Опис події
The Ukrainian Film Festival in Alberta in Edmonton is a festival of contemporary Ukrainian cinema that will take place April 17–19, 2026 at the Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre. The event will bring audiences together around powerful, internationally acclaimed films about Ukraine, its contemporary experience, war, memory, identity, culture, and human resilience. The festival is part of the province-wide UFFA 2026 program, which is also taking place in Calgary.
Festival Location
The Edmonton portion of the festival will take place at Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre—a historic cinema that is Edmonton’s oldest movie theater and is known for its independent film screenings. Organizers note that this will be the third time the Ukrainian film festival has been held here, underscoring the city’s enduring interest in contemporary Ukrainian cinema and cultural events of this scale.
Festival Program
The Edmonton festival program features the films My Dear Théo (2025) by director Alisa Kovalenko, Viktor (2024) by director Olivier Sarbil, The Editorial Office (2024) by Roman Bondarchuk, 2000 Meters to Andriivka (2025) by Mstislav Chernov, and Two Sisters (2025) by Lukasz Karwowski. According to the festival’s description, this is a selection of powerful contemporary films that have already received international recognition and are noted for their profound stories about war, loss, choice, dignity, and the experience of Ukraine today.
My Dear Théo
The Edmonton program will open with My Dear Théo—a film in which director Alisa Kovalenko documents her own experience participating in Ukraine’s defense following Russia’s full-scale invasion and addresses her son Théo through the language of cinema. The film combines frontline documentary footage with a deeply personal perspective on the war and its human cost.
The screening is scheduled for April 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
Viktor
The program also includes Viktor—a black-and-white film about a deaf young man from Kharkiv who, during the Russian invasion, strives to find his place in the war despite being unable to enlist in the army due to his hearing impairment. The film stands out for its unique sound design and highly intimate cinematography.
It will screen in Edmonton on April 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
The Editorial Office
On the same day, April 18 at 9:00 PM, audiences will be able to see The Editorial Office — Roman Bondarchuk’s film about Yura, a young nature researcher who tries to seek justice after an arson attack but instead plunges into a world of fake news, political manipulation, and social disorientation on the eve of a major war. It is a film about truth, the media, moral choices, and the loss of illusions.
2000 Meters to Andriivka
A screening of 2000 Meters to Andriivka—the new work by Mstislav Chernov, created by the team that previously gained international recognition for 20 Days in Mariupol—is scheduled for April 19, 2026, at 4:30 PM. The film documents the journey of Ukrainian soldiers through a heavily fortified forest area during the attempt to liberate Andriivka and portrays the war from a very personal, intimate perspective.
Two Sisters
The Edmonton program concludes with Two Sisters, which will screen on April 19, 2026, at 7:00 PM. This is the story of two sisters from Warsaw who, after the outbreak of full-scale war, set out across war-torn Ukraine to bring their wounded father home. The film combines a road movie with a deeply emotional story of family trauma, reconciliation, and the harsh realities of war.
Organizers and Partners
UFFA 2026 is co-organized by the Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies, the Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, and the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies. The festival is also held in partnership with the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre at MacEwan University and with financial support from Razom for Ukraine and the Alberta Ukrainian Commemorative Society.
Summary
Overall, the Ukrainian Film Festival in Alberta in Edmonton is not just a series of film screenings, but also an important cultural event that opens up space for a deeper understanding of modern Ukraine through the language of cinema. It is an opportunity to see powerful narrative and documentary films that address the war not abstractly, but through human stories, personal experiences, and living memory.
