite of the odds, and calling things what they really are,» — noted SUNNY BUNNY Director Bohdan Zhuk from the stage.

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The opening ceremony was hosted by TV presenter Liudmyla Chyrkova. Among the guests were international diplomats and renowned Ukrainian filmmakers, such as Audencio Contreras González, Ambassador of the United Mexican States, Jeff Bowan, Ambassador of Australia, Francesco Pesce, Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian Embassy and director Arkadiy Nepytaliuk. The International Jury was represented by director Isabelle Stever (Germany), British-Palestinian journalist Jad Salfiti (UK), and film critic Daria Badior (Ukraine). The Pitching Jury features Alik Shpyliuk, Art Director of the Ukrainian Film Academy, screenwriter Anna Melikova and Nadia Parfan, co-founder of the «Takflix» online cinema. Oksana Volosheniuk, Mila Novikova, and Oleksandr Gusiev also serve on the jury appointed by the Union of the Ukrainian Film Critics.

The festival’s primary locations are «Zhovten» Cinema and the LGBTQ+ Military Hub on Kyrylivska St. Industry-focused sessions are scheduled to take place at the hub and the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House.

This year, the festival features 91 films from across the globe. The International Feature and International Short Film Competitions serve as the heart of the program. Audiences can also look forward to a documentary section, Ukrainian queer films, and non-competition programs including «New Colors», «Panorama», and «Neighborqueer», alongside «Queerby», a selection curated for audiences aged 12 and older. Furthermore, the programming team has introduced several new short film showcases: «5 Films for Freedom» presented by the British Council in Ukraine and London’s BFI Flare, «Nordic Lights» from MIX Copenhagen, and «Love Wins», a collection of Indonesian titles from the 100% Manusia Film Festival.

Photos.

Photo credit: Anastasiia Mantach

The festival is supported by the Ukrainian State Film Agency, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, the Heinrich Böll Foundation Ukraine, and Outright International.

Short Film Pitching Sponsor — Jagermeister

Creative Partner — McCANN Kyiv advertising agency

Embassies:

Embassy of Canada to Ukraine

Embassy of Australia to Ukraine

Embassy of the Italian Republic to Ukraine

Italian Cultural Institute in Ukraine

Embassy of Argentina

Embassy of Spain in Ukraine

Embassy of Greece

Embassy of Belgium

Goethe Institut Ukraine