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UK seller Canoe has locked in a series of theatrical deals for Ukrainian war film, Bucha Unbroken, directed by Stanislav Tiunov and written and produced by Oleksandr Shchur.

It has sold to Cinemundo (Portugal), 9th Plan (Poland), Film Hive (Canada) andLighthouse Home Entertainment (German-speaking Europe). It was released nationwide in Ukraine on November 7.

The film is based on the true story of Konstantin Gudauskas, a Lithuanian Jew, citizen of Kazakhstan, and resident of Ukraine who used his foreign passport to save 203 civilians following the 2022 Russian invasion. Poland’s Cezary Lukaszewicz and Ukraine’s Vyacheslav Dovzhenko star.

“This is a film...

It takes a person walking through hell to see what they are truly made of. When war, the greatest of human evils, made itself manifest through the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, heroes emerged from amid the ordinary people. Konstantin Gudauskas (Cezary Lukaszewicz) was among them and successfully lead 203 Ukrainians to freedom. However, despite this powerful narrative foundation, Bucha falls short at delivering as a dignifying execution, revealing that the weight of this story may have been too great for director Stanislav Tiunov to bear.

Gudauskas is a Kazakhstani who has been granted political asylum in Ukraine years before the war, placing him amid the whirlwind from the beginning. As the first missiles are hitting Kyiv, he is guilt-tripped into going on his first assignment, which requires him to drive the pregnant wife and children of a high-profile Ukrainian, who is wanted by the Russian troops, back to safety....

Exclusive: London-based sales firm Canoe Film is launching sales on Ukrainine war film Bucha Unbroken, which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Warsaw Film Festival.

The film is based on the true story of Konstantin Gudauskas, a Lithuanian Jew and resident of Ukraine who used his Kazakh passport to travel to Russian occupied territories and save 203 civilians. The film depicts Konstantin’s clandestine rescue operation in Bucha, Vorzel, and Hostomel (Kyiv region), beginning with a call he receives from a Crimean intelligence agent who sees his ability to move freely within the region as an asset. While his harrowing work saves hundreds of lives, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous, and the intelligence agency can no longer sanction his work. Konstantin must make a difficult decision that will risk his own survival and others.

Oleksandr Shchur produces and wrote the screenplay while director is Stanislav Tiunov. Canoe will introduce...

A focused look at the violence committed by Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, told from the perspective of a real-life hero. Well-executed war scenes and a compelling villain make Bucha a gripping and important cinematic experience. The film falls short in developing Konstantin's character fully, portraying him as a sugarcoated hero without many layers.

On February 24th, 2022, the entire world was rocked to its very core when news broke that Russian forces had begun to storm Ukraine. Over time, these continuous and aggressive actions towards the latter country have consistently been called the biggest attack on any European country since World War II. One of the earliest but most startling maneuvers from Russia came not even a month later, on March 4th, when Vladimir Putin's military began their horrendous assault on one of Ukraine's towns. In what is known as the Bucha Massacre, close to 500 innocent victims...

Titles include Kim Jee-woon’s Out of Competition drama ‘Cobweb’.

Mongolian distributor Filmbridge is on an acquisitions drive at the Cannes market, picking up a raft of titles led by Kim Jee-woon’s Out of Competition drama Cobweb from South Korea’s Barunson E&a.

In a show of support for embattled Ukraine, the company picked up all that was available from Film UA, comprising director Stanislav Tiunov’s drama Bucha, the story of a refugee from Kazakhstan who saved hundreds of Ukrainians in cities and towns occupied by Russian troops; newly launched horror The Witch of Konotop; werewolf thriller Maksym Osa...

Film.UA has also begun pre-sales on Ukrainian war drama ‘Bucha’.

Ukraine’s Film.UA Distribution has sold Myroslav Latyk’s werewolf thriller Maksym Osa to Germany’s Alamode, following a delay in production due to the ongoing war.

The recently completed feature was held up as lead actor Vasiliy Kukharskiy stepped away from the production to enter the conflict. “The main actor totally changed and we couldn’t create a poster with him as his face changed because of the war,” said Evgeniy Drachov, head of production and sales at leading Ukrainian outfit Film.UA Distribution. “In the end, we did...