Ukrainian Acquisition Fund launched to back war-torn country’s content industry

The Stand With Ukrainian Content Industry session at MipTV

MIPTV: A joint initiative by Ukraine’s leading media companies aimed at providing opportunities to sustain and support the country’s TV industry has been unveiled on the opening day of MipTV.

International channels and platforms are being urged to contribute to the Ukrainian Acquisition Fund on a fixed-rate pre-buy basis to help finance scripted drama, animation and documentary content and provide the people in the Ukrainian audio-visual industry with work.

A board will allocate money to productions in different genres and partners who put money into the fund will automatically be able to air the content on their channels.

This is seen as a lifeline for their families and backing for the industry at the time when other ways of financing content production are not available as Russia’s attacks continue.

The joint initiative comes via Film.UA, StarLightMedia, 1+1 Media and Media Group Ukraine, whose executives spoke during a powerful session titled Stand With Ukrainian Content Industry in Cannes today.

The Ukrainian companies are collectively exhibiting in Riviera 7 this week and a catalogue of Ukrainian content at MipTV is available to view here.

Iryna Chernyak, director of the content acquisition and monetisation department at Ukraine TV Channel, said: “We know how to create content in any genre. All of the Ukrainian companies, despite having to leave our homes, are working and communicating with the world. We have thousands of ready-made titles and format ideas that would be a success. Viewers now know where Ukraine is and want to see what we create. Stand with Ukraine.”

Victoria Yarmoshchuk, CEO at Film.UA Group, said the Ukrainian companies are not looking for donations from the international TV community but an opportunity to collaborate and spread high-quality content around the world.

“The war in Ukraine is not only about Ukraine. This tragedy goes far beyond Ukraine. Our collapse will hurt not only us. But I’m here today to talk about life, love and development. Ukrainian stories can be understood by everyone all around the globe. Our stories are not local,” she said.

“The best thing the world can do for Ukraine right now is cooperate with us in our mutual interests. Our weapon is content and we use it to make the world a better place. More than ever, we are ready to collaborate and be part of the international market,” added Yarmoshchuk, who added that certain parts of Ukraine are still suitable for physical production because the Russian forces have not reached them.

Also speaking on the panel were Kateryna Sheveliuk, head of the fiction production department at Starlight Media, and Inna Filipova, head of sales at 1+1 Media. They were interviewed by Tim Crescenti, president at Small World International.

Filipova said: “We have hundreds of talented showrunners, producers and writers who are ready to work right now. We want to be much more integrated in the international TV community once the war ends. The easiest way for this to happen is to co-develop and co-create with us.”

Chernyak added that Ukraine TV Channel is developing a stand-up show format with the host of the local version of The Masked Singer, which will provide analysis of current events, “using Ukrainian’s sense of humour as a weapon.”