About

Who is behind Filmmakers for Ukraine

Owner and Operator of Filmmakers for Ukraine is the NGO Filmmakers for Refugees. It is an independent European group of filmmakers that gathered after the start of the war in Ukraine. It created an online platform – an information hub with different kinds of support (accommodation, legal assistance, work, education, financial) – for all affected by the war, paying particular attention to the country’s film community alongside people from socially marginalised groups – together with the staff of Crew United Europe – In these troubled times we want to use our experience and extensive network to connect people from and within the Ukraine. We invite all institutions, associations and unions of the film industry to help and support us.

February 2022: Immediately following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Crew United Europe launched Filmmakers for Ukraine, an information hub managed by an independent group of committed volunteers, among them, representatives of professional associations, institutions, and numerous colleagues of the film industry from at least 14 different European countries. For many weeks, everyone involved met every day at 9:30 in a Zoom room to discuss everything and divide up the tasks. We then moved to weekly meetings plus supplementary meetings in working groups on specific topics.

For the past 26 years, Crew United Europe has been connecting film professionals to make great films under fair conditions.

Filmmakers for Ukraine has been providing information (regarding accommodation, legal assistance, work, education, etc.) and assisting with transportation to support those affected by the war, paying particular attention to the needs of the country’s film community alongside the needs of people from socially marginalized groups. 

March 2022: As the war intensified, the number of volunteers at Filmmakers for Ukraine grew. The group was joined by several Ukrainian film professionals. Some had fled to neighboring countries, while others were still in Ukraine. In addition to researching, reviewing and providing important information, we have given all Ukrainian filmmakers on Crew United a new digital home, at least professionally, and they get all premium services for free for at least three years.

April 2022: Filmmakers for Ukraine obtained NGO status under the name Filmmakers for Refugees and are now able to raise funds to also provide financial support. We started organizing online courses to help Ukrainian filmmakers better understand the job market outside Ukraine.

May 2022: Filmmakers for Ukraine began its first fundraising operation at the Cannes Film Festival in conjunction with The Location Guide and the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN). And a great collaboration began with New Moon Film from Los Angeles, who are incredibly supportive.

June 2022: Filmmakers for Ukraine received the Humanitas Prize’s Kieser Award and with the help of this award can support 10 Ukrainian filmmakers with money and attention. And together with ARD Degeto Filmmakers for Ukraine started the project “Train to Work”. The projects goal is to help filmmakers who had to leave Ukraine because of the war to enter the German film industry.

July 2022: Filmmakers for Ukraine launched an online Charity Screening initiative to raise funds for filmmakers in need. The opening title is Distant Barking of the dogs. The Ambassador of this screening program is Agnieszka Holland. Watch her special message here. And finally we could create out committee, who will decide transparently on the allocation of funds.

Here are just some of the organisations which have joined us: AG Animationsfilm, Czech Producers’ Association, Deutsche Filmakademie, Directors Guild of Poland, Filmmakers for Future, Filmverband Südwest, FIRST STEPS Award, Polish Film Academy, Polish Producers Alliance, Polish Women in Film Association, Producers Guild of Poland, Queer Media Society, Superbohemians, The Filmmakers Union in Poland, Union of Polish Actors, VdRSD Verband der Requisite und Set Decoration e.V., Wolf PR.

Developed with a little help and a lot of love from design-netzwerk.eu
“We’re all creatives and stand together for a better future,
AaronBeatrice and Stephan.” You guys are amazing!

Public Relation by WOLF PR (love and kisses and many thanks to Karola and Neven)

Supported by Donations from EFAD (European Film Agency Directors association), Film Fund Luxembourg and PANTAFLIX Technologies.

And our endless thanks to our great staff at Crew United and our amazing volunteers who are doing incredible things on this project: Anne Ballschmieder, Bogdan Botescu, Andreea-Ionela Buzatu, Vivien Cahn, Christoph Chassée, Tabea Dämmich, Yelyzaveta Davydenko, Isabella Deshon, Peggy Dix, Pierpaolo Festa, Anke Gehrmann, Veronika Große, Irena Gruca-Rozbicka, Alexandra Hajok, Tasja Hauk, Sonia Hausséguy, Togzhan (Toki) Kapenova, Andrea Kaufmann, Maria Kazanets, Helen Khoshtaria, Olga Kozhema, Alexandra Krampe, Lili Krasteva, Maria Kushnirenko, Urszula Lipińska, Andrew Liulko, Ian Lynchian, Helena Maksyom, Romanas Matulis, Sirkka Möller, Babett Pönisch, Alina Razumenko, Tim Reinartz, Anna Rembowska, Annegret Richter, Olivia Rogalla, Christian Alexander Rogler, Iryna Romanchenko, Ulrike Schmid, Doris Schneidtinger, Agnieszka Sommer, Moritz Schreiner, Karola Soós, Jennifer Stahl, Venia Vergou, Calvin Walker, Thomas Ch. Weber, Cay Wesnigk, Karola Wolf, Mila Zhluktenko

PODCAST Spielplatz (v)ermittelt mit Irena Gruca-Rozbicka und Oliver Zenglein über Filmmakers for Ukraine (unfortunately only German)

Special thanks to the people who supported the creation of the video spot for the fundraising campaign:

Editor: Wojciech Jagiełło PSM
Sound design: Igor Kazmirchuk
Voice over: Daniel Albert Stewart
War footage: Ukrainian Media Agency, Kino Guild
Foto: Mstyslav Chernov

Very special thanks to:
Bogumił Godfrejów, Katya Lachina, Oleg Sencov, Denis Melnik, Vadym Smarchenko
Calvin Walker, Alexander Chernobrovkin,

…and Ukrainian Members of Crew United:
Anita Kopylenko, Alexandra Nikitina, Alexandra Teslenko, Anna Tambova, Anzhelika Onischuk,
Arseny Bogunov, Dmytro Kuryliuk, Eugene Serebriakov, Hlib Sukhanov, Maria Petrojitskaia,
Nick Belevtsov, Oleksandr Maslak, Oleksandra Vinnichuk, Pavlo Shturniev, Stasya Monastyrskaya,
Viktor Koshak, Vlad Pilipenko, Yanina Kucher

Let us Do more!