Wiz-Art Festival announces programmes

The 8th Lviv International Short Film Wiz-Art Festival will take place in Lviv, Ukraine between May 21st-24th. This year the festival we will show 80 movies from all around the world. In addition, besides the international and national competition programs, the guests of the festival will be able to attend Wiz-Art partners’ screenings, master classes of Ukrainian and foreign directors and various lectures.

“We want to do tomorrow without waiting until somebody will do it for us,” said Festival CEO Olha Reiter “Against the background of inadequate humanitarian policy and decadent mood in Ukraine culture and cinema in particular appear underestimated. Cinema is able to respond quickly and reflect on social processes and hereby to form the foundations of the world. I mean healthy reflection and not a propaganda machine like a Russian one. Everyone knows but only a few people really understand that tomorrow is that what we are preparing today. Culture builds the foundation for the way out of the crisis. Wiz-Art invites our viewers not to only watch but also to participate in the process of movie creation. To reflect on the present, formulate and express their own opinion, be active, and thus make the future here and now with us.”

Seventeen pictures from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Romania, the USA, France, Germany, Canada, Iran, Tunisia, Lebanon Thailand, Finland, Austria, Denmark and Ukraine will compete in the international competition for the main festival prize – Grand Prix as well as for prizes in three categories – best directing, best script and best camera work. Included in the selection are festival favourites The Jacket, Shipwreck and Art.

The best shorts will be chosen by the international jury of the festival which consists of such directors as Katazhyna Gondek (Poland), Christopher Schwartz (Austria) and Oleksandr Ratiy (Ukraine).

In the national competition there will be 10 Ukrainian pictures competing for the prize. Also during the festival there will be special film screenings from festival partners including an Italian Panorama from the SediciCorto Film Festivalo in Italy while the annual Wiz-Art Film School will pay attention to the practical skills to create a movie.