The New British Film Festival is marking 20 years of celebrating cinema in Ukraine. But instead of a grand celebration, like most public events scheduled during the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival had to move online.
Founded by the British Council, the United Kingdom’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities to introduce British cinema to Ukrainians, the event has been held in Kyiv annually since 2000. This time, the festival shifted from its regular dates in November to January.
The festival’s online cinema launched on Jan. 7 and will be accessible until Jan. 17.
Since Ukrainian cinemas are closed under the nationwide lockdown through Jan. 24, the event comes at a perfect time with a fresh selection of worthwhile pictures to watch.
The festival offers iconic works of British directors of the past 20 years, as well as a selection of the best short films according to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). The list features pictures of all genres, from dramas to documentary thrillers.
Among the films shown, several have won prestigious international awards, such as Best British Independent Film “God’s Own Country”, Cannes Jury Prize winner “Red Road” and BAFTA-winning “The Beast.”
The festival program can be viewed on demand on its website for free and without registration. The films are shown in their original language (mostly English) with Ukrainian subtitles.
The program includes nine feature films:
- Saul Metzstein’s 2001 romantic comedy “Late Night Shopping,” where four young Brits meet nightly at an all-hours café to share stories of sex and relationships.
- 2003 BAFTA Award winner for Outstanding British Film “The Warrior,” directed by Asif Kapadia and starring Irrfan Khan as Lafcadia, a warrior who attempts to renounce his role as the swordsman of a local lord in feudal India.
- 2006 winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, “Red Road,” directed by Andrea Arnold, where a young woman, Jackie, (Kate Dickie), spends her days monitoring surveillance cameras trained on a rough Glasgow neighborhood. Her attention is caught by Clyde, (Tony Curran), an ex-convict, whom she becomes obsessed with, devising a plan to meet and seduce him.
- Famous comedian Richard Ayoade’s 2010 film “Submarine,” where a Welsh teen is set on losing his virginity before his 16th birthday. Meanwhile his family might be falling apart as his depressed marine biologist father is having trouble preventing his mother from being seduced by a charming spiritual guru.
- 2011 British Independent Film Award winner for Best British Independent Film, “Tyrannosaur” directed by Paddy Considine. Joseph, a bitter man who eases his trauma through gambling and drinking, crosses paths with Christian charity shop manager Hannah, and develops an unlikely friendship.
- William Oldroyd’s film “Lady Macbeth” (2016) featuring breakout star Florence Pugh as newly married Katherine who finds herself confined and emotionally abused. While her husband is called away, she begins a passionate relationship with a young groom from the estate, leading to the possibility of thrilling romantic tragedy.
- Michael Pierce’s dark, thrilling love story “The Beast” (2017), which won BAFTA awards for Best Debut director and producer in 2019. In a small island community, a troubled young woman (Jessie Buckley) falls for a mysterious outsider (Johnny Flynn). Meeting this man empowers her to escape her own oppressive family, but new trouble arises when he comes under suspicion for serial murders that have been occurring on the island.
- 2012 BAFTA-winning documentary “The Imposter” directed by Bart Layton. The documentary follows the story of Frederic Bourdin, a young man and con artist who tricks a grieving Texas family into believing he is their son who disappeared years earlier.
- Francis Lee’s romantic drama, “God’s Own Country,” winner of the Best British Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards in 2017. A young farmer (Josh O’Connor) numbs his frustrations and bitterness with drinking and casual sex until he meets a Romanian migrant (Alec Secareanu) who changes his life forever.
