Ukraine to Showcase 5 Powerful Documentaries at IDFA 2025 in Amsterdam

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), one of Europe’s most prestigious documentary film festivals, will showcase five Ukrainian films in its 2025 edition, taking place from November 13—23. Among them is 2000 Metres to Andriivka, a new documentary by Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov.

The announcement was made by Ukraine’s State Film Agency (Derzhkino), highlighting the strong presence of Ukrainian cinema at this year’s IDFA.

Ukrainian filmmaker Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk will premiere his new documentary Silent Flood in the International Competition. The film explores a secluded religious community living on the banks of the Dniester River, whose peaceful existence is repeatedly disrupted by natural disasters—and later, by the full-scale Russian invasion. Drawing parallels between the forces of nature and war, the film examines how recurring catastrophes shape collective memory and identity.

In the Signed section, Vitaliy Manskyi’s three-hour documentary Time to the Target will be presented. Shot in Lviv during the full-scale invasion, the film focuses on life far from the frontline yet still marked by loss and grief. Many scenes are filmed from the perspective of a military orchestra, underscoring the omnipresence of funerals and national mourning. The film is a co-production between Latvia, Czechia, and Ukraine.

Three Ukrainian films will appear in the Best of Fests program:

2000 Metres to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov, Ukraine’s official submission for the 2026 Oscars, follows soldiers of the 3rd Assault Brigade as they fight to liberate the village of Andriivka near Bakhmut during Ukraine’s counteroffensive in September 2023. Co-directed with photographer Oleksandr Babenko, the film offers a gripping frontline perspective.

Militantropos, a collaborative documentary by Yelyzaveta Smit, Alina Gorlova, and Semen Mozgovyi, forms part of a triptych titled The Days We’d Like to Forget. The film tells personal stories of ordinary Ukrainians forced to flee, fight, or survive amidst constant bombardment. The title, a neologism combining Latin “milit” (warrior) and Greek “anthropos” (human), underscores the evolving identity shaped by war.

Timestamp by Kateryna Gornostai is the first Ukrainian film since 1997 to compete in the main competition at the Berlin Film Festival, vying for the Golden Bear in 2025. The documentary focuses on teachers and students in war-torn Ukraine—in de-occupied areas, near active frontlines, and under regular attacks. It is a testament to resilience and the pursuit of education amid chaos.

Earlier, it was reported that for the first time, Ukraine will take part in the Guatemala Biennale of Contemporary Art with a project by artist Alevtina Kakhidze that reflects on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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