The Supreme Court of Ukraine recognized the composition of the Council for the Support of Cinematography as illegitimate

The film community of Ukraine is celebrating an important victory. The Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld the decisions of previous courts regarding the illegitimacy of the current composition of the Council for State Support of Cinematography at State Cinema.

A new competition is on the horizon

The final decision of the Supreme Court forces Derzhkino to conduct a new, fair and transparent competition for the election of a new member of the Council, as required by law. The lawyer of the National Union of Cinematographers, Nadiya Denisyuk, noted:

"We won! Finally. Derzhkino will be forced to hold a fair and transparent competition for the new composition of the Council for State Support of Cinematography as required by law."

Budget funds are at risk

The cancellation of the Cabinet of Ministers' resolution on the extension of the Council's powers means that almost 600 million hryvnias provided for in the 2024 budget to support cinema will not be distributed by an illegitimate body. This decision ensures that funds will go to support real film projects instead of questionable decisions.

The history of the scandal

The Council for State Support of Cinematography was established in 2018 to approve the list of films receiving state funding. However, in March 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to extend the powers of the Council, causing outrage among cinematographers. The National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine filed a lawsuit against this decision, and the courts found the continuation of the Council's powers illegal.

What's next?

Without waiting for the final decision of the appeals court, Derzhkino announced the start of the 19th competitive selection of film projects, which caused a new wave of indignation. The illegal composition of the Council began to distribute funds, but the most famous Ukrainian directors and producers refused to participate in the competition.

Future prospects

This decision of the Supreme Court is an important step for restoring justice in Ukrainian cinema. The new composition of the Council, chosen through a transparent competition, will be able to strengthen support for quality film projects and increase trust in the process of distributing state funds. Filmmakers hope that this will help avoid similar scandals in the future and promote the development of Ukrainian cinema.

Editor: Emiliia Morozova