Ukrainian filmmakers have not stopped making content and Ukraine Content Club 2023 is an initiative to connect the best new projects with international partners to create compelling series for a global audience.

You can review a video pitch and treatment for each series below.

The UCC Documentary Pitch showcases six projects looking for international partners.

The line-up includes The Evil Empire, Russian warship F*ck You! Decisive Battle, Risen From The Ashes, The Imaginary Worlds of Stanislav Lem, For Life, and Wedding during the War, showcases a broad range of stories and genres by prominent Ukrainian filmmakers and producers.

Backing these stories are UCC founding members and leading Ukrainian media companies FILM.UA Group, Starlight Media, 1+1 media, and Suspilne Ukraine.

The six documentaries are currently being reviewed by the international expert board, which will choose three from the six to go through the financing round, with the winning projects to be unveiled at Content Budapest (27-29 June).

They are also available to review by any potential coproduction partner. Video pitches for each show, plus further detail is below. For more information on any of the shows please email [email protected]

Previously Ukrainian producers announced the first drama series slate to an international audience. Find more.

Additional information:

Ukraine Content Club aims to develop, finance, produce, and distribute high-end Ukrainian projects (drama and documentary series) with the help of international partners.

In this model, broadcasters, financiers, production, and distribution companies can contribute to a package of series proposed by leading Ukrainian producers. In exchange, contributors will receive projects for broadcasting on their platforms/channels.

If you are interested in becoming a UCC partner/contributor or would like to suggest another type of engagement, please let us know, and we will provide you with all the details.

UCC Pitch Selection Panel

Russian Warship fck you! Decisive Battle (1+1 Media)

Russian warship, f*ck you!" is not just a response of the Ukrainian defender of Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island) to the offer of the Russian sailors to surrender, which made a splash and spread worldwide. This slogan has become a symbol of the liberation struggle of all Ukrainians who each, as one, stood up to defend their homeland from the invaders. Each in their own place: in trenches, in hospitals, in volunteer warehouses and factories, in heating centers and agricultural fields. Behind the wheel of buses and minibusses, with a welding machine and a wrench, at a computer screen and a quadcopter tablet, at rubble removal and in animal shelters. This documentary film is about the unique stories of ordinary people who made the impossible possible and became legends.

The Evil Empire (1+1 Media)

The development of the Soviet empire was based on the commission of mass crimes and terrible abuse of people. During the 20th century, the Kremlin authorities killed thousands of people using poisons, torture, psychological pressure, and other dirty methods of special services. For 70 years, these crimes remained classified or hushed up. The Evil Empire project will expose the mechanisms and perpetrators of these crimes. We are investigating the tools the Bolsheviks successfully used to hide their inhuman policy towards dozens of nations. We consider the Soviet Union a criminal who confuses the traces and covers up evidence. The series consists of 6 episodes. The theme of each episode is a specific crime or criminal system. The structure of the episode is built through the exposure of various methods of concealing a crime. We will uncover atrocities that still remain little known. The geography of our project reaches all territories of the former USSR. It gathers stories of different nations that suffered from the Bolshevik authorities. We will draw parallels between Russia and the Soviet Union and prove that various methods of retention of power and enslavement of neighbouring peoples are used by Moscow to this day.

Risen From The Ashes (FILM.UA Group)

