This year, the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival will cover three cities in two countries.
For the first time in the history of the festival, the grand opening will be held in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. In addition, OKO will visit the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, and will also return to its homeland, Bolgrad.
This year's theme of the festival is dedicated to folk masquerade traditions in all their diversity. In particular, in Ukraine it is malankuvaniye, and in Bulgaria and some regions of Ukraine it is the rite of kukery.
Inspired by these rituals, the organizers chose the mask as the main symbol of the festival, and the slogan – the phrase “See Through.” This call encourages us to look deep into the traditions and meanings hidden in ritual transformations and in the art of cinema itself.
The common features of these rituals are the desire for unity, a connection with ancient roots, as well as the symbolic opposition of old and new, darkness and light, evil and good. At the same time, the differences reveal the ethnographic richness and cultural identity of different peoples.
“The sixth edition of “OKO” is our joint search for truth: in cinema, in stories, in people, in the invisible world, and in ourselves.
"For the first time, the festival will open in Kyiv - it is very exciting. We want to create a small corner of Bessarabia in the capital to show how bright, rich and delicious the Ukrainian south is," said the founder and director of the festival, Tetyana Staneva.
The acceptance of applications for participation in the festival began in February and will continue until June 30, 2025.
Films will compete in three competition sections:
- International feature film competition;
- Ukrainian-Bulgarian feature film competition;
- Short film competition.
A non-competitive program is also planned.
The organizers emphasize that even during war, the development of cultural initiatives remains crucial.
“We dreamed that OKO guests would be greeted by the new Izmail airport, which was supposed to open in 2025. The war changed these plans, stopped many projects, but did not break the festival…
"The very fact of the existence of OKO is a kind of miracle. It is proof that cultural initiatives are capable of changing the world - you just have to strive for it," noted the honorary president of the festival, Yuriy Dimchoglo.
He expressed hope that after the Victory, guests will be greeted by a restored airport, and peace and cinema will be celebrated together in Bolgrad.
The festival in Kyiv will last from September 5 to 10, 2025, with its opening scheduled for September 5. The final part of the Ukrainian program and the awards ceremony will take place on September 12–14 in Bolgrad, Odesa region.
The festival will be held in Sofia (Bulgaria) from October 3 to 11, where the full program will be presented and the awards ceremony of the international competition will take place.
