Cinema of Ukraine

Ukraine has had a big influence on the history of the cinema. Prominent Ukrainian directors include Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Dziga Vertov and Serhiy Paradzhanov. Dovzhenko is often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers, as well as being a pioneer of Soviet montage theory and founding Dovzhenko Film Studios. In 1927, Dziga Vertov moved from Moscow to Ukraine. At the film studio VUFKU he made several avant-garde documentaries, among them "The Eleventh Year", "Man with a Movie Camera" and first Ukrainian documentary sound film "Enthusiasm (Symphony of the Donbass)". Paradzhanov was an Armenian film director and artist who made significant contributions to Ukrainian, Armenian and Georgian cinema; he invented his own cinematic style, Ukrainian poetic cinema, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of socialist realism.
Other important directors include Kira Muratova, Larysa Shepitko, Serhiy Bondarchuk, Leonid Bykov, Yuriy Illienko, Leonid Osyka, Vyacheslav Krishtofovich, Roman Balayan, Sergiy Masloboyschikov, Ihor Podolchak and Maryna Vroda. 
Many actors of Ukrainian origin have achieved international fame and critical success, including Vira Kholodna, Bohdan Stupka, Sergei Makovetsky, Mike Mazurki, Natalie Wood, Danny Kaye, Jack Palance, Milla Jovovich, Olga Kurylenko and Mila Kunis. Immigrants from Ukraine were the parents of Serge Gainsbourg, Leonard Nimoy, Vira Farmiga and Taissa Farmiga, grandparents - Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvester Stallone, Kirk Douglas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg, Edward Dmytryk, Lenny Kravitz and Zoë Kravitz, illusionist David Copperfield, animator Bill Tytla.
Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry has often been characterized by a debate about its identity and the level of Russian and European influence. Ukrainian producers are active in international co-productions, while Ukrainian actors, directors and crew feature regularly in Russian (and formerly Soviet) films. Successful films have been based on Ukrainian people, stories or events, including Battleship Potemkin, Man with a Movie Camera, and Everything Is Illuminated.
The Ukrainian State Film Agency owns National Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Centre, film copying laboratory and archive, and takes part in hosting of the Odessa International Film Festival. Another festival, Molodist in Kyiv, is the only FIAPF accredited International Film Festival held in Ukraine; the competition program has sections for student films, first short films, and first full feature films from all over the world. It is held in October every year.
History of the cinema in Ukraine.
On the territory of Odesa film studio, there is a Museum of the Cinema, in which you can find out about many interesting facts on the history of the cinema in general and history of Ukrainian cinema as a part. Here you can find historic materials, from the invention of cinema, to the postmodern, digital and avant garde.
Government and civil bodies concerned.
This sphere is administrated by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers.
The central executive body of cinematography in Ukraine is the Ukrainian State Film Agency. Together with the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, it is the largest investors in Ukrainian cinema and as of 2019 each of these institutions is investing about UAH 500 million in Ukrainian film production.
Film distribution.
B&H Film Distribution Company is a major Ukrainian film distributor; it is the local distributor of films by Walt Disney Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia Pictures).
Ukrainian Film Distribution (formerly Gemini Ukraine) is the local distributor of films by 20th Century Fox (Fox Searchlight Pictures, Blue Sky Studios).
Kinomania is the local distributor of films by Warner Brothers (New Line Cinema).
Short films, festival winners and art house are mostly distributed by Arthouse traffic.
The newest website database system for the artists is the Ukrainian Film Industry Foundation
Awards.
Current awards.
In 1987, Ukrainian engineer and animator Eugene Mamut together with three colleagues won the «Oscar» (Scientific and Engineering Award) for the design and development of RGA / Oxberry Compu-Quad Special Effects Optical Printer for the movie «Predator»
In 2006, Ukrainian engineer and inventor Anatoliy Kokush was awarded two Oscars for the concept and development of the Ukrainian Arm gyro-stabilized camera crane and the Flight Head. 