In late August and early September 2026, eight Brazilian cities will host Ukrainian Cinema Days 2026—a cultural initiative introducing modern Ukrainian cinematography to the Brazilian audience. Free screenings, discussions, and meetings with directors and invited guests will take place in Brasília, Curitiba, Prudentópolis, Ribeirão Preto, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and Porto Alegre.
This year’s program aims to show Ukraine as multifaceted—not only through the prism of war, but also through its history, culture, society, identity, and contemporary artistic life. The audience will see films that tell stories about the complex Ukrainian experience, historical memory, and modern challenges, as well as films that reveal other, lesser-known facets of Ukrainian reality.
The festival takes on special significance on August 24—a date uniting two important events: the Day of the Restoration of Ukraine’s Independence and the National Day of the Ukrainian Community in Brazil. It was on August 24, 1991, that Ukraine proclaimed the restoration of its independence. In Brazil, this date also holds official status: according to Law No. 12.209/2010, it is dedicated to the Ukrainian community and its contribution to the country’s development.
Ukrainian Cinema Days are designed to broaden perspectives on Ukraine and demonstrate the strength and diversity of its cinema. Ukrainian cinema combines an authentic aesthetic, subtle humor, historical memory, and bold formal experiments, creating a special space for intercultural dialogue.
Screenings will take place at iconic cultural and cinema venues across Brazil, including the Cinemateca de Curitiba, Centro Cultural Palace, Cinemec, Paróquia Santa Maria de Prudentópolis, Cinema Santa Tereza, Cine Brasília, Sala Walter Silveira, and Café Mal Assombrado.
An important part of the project is its visual concept. It was developed by Ukrainian designer Anastasiia Syvash, who currently lives in Salvador. The identity is rooted in the traditional Ukrainian vyshyvanka. The graphic design incorporates ornaments from different regions of Ukraine represented in the films. Thus, the visual language of the festival highlights the country’s cultural and territorial diversity.
Ukrainian Cinema Days 2026 was made possible thanks to the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Brazil, the Doors Charity Foundation, the State Film Agency of Ukraine, the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation, the Ukrainian-Brazilian Association of Relations and Arts, the Alliance Française, and the Goethe-Institut.
For the Ukrainian community in Brazil, the festival is not only an opportunity to connect with Ukrainian culture, but also an important instrument of cultural diplomacy. For the Brazilian public, it is an occasion to see Ukraine through the eyes of its artists, hear diverse voices, and discover the contemporary country through the power of cinema.
Ukrainian Cinema Days 2026 promises to be a meeting space for Ukrainian and Brazilian cultures, where cinema becomes a language of mutual understanding, memory, and dialogue.
Author: Olena Zhukova
Photo: from the archive of the project authors