Kharkiv, Mariupol, Irpin, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv... In front of the whole world, the russian army is turning Ukrainian cities into ruins. Thousands of civilians have been killed; millions had to flee their homes. The aggressor is trying to destroy our country, our culture and our dreams. This happened before. Warsaw, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Berlin... 70 years ago those once alive and bustling cities were turned into desolate WWII ruins. Yet they were reborn again. What does history teach us? Even in the darkest hour human perseverance, ingenuity and will always win. The Ukrainian cities will also rise from the ashes, and we will use the experience of those who have already gone down this path to help us forge the cities of the future.
Risen From the Ashes is a cross-platform documentary project that ties together the stories of European cities destroyed during WWII and the russian war against Ukraine with social and architectural commentary and the best of modern technology to explore what rebuilding truly means. Our documentary series will spotlight the rebuilding process in a broad sense, weaving together different yet connected threads. We will feature the innovative technologies that are now available and were not present during WWII, showing how they can be leveraged for faster and more efficient reconstruction. We will look at the lessons we can learn from cities, which were successfully rebuilt after WWII. The project will also feature experts (historians, urban planners, developers, architects) who can provide insights into the best strategies and practices for rebuilding Ukraine and those who are already involved in its restoration. Finally, recognizing the heart of any city is its people, we’ll present personal stories from those affected by the war, sharing their experiences, hopes, and dreams.
Our artistic approach blends the personal, the historical, and the architectural. We will use modern technology, including 3D modeling and virtual reality, to bring these stories to life, creating immersive experiences that transport viewers to these cities, past and present. The stylistic blend of archival footage, personal testimonials, and innovative technologies will provide an emotionally charged and thought-provoking journey. Risen From the Ashes aims to not just document the past and present, but also to inspire a future where the lessons of history guide us towards resilience and reconstruction. Through the stories of cities once razed to the ground but now standing tall, we want to inspire fortitude in the face of adversity, conveying the message that no matter the extent of destruction, we can and will rise from the ashes.

The Imaginary Worlds of Stanislav Lem (FILM.UA Group)

Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, tablets, audiobooks, biotechnology and many more… All of these things, which today are part of our daily lives, were predicted by Stanislaw Lem. Lem was born in Lviv at the beginning of the 20th century. A deep intellectual, thinker, and philosopher. An author who was annoyed to be called a science fiction writer, however, is widely known as one of the greatest of all time. His books have been translated into 41 languages and have sold over 30 million copies. The most famous one is "Solaris" published in 1961, the book has been adapted into several films, including a 2002 version by Steven Soderbergh.
The documentary "The Imaginary Worlds of Stanislaw Lem" is our attempt to show the worlds of his imagination and fantasies. It is our desire to tell his personal story full of struggles and resistance. And it’s our tribute to this unique human being. Stanislaw Lem's imagination knew no boundaries, and his profound insights continue to resonate with today’s world. His thought-provoking stories often explored the intricate relationship between humanity and technology, a theme that has gained unprecedented relevance in our contemporary world, where each day brings a wave of new technological innovations.

For Life (Suspilne Ukraine)

A four-episode documentary. Each episode will focus on the countries that have been helping our country from the first day of the war to the present day. The Baltic States, namely Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, together with Great Britain, have become powerful and loyal allies.
Lithuania loudly, despite intimidation from Russia, blocked roads and railways to prevent goods banned by sanctions from reaching Kaliningrad. Latvia and Estonia are persistently lobbying the European Union and NATO for Ukraine's interests. They treat the wounded and provide military and humanitarian aid. Great Britain - Boris Johnson and his ability to put pressure on the international community to supply Ukraine with weapons. His phrase: "If Russia strikes Ukraine with nuclear weapons, we will strike immediately and we won't ask anyone" - shows a willingness to defend all of humanity, not just Ukraine, in the fight against the Russian aggressor. Even after the change of the Prime Minister, the course of support for Ukraine remained.
The purpose of the documentary series is to show the viewer how countries (not only the official authorities, but also ordinary people) unite FOR life, to create a new collective security, and to punish those who pose a threat to the whole of Europe.

Wedding During the War (Suspilne Ukraine)

Wedding during the War! Someone will twist their finger at their temple and look at it with disapproval. However, just as beauty will save the world, so will love conquer war. Don't be surprised, but the tense situation in the country has pushed many Ukrainians to take such a serious step as starting a family. Since the full-scale invasion of the occupiers, more than 40 thousand marriages have been registered in Ukraine. More than 11 thousand of them were registered in the first weeks of the war. The wedding boom is observed among the military, volunteers, and civilians. It is when our lives are under threat that we rethink our values and need love the most. Therefore, even in the midst of severe upheaval, new Ukrainian families must be created as a symbol of life that continues under any circumstances. The documentary is about heartbreaking love stories during the war. All the participants of the film are real people.

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