MYTH: Social Impact Film Award (2)

Inizio del Festival: 15 giugno 2026      Festival si chiude: 18 giugno 2026

"We particularly value highly artistic and aesthetic films—short and feature, documentary and narrative—that explore various aspects of life. Above all, we have a deep appreciation for catharsis."

Film Award is organized by the MYTH Foundation, an international cultural community that supports Ukraine's resistance through art. The Foundation is a non-profit, apolitical non-governmental organization. Its primary goals are the promotion of Ukraine abroad, supporting the morale of the Ukrainian people, creating professional national cultural products, and developing cultural diplomacy and cooperation with Ukrainian and international institutions in the fields of culture and cinema.

The MYTH Social Impact Film Award is an international platform that amplifies the voices of artists and projects standing in solidarity with Ukraine. The award focuses on films about the war, the lives of civilians in combat zones, acute social issues, justice, resistance to Russian propaganda, as well as works documenting or highlighting human rights violations during the war.

On November 15, 2025, the MYTH Foundation launched and held the first MYTH Social Impact Film Award, bringing together participants from 33 countries of the free world to support Ukraine. The "Madonna and Child in a Shelter," the main award and symbol of the film prize, found its home in London and Rome, Berlin and Paris, Istanbul and Warsaw, New York and Delhi, Toronto and Kramatorsk—becoming a fond memory of Ukraine and a symbolic talisman for filmmakers worldwide.

The 2nd Film Award is dedicated to the strength of the human spirit and the unwavering will to live. We present works centered on themes of humanity and struggle, freedom and love. Our country is enduring a horrific war, yet it continues to love, live, hope, and fight. Now more than ever, there is a need for life-affirming, powerful stories—dramatic and comedic, quiet and loud—diverse in their essence.

The main theme is: "Love for Life – Against All Odds." This theme unites national and international films of various genres around humanistic values, maintaining a focus on the Ukrainian experience of war while offering the audience a sense of hope and support from around the world.

The Film Award is scheduled as a tour across Ukraine in June 2026, with main events in Kyiv and screenings for regional audiences in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The 2nd Film Award will feature the following Main Sections, including both narrative and documentary projects:

National Feature Film

National Short Film

International Feature Film

International Short Film

Join us to strengthen this voice of truth and become a part of the cinematic resistance.

If you have any questions, please contact the following person:
Kristina Velychko Assistant to Festival Director Rodion Volkov

velychkokristina4@gmail.com

Grand Prix — the highest professional award. Awarded for:

Best Ukrainian Film

Best International Film

by the unanimous decision of an independent international jury.

Professional Awards (Optional, determined by the international independent jury after reviewing the submitted films):

Best Directing

Best Screenplay

Best Acting

Best Narrative

Best Cinematography

Best Editing

Best Sound Design

Best Production Design

Best Score/Music

Best Comedic Work

Thematic Section: Humor of Resistance Comedic and satirical works are allowed regardless of genre if the comic form serves as a means of comprehending social, military, humanitarian, and cultural themes. Comedy can act as a way to overcome trauma, criticize the absurdity of war, or serve as a form of cultural self-reflection.

Comedic short-length and feature-length works

Black comedy

Satirical works

Tragi-comedy

Special Nominations:

Friend of Ukraine — for foreign projects, authors, and communities that support Ukraine. Awarded by the unanimous decision of an independent international jury — on behalf of the Ukrainian people.

Voice of Ukraine — for national projects that convey Ukrainian narratives to the international audience and become the voice of the Ukrainian resistance. Special attention in this nomination is given to works that highlight the fates of Ukrainian prisoners of war, civilian hostages, children of war; we value truthful documentary and fiction stories about the Ukrainian resistance and what each of us preserves, on the front line or in the rear — humanity.

II MYTH Social Impact Film Award

1. Regulations

1.1. MYTH Foundation is an international cultural community that supports Ukraine's resistance through art. The Foundation is a non-profit, apolitical public organization. Our main goals are the promotion of Ukraine abroad, supporting the moral spirit of the Ukrainian people, creating a professional national cultural product, developing cultural diplomacy and cooperation with Ukrainian and international institutions in the field of culture and cinema.

1.2. MYTH Social Impact Film Award is a platform that amplifies the voices of artists and projects in solidarity with Ukraine. The Award focuses on films about the war, the lives of civilians in the combat zone, pressing social issues, matters of justice, and works that document or highlight human rights violations during the war.

1.3. The II MYTH Social Impact Film Award accepts fiction and documentary, short-length and feature-length works in the National (Ukrainian) and International Sections.

Short-length: 3–20 min.

Feature-length: 60–120 min.

1.4. The II MYTH Social Impact Film Award accepts projects from all over the world to participate in the "Friend of Ukraine" nomination. Only national projects participate in the "Voice of Ukraine" nomination, which meet the criteria outlined in paragraph 1.7.

1.5. The II MYTH Social Impact Film Award does not accept projects from the Russian Federation, Iran, and North Korea, as they are aggressor states, terrorist states, and direct participants in the war of aggression against Ukraine.

1.6. The II MYTH Social Impact Film Award does not require premiere status and accepts works created between 2023 and 2026.

1.7. The symbol of the award and the main trophy is the "Ukrainian Madonna with Child in a Shelter".

Special Nominations:

Friend of Ukraine — for foreign projects, authors, and communities that support Ukraine. Awarded by the unanimous decision of an independent international jury — on behalf of the Ukrainian people.

Voice of Ukraine — for national projects that convey Ukrainian narratives to the international audience and become the voice of the Ukrainian resistance. Special attention in this nomination is given to works that highlight the fates of Ukrainian prisoners of war, civilian hostages, children of war; we value truthful documentary and fiction stories about the Ukrainian resistance and what each of us preserves, on the front line or in the rear — humanity.

2. Thematic Focus for 2026

2.1. The text of this section is already incorporated into the Preamble above.

2.2. The II MYTH Social Impact Film Award will include National and International Sections for feature-length and short-length, fiction and documentary cinema.

Special non-competition section - Cinema of Memory. With the support of the Ivano-Frankivsk branch of the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine, the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine - a program of national short-length and feature-length films will be formed, whose team members died defending Ukraine.

3. Locations

The Main Award Ceremony of the 2nd MYTH Film Award (including the Grand Prix and Professional Awards) takes place only in Kyiv. In other cities, Solemn Ceremonies for the presentation of Special and Partner Awards (including "Friend of Ukraine") and section screenings will take place.

4. Screenplay Competition

The 2nd MYTH Film Award continues the tradition of the annual short film screenplay competition. This year - with no genre restrictions. Up to 20 pages.

Any language is allowed, but English subtitles are required.

5. Submission Requirements

Submissions are made via Festhome.

Films must be uploaded to Festhome.

Required materials:

Embedded English subtitles

Trailer and poster, plus several film stills

Short synopsis (up to 150 words)

Director/crew information

I. Short Films (MP4)

Short films must be submitted in MP4 file format (MPEG-4 Part 14). The required video codec is H.264 or H.265 (HEVC), using progressive scan (p) wherever possible. The minimum resolution is 1920×1080p (Full HD). While higher resolutions (2K or 4K) are accepted, the total file size must not exceed 10 GB. Submissions should maintain a high-quality Variable Bitrate (VBR), recommended to be at least 10-20 Mbps for 1080p content. Audio must be encoded using AAC or AC-3 codec, minimum Stereo (2.0), with a 48 kHz sample rate.

Subtitling Requirements for Short Films:

Non-National (Foreign) Films: Must include Ukrainian Subtitles.

National (Ukrainian) Films: Must include English Subtitles. Subtitles should preferably be embedded (burned-in), but separate SRT or WebVTT files with accurate timecodes are also accepted. Organizers will assist with the translation process.

II. Feature Films (DCP)

Feature films must be submitted in the industry-standard DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format, compliant with DCI specifications. The screening format must be DCP. Resolutions should be either 2K or 4K, commonly Flat (1998x1080) or Scope (2048x858). The frame rate must be 24 or 25 fps. The color space must be XYZ. Audio should be standard DCP (typically 5.1/7.1 Surround Sound, 48 kHz, 24-bit). Unencrypted DCPs are preferred.

Subtitling Requirements for Feature Films:

Non-National (Foreign) Films: Must include Ukrainian Subtitles.

National (Ukrainian) Films: Must include English Subtitles. Subtitles must be included as a separate Subtitle Track within the DCP package. Translation assistance will be provided by organizers upon submission of original dialogue lists or SRT files.

6. Rights & Legal

Submission confirms that the participant owns all rights to the film.

The festival is not responsible for any copyright infringement.

Filmmakers may opt out of online screening by contacting the organizers directly.

Participants grant the festival the right to use trailers, teasers, and other promotional materials for marketing and informational purposes.

The festival may use up to 3 minutes of the film in trailers, social media, and promotions without altering the content.

7. Cancellation

Submission fees are non-refundable, whether the filmmaker withdraws or the film is not selected by the jury.

8. Privacy

This section is intentionally left blank for the festival to define its privacy policy.

9. Awards & Prizes

Our festival recognizes that the greatest award for a filmmaker is the acknowledgment of their work and the opportunity to share their creation with the world. Therefore, we offer winners not just prizes, but opportunities that will advance their careers and recognition within the industry.

Official Laurel Award: Every winner and official selection will receive an exclusive MYTH Social Impact Film Award laurel. This is a symbol of recognition for your talent, which you can use in your promotional materials, posters, and for future film presentations.

Networking: Winners and festival participants will have the opportunity to connect with fellow filmmakers, other professionals, and our jury members. This is a vital component of any festival, opening doors for future collaborations and professional connections.

Extensive Exposure: We guarantee that materials about the winning films will be featured on the homepage of our official website and on the festival's social media pages. This will ensure maximum reach and sustained visibility for your film to our audience.

Symbolic Gifts: As a token of our appreciation and recognition, winners will also receive symbolic gifts that will serve as a unique memento of their triumph at the MYTH festival.

Audience Choice Award: An additional and highly valuable award will be the "Audience Choice Award," which will be determined by audience voting. This is a special form of recognition that highlights your film's ability to resonate with viewers and inspire the audience.

10. Participant Responsibility

Submission of inappropriate content is prohibited (pornography, calls for violence, racism, propaganda